Patriots look to get back on track

The Philippine Patriots seek to bounce back strong after suffering a crunching defeat in their last outing as they collide with the KL Dragons in Saturday’s 1st ASEAN Basketball League at the MABA Gym.

This will be the first of three must-win games for the Patriots in their drive to secure the top seeding in this six-team tournament and the coveted homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.

The team dropped a 67-59 loss to the Slingers in a game where they bungled a 14-point lead in the first half.

“I hope lessons learned in our last game will be put to good use for today’s match," said Patriots coach Louie Alas.

The veteran mentor was referring to the fact that the team started with a tough defensive game only to shift to a shootout against the Slingers in the second half. The ploy backfired as the Patriots could not find the hoops to the delight of the Singaporean crowd.

“We must play defense not only for one quarter but for the whole game. I also hope our locals will be able to share the load with our imports to add dimension to our offense," Alas said.

The Patriots remain at the helm in the league with a 9-3 record but need to sweep their remaining three outings to avoid any complication in their race for the top seeding with the Slingers.

Right now, the Slingers have a 7-4 record entering their final four assignments and there still is a chance for them to tie the Patriots at the top spot with 11 wins.

That will happen if the Slingers win all their outings and the Patriots lose one of their final three games against the Dragons Saturday, the Thailand Tigers on January 17 at Nimibutr National Stadium in Thailand and the Brunei Barracudas on January 24 at Ynares Sports Center in Pasig City.

Should this scenario materialize, the Slingers will assume the top seeding by virtue of their 2-1 head to head record against the Patriots.

The Patriots remain the favorite against the Dragons, having won their first two encounters, 73-63 and 76-70. Morevover, the Dragons are on a two-game slump including a 57-69 setback to Satria Muda BritAma last January 5 at home.

“We won our first two meetings but we can’t be complacent and take them for granted," said team manager Erick Arejola.

For one, the Dragons need this win to boost their own chances for a semis seat.

The Malaysian squad has a 4-7 win-loss record and is contesting the number four seat with the Barracudas (5-6).

Do-it-all import Jason Dixon is expected to shine anew for the Patriots but the team’s other reinforcement, Brandon Powell, must get his act going or else see himself being replaced after this game.

Averaging 18.5 points in the twin victories over Malaysia, Powell has become a non-factor in the team’s past three outings.

In the game against the Slingers, Powell contributed 10 points, but scored six of them in the first quarter. He also committed five of the team’s 17 turnovers in 26 minutes of action.

Aside from Powell, the locals must also step up with Warren Ybanez, Nonoy Baclao, Elmer Espiritu and Val Acuna needing to get involved in the scoring chores.

As for the Dragons, the team will again rely on the heroics of their imports Chris Daniel Kuete Lonichi and Jamaal Brown.

Lonichi is coming off a 26-point, 13-rebound, 3-steal performance in their last outing.

Team Standings(W-L)
RP Patriots 9-3
Satria Muda BritAma 7-5
Singapore Slingers 7-4
Brunei Barracudas 5-6
Thailand Tigers 3-10
KL Dragons 4-7

Game on Saturday
(MABA Stadium, Kuala Lumpur)
5 p.m. — KL Dragons vs RP Patriots

Source: Author Unknown  | gmanews.tv

'Krypto-Nate' eligible for RP 5?

New York Knicks guard and two-time NBA slam dunk champion Nate Robinson is part-Filipino. That’s the word from basketball writer Rafe Bartholomew who said Robinson’s mother Renee Busch confirmed the Filipino heritage although the roots are rather scant.

Robinson, 25, is one-eighth Filipino. His maternal great grandfather was pure Filipino, making his grandfather half and his mother a fourth. Whether that portion will qualify Robinson to play for coach Rajko Toroman’s Smart Gilas team is a question mark.

Technically, Robinson could be considered a Fil-Am or more like an Am-Fil. If he is issued a Filipino passport on that basis as a dual citizen, then the 5-9 human dynamo from Seattle qualifies to play for Gilas – not as a naturalized import but as a Filipino like Fil-Ams Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz.

