THE Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) will be hard-pressed to name a head coach for Gilas Pilipinas at least for the coming 30th Southeast Asian Games with the deadline for the submission of the names by entry set by the end of the month.
A total of 30 names were initially given by the SBP when it submitted an initial list of players during the deadline for entry by delegation last June which included naturalized players Andray Blatche, Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle.
But the final 12-man roster plus the two reserve players should be submitted by Sept. 30.
The men’s basketball team is suddenly left without a coach following the resignation of Yeng Guiao Wednesday in the aftermath of Gilas Pilipinas’ tragic campaign in the Fiba World Cup in China in which the Filipinos lost by an average margin of 29.4 in five games.
The SBP has yet to come up with a list from which it will name Guiao’s replacement.
However, two names have constantly cropped up as national coach candidates in the wake of the dismal World Cup campaign - Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin and current Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone.
Both Baldwin and Cone had previous stints with the national team - Cone in the 1998 Asiad where he led the all-pro Centennial Team to a bronze medal, and Baldwin in the 2015 Fiba Asia Championship where Gilas finished runner-up.
Another logical replacement for Guiao is Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia, who served as the former's assistant from the 2018 Asian Games through the World Cup qualifiers to the conclave in China.
Prior to leaving for the World Cup, Guiao already mentioned that those who failed to make the final 12-man roster to China will be heavily considered in the SEA Games lineup.
Among those left out were Beau Belga and injured players Matthew Wright, Marcio Lassiter and Poy Erram.
The Philippines have maintained its dominance in SEA Games basketball since 1991. The only time it failed to win a basketball gold medal in a SEA Games where it competed was in 1989 in Kuala Lumpur.
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