PBA players included in the Gilas Pilipinas pool for the sixth window of the Fiba Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers were almost in full force when the team conducted its regular on Monday night practice at the Meralco gym.
Barangay Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson and Jamie Malonzo showed up, so did the Meralco duo of Chris Newsome and Raymond Almazan.
See Chris Newsome thrilled to be on same side as Brownlee for a change
The four were not around when the team gathered for the first time last week to set in motion its preparations for the February window of the qualifiers set at the Philippine Arena.
Big men Japeth Aguilar and June Mar Fajardo, along with CJ Perez, Roger Pogoy, Arvin Tolentino, and naturalized Filipino citizen Justin Brownlee form the US were in practice for the second straight week.
Only Calvin Oftana was the lone PBA player not around as the TNT forward has been indisposed since Friday and didn’t play in TNT’s 105-100 win over Rain or Shine in the Governors’ Cup.
Only three college players joined the pros in Schonny Winston, Carl Tamayo, and Mason Amos.
Naturalized Filipino Ange Kouame from the Ivory Coasty is likewise indisposed, while Jerom Lastimosa, Francis Lopez, and Kevin Quiambao are with the Strong Group team seeing action in the 32nd Dubai Basketball International Championship.
Pool members playing outside the country, including Ray Parks Jr. Thirdy and Kiefer Ravena, Dwight Ramos, Jordan Heading, and Kai Sotto, have yet to join practice.
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