Of course, Robinson has to agree to apply for a Filipino passport and play for Gilas.

Bartholomew, whose story on the Ateneo-La Salle basketball rivalry made it to the pages of the New York Times, said he recently wrote a profile on Robinson. He interviewed Robinson’s mother for his piece. “Pinoy daw ang lolo niya,” texted Bartholomew, an American, in Filipino from his US cellphone.


Robinson made the sports headlines last New Year’s Day for scoring 41 points to lead the Knicks to a 112-108 overtime win over Atlanta on the road. He shot 3-of-5 triples, grabbed six rebounds and dished off eight assists in 38 minutes off the bench.

What made the feat more remarkable was it was Robinson’s first game since sitting out 14 straight assignments in coach Mike D’Antoni’s doghouse. Robinson’s previous outing was on Dec. 1 when he went scoreless in 11 minutes against Phoenix. Before that forgettable contest, Robinson torched Orlando for 24 points last Nov. 29.

Two days after Robinson’s explosion at Atlanta, he collected six points, six rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes as New York downed Indiana, 132-89.

* * * *

So far this season, Robinson is averaging 12.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 23.2 minutes in 14 games without a single start. He has sat out 20 games, mainly because of disagreements with D’Antoni.

It’s not the first time that Robinson has been at odds with his coach. As a rookie in 2005-06, he clashed with former New York coach Larry Brown who seriously considered demoting him to the D-League before deciding instead to deactivate him for 10 games. Robinson was also involved in fights with teammates Jerome James and Malik Rose, a report claimed. James, by the way, is a 7-1 center and Rose, who once visited Manila, is a 6-7, 255-pound enforcer. How crazy is it for the 190-pound Robinson to engage James and Rose in what a report said were “physical altercations?”

Robinson’s feisty nature was affirmed when he brawled with Denver’s J. R. Smith in a game during the 2006-07 season. He was suspended 10 games by the NBA for his role in the fisticuffs.

Despite his attitude problems, Robinson is a fan favorite in the Big Apple. That’s because being undersized, he plays a lot taller than he is. Robinson never backs down from any challenge or anyone, for that matter, even if he’s seven-foot tall.

In The Star’s sport section last Jan. 3, there was a picture of Robinson scoring a layup over 6-10 Hawks center Al Horford. In case you missed the point, Horford stands over a foot taller than Robinson. The picture said it all.

Robinson averaged a career-high 17.2 points in 74 games last season, his third with the Knicks since turning pro. Yet, he couldn’t wangle more than a one-year extension from New York, straining relations with D’Antoni and management.

While Robinson was chained in D’Antoni’s doghouse, his agent Aaron Goodwin was quoted in media as saying he would press for a trade. Goodwin said the benching was personal and not basketball-related. Goodwin made his comments last Dec. 19.

The NBA later fined Robinson $25,000 for Goodwin’s statements. “Players are not permitted to make trade requests publicly and are responsible for public statements relating to them made by their representatives,” said NBA spokesman Tim Frank.

* * * *

Knicks president Donnie Walsh said he would likely explore trade options for Robinson. But since his 41-point eruption, Robinson has changed his tune, saying, “I want the world to see I can play the game of basketball – this is where I want to be and I hope that I can stay... it’s a new year, a new start and I’m not looking back.”

Last season, New York ranked 14th of 15 Eastern Conference teams and missed the playoffs with a lowly 32-50 record. At the moment, the Knicks are 10th in the East with a 14-20 mark. The team got off to a horrible 1-9 start this campaign.

The oldest of seven children, Robinson lost a brother Deron Isaiah – a victim of sudden infant death syndrome – in 1997. Deron was born on May 21 so that it was significant, if not providential, that Robinson was the 21st pick in the 2005 NBA draft. He was the first University of Washington player to be chosen in the first round since Germany’s Chris Welp in 1987.

Robinson got his nickname “Krypto-Nate” when he jinxed Dwight Howard, also known as “Superman,” during the NBA Slam Dunk contest last year. The Knicks dynamo wore a green New York jersey, green shorts and green shoes to symbolize green “kryptonite” in dethroning Howard as the dunking champion.

Robinson’s mother operates a beauty salon in Seattle and lives in a three-storey house. His father Jacque played football for the University of Washington. It was his father who convinced him to give up football for basketball in 2002.

Robinson is listed at 5-9 wearing shoes but is actually a shade under 5-8 on his bare feet. He has a vertical leap of 43.5 inches and dunked for the first time, using a volleyball, when he was 13 in the eighth grade.

Robinson has two sons Nahmier, 5, and Ny’ale Camron, 3. In the New York media guidebook, there is no mention of his wife or the mother of his children.

Source: Joaquin Henson  | Philstar.com

Slingers defeats Patriots, 67-59

The Slingers sent Michael LeBlanc, Kyle Jeffers, Marcus Ng, Al Vergara and Hong Wei Jian as the starting lineup to go up against Jason Dixon, Robert Wainwright, Warren Ybanez, Brandon Powell and John Alcaraz. Slingers’ Kyle Jeffers won the jumpball against Patriots’ Jason Dixon, but it was the Patriots’ Brandon Powell who opened the scoring for the team.

The first quarter saw the Patriots take an early lead, and continued to push forward, finishing the first quarter with an 11 point lead which ended 21 – 9. Fired up by Patriots lead, Slingers upped their defense, and in the second quarter only allowed Patriots to score 8 points. This allowed the Slingers to tie even 29 all with the Patriots at halftime.

The tie continued in the third quarter, with both team scoring 16 points each, ending the quarter 45 all. It was in the fourth and final quarter that the Singapore Slingers pushed hard and pulled away from the Patriots, and at the final buzzer, Slingers emerged winners with an 8 point lead, ending the match 67 – 59 against the Patriots.

Singapore Slingers’ Michael LeBlanc lead the team with 21 personal points followed by Kyle Jeffers with 11 personal points. Jeffers also lead the Slingers with 10 rebounds. Patriots’ Jason Dixon scored 21 personal points followed by Brandon Powell with 10 personal points. Warren Ybanez lead the team with 8 rebounds.

Source: Author Unknown  | aseanbasketballleague.com

Purefoods Giants spoil Gilas’ farewell match

Smart Gilas wanted to end its campaign on a bright note, but Purefoods was a tough nut to crack.

The Philippine developmental pool dropped its final tune-up game in the KFC-Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup, bowing to the Giants, 81-99, on Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Roger Yap led the Giants with 16 points, while James Yap added 14 for the Giants.

The young squad, coached by Serbian Rajko Toroman, ended its guest stint in the All-Filipino tournament with three wins and seven losses.

The three wins were scored at the expense of Coca-Cola (98-93), Rain or Shine (96-89) and San Miguel Beer (109-96).

“It was a good experience for the team and this will help us in the long run,” said Toroman, whose team departs on Thursday for a Middle East tour to be capped by its participation in the prestigious 21st Dubai Invitational Basketball Tournament slated from January 14 to 23.

Toroman’s team will play the best clubs in the Gulf and will face its former player CJ Giles, who is in the lineup of a Lebanese commercial team. Giles was scrapped in the Smart Gilas roster because of attitude problem.

Before the Dubai joust, Smart Gilas will also play friendlies with the national teams of Qatar and Kuwait on January 8 and 12, respectively.

Nino Canaleta and Romel Adducul each had 11 markers for Purefoods, which took advantage of the absence of American reinforcement Jamal Sampson, who sat out the game because of a back injury.

Behind Kerby Raymundo’s six points in the first period, the Giants jumped the gun on the national team and took a 32-18 advantage after the first 12 minutes.

Adducul unloaded nine of his total output in the second canto, as Purefoods extended its advantage to 54-38.

Roger Yap then took charge in the third as he poured half of his output in that stage to erect a 74-57 cushion. The Giants never threatened since then.

Skipper Chris Tiu led Smart Gilas with 18 points, while Japeth Aguilar added 12. Mark Barroca chipped in 11 points, while Dylan Ababou and Mac Baracael each had 10 points for the national team.

Games January 6 (Araneta Coliseum)
1st game — Purefoods def. Smart-Gilas, 99-81
2nd game — Sta. Lucia def. Rain or Shine, 95-91
3rd game — Ginebra def. Talk N' Text, 105-82

Source: Joel Orellana  | BusinessMirror.com.ph

SBP, GMA-7 ink deal for Gilas Mideast tour

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) has entered into an agreement with television network giant GMA-7 to cover the games of the Smart-Gilas Pilipinas National Team in the Middle East.

Under the partnership, GMA will air Gilas’ Middle East activities, including holding a special on GMA’s PinoyTV.

GMA has also agreed to provide subsidy for the Mideast trip of the National Team and is studying the possibility of even acquiring the tapes of the Dubai tournament for airing on its network.

Smart-Gilas is slated to leave Thursday for Doha, Qatar as part of a 17-day tour of the Gulf as it begins preparations for the Asian Games this November in China.

The RP team will play two games against the Qatar National Team on January 8 and 9 before participating in the tough 21st Dubai International Tournament from January 14 to 23. Prior to the tournament, Smart Gilas will play exhibition games for the Filipino communities in Dubai as well against a club team from Jordan and the UAE.

The RP team, led by coach Rajko Toroman and players Chris Tiu and Dylan Ababou, along with paid a courtesy call to GMA Network, Inc. chairman, president and CEO Felipe L. Gozon and EVP and COO Gilberto R. Duavit prior to the team’s departure.

"We fully support the national team, financially, morally and spiritually because we need to have athletes who will represent the country and win. And basketball is the national sport," said Gozon, who warmly welcomed the team that is tasked to bring the Philippines back into the Olympics by 2012.

For his part, Duavit said the coverage of Gilas intends to “create a lot of interest in terms of what the national team is doing" especially among OFWs in the places that they will be visiting.

SBP Executive Director Noli Eala lauded the partnership as a “milestone agreement that augurs well for the campaign to bring back national pride.”

“In behalf of our President Manny Pangilinan, we are very grateful for the support of a respected industry leader like GMA led by visionaries like Chairman Gozon and Mr. Duavit to the Smart-Gilas National Team. The resources that GMA network are providing the team is a big boost in our aggressive campaign to prepare to qualify for the Olympics.” Eala said.

“The best part is because of this historic partnership, Smart Gilas will have more interaction with our Filipino communities in Qatar and the UAE. We need all the support and prayers of our countrymen in our quest to bring back pride and glory to the Philippines.” Eala added.

The Dubai International tournament will feature teams from Syria, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, and the UAE in what is billed as the “toughest international tournament in the Middle East.”

Source: Author Unknown  | Manila Bulletin

GMA-7 to air Gilas Middle East series

MANILA, Philippines - The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) has linked up with giant TV network GMA-7 for the series of games of the Smart Gilas Pilipinas team in the Middle East.

Smart Gilas is slated to leave for Doha, Qatar tomorrow for a 17-day tour of the Gulf as part of its buildup for the Asian Games in China in November.

Handled by Serbian Coach Rajko Toroman, the Smart Gilas team will play two games against the Qatar national squad on Jan. 8 and 9 before competing in the tough 21st Dubai International Tournament slated Jan. 14-23.

Prior to the tournament, Smart Gilas will play exhibition games for the Filipino communities in Dubai as well against a club teams from Jordan and the UAE.

Toroman and his players, led by team captain Chris Tiu and UAAP MVP Dylan Ababou, along with SBP officials Rico Meneses and Perry Martinez, paid a courtesy call on GMA Network, Inc. chairman, president and CEO Felipe Gozon and EVP and COO Gilberto Duavit prior to the team’s departure.


Under the partnership, GMA will cover Gilas’ Middle East activities and air a special on GMA’s PinoyTV. GMA has also agreed to provide subsidy for the Mideast trip of the team and is studying the possibility of even acquiring the tapes of the Dubai tournament for telecast.

“We fully support the national team, financially, morally and spiritually because we need to have athletes who will represent the country and win. And basketball is the national sport,” said Gozon, who welcomed the team vying for a berth in the Olympics in 2012.

Source: Author Unknown  | Philstar.com

Patriots seek No. 1 against host Slingers

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Patriots zero in on the No. 1 seeding in the Final Four as they seek a repeat win over the Singapore Slingers at resumption of action in the first Asean Basketball League (ABL) at the Singapore Indoor Stadium today.

Showing the way for the six-team field with a 9-2 (win-loss) card, the Patriots take on the Slingers at 8 p.m. with the former raring to duplicate their 70-53 romp over the hosts the last time they met.

The RP Patriots’ game against the Slingers serves as the first of their two road games in four days. From Singapore, the Patriots, co-owned by Dr. Mikee Romero of Harbour Centre and Tony Boy Cojuangco, will fly to Kuala Lumpur to battle the Dragons on Friday.

Actually, the Patriots will be playing three of their last four games on the road as they tangle with the Thailand Tigers at Nimibutr National Stadium on Jan. 17 before closing out their elimination round campaign against the Brunei Barracudas on Jan. 24 back at home at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

The Patriots need to win three of their last four games to secure the No. 1 spot and the homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.


“It will be a tough week ahead of us but the team is prepared and ready for the challenge,” said coach Louie Alas.

The Patriots, who left for Singapore yesterday, is coming off back-to-back victories over the KL Dragons, 76-70, and Brunei Barracudas, 70-56, to cap their sterling campaign in 2009.

“I commend the players’ attitude and sacrifices just to be in their tip-top shape in time for our coming games. This just goes to show how determined our team is in its drive to succeed in this league,” said team manager Erick Arejola.

This marks the third time the Patriots and the Slingers will slug it out with the latter winning their first encounter, 74-69.

The Slingers hold a 6-4 record but they need to beat the Patriots to boost their bid to finish in the top 3 after the elims.

“My main concern now is the energy level of the team since we are coming off a break. We have to match the intensity of the Slingers especially on defense because we need to contain their output,” said Alas.

Jason Dixon is averaging 14.6 point and 13.6 rebounds after posting double-double performances in the team’s last seven games. The other players to watch for the Patriots are Brandon Powell, Nonoy Baclao, Warren Ybanez, JP Alcaraz and Rob Wainwright.

The Slingers, on the other hand, will rely on American imports Michael LeBlanc and Kyle Jefers and Filipino import Al Vergara.

Source: Author Unknown  | Philstar.com

Pros may beef up Smart Gilas for Asiad mission

Although it maintains a 15-player pool committed to play together in the lead-up to the Olympic-qualifying Fiba-Asia Championship in 2011, the RP Smart Gilas basketball team is open to accepting reinforcements, even from the pro ranks.

According to coach Rajko Toroman, if need be, the squad composed of collegiate and amateur stars will welcome players from the Philippine Basketball Association particularly for this year’s Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

“We’re open for the PBA. It’s not just my national team or the SBP (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas) national team. It’s the national team of the Philippines," Toroman told GMANews.TV.

“Our doors are open for one or two PBA players who can fit in for the Asian Games," added Toroman, regarded as the man responsible for steering Iran to its first Asian crown in 2007 and a stint at the Beijing Olympics in 2008,

Asked to name the PBA players in his wish list of possible reinforcements, the Serbian mentor rattled off four former Powerade Pilipinas stalwarts in Gabe Norwood, Arwind Santos, Jared Dillinger and Kelly Williams.

The PBA used to have the responsibility of representing the country in Asian-level competitions such as the Asian Games and the Fiba-Asia tourney but the role has since gone to Smart Gilas, the pool tasked to bring the country back to the Olympics in 2012.

Led by team captain Chris Tiu, JV Casio, Andy Barroca, and UAAP MVPs Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Dylan Ababou, Smart Gilas is set to leave for the Middle East to play tune-ups in Doha and Kuwait and compete in a tough tournament in Dubai beginning this week as part of its buildup for the Asiad.

They will be reinforced by Jamal Sampson, nephew of former Houston