Gilas gearing up
THE training intensity goes up several notches for the Philippine men’s basketball team with two-a-days set ahead of the games in the final window of the Fiba Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Gilas Pilipinas, allotted a spot in the main event as host, is using the qualifiers to determine the composition of the final squad. The Filipinos take on Lebanon on Friday and Jordan on Monday.
Twice a day training starts on Tuesday.
The Filipinos hold a 5-3 win-loss record for third spot in Group E behind Lebanon (7-1) and New Zealand (6-2).
Tamayo out
CARL Tamayo is skipping a second straight Fiba qualifying window.
The then University of the Philippines forward missed joining the Philippine men’s basketball team in the November window due to an ankle injury.
Now under contract with the Ryukyu Golden Kings in the Japan B. League, Tamayo has begged off from suiting up for Gilas in the sixth and final qualifying window.
Also out is Kai Sotto, who has signed with the B.League’s Hiroshima Dragonflies.
Ochuefu trains with Gilas
TNT consultant Chot Reyes tapped the Tropang Giga’s Daniel Ochefu as practice player for the undermanned Gilas Pilipinas.
With Gilas’ frontcourt decimated with the injury to forward Japeth Aguilar due to injury and the withdrawal of younger bigs, Reyes had Ochefu join practice.
Ochefu will play for TNT in the East Asia Super League Champions Week.
Aguilar showed up to show support as Justin Brownlee, Scottie Thompson, CJ Perez, Calvin Oftana, Arvin Tolentino, Chris Newsome and Raymond Almazan trained on Monday night along with Ray Parks, brothers Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, Jordan Heading, Dwight Ramos, Kevin Quiambao, Mason Amos, Jerom Lastimosa and Schonny Winston.
PBA All-Star lineups
SCOTTIE Thompson made his Ginebra teammate the top pick in the PBA All-Star draft, with Japeth Aguilar taking in June Mar Fajardo second.
Although second in the All-Star poll, Team Scottie got the first pick after winning the coin toss.
However, Team Japeth got the right to pick the coach in a separate coin toss, and chose Ginebra mentor Tim Cone. Yeng Guiao will coach team Scottie on March 12 in Passi, Iloilo.
Team Scottie selected CJ Perez of San Miguel, Magnolia’s Calvin Abueva, NorthPort’s Robert Bolick and Arvin Tolentino, Kevin Alas of NLEX, TNT’s Jayson Castro, Stanley Pringle of Ginebra, San Miguel’s Marcio Lassiter, Mark Barroca of Magnolia and Rain or Shine’s James Yap.
Team Japeth got Ginebra's Jamie Malonzo, Meralco’s Chris Newsome, Roger Pogoy of TNT, Ginebra’s LA Tenorio, Mikey Williams of TNT, Magnolia’s Paul Lee, Jeremiah Gray of Ginebra, Rain or Shine’s Gian Mamuyac, Nards Pinto of Ginebra and San Miguel’s Terrence Romeo of San Miguel.
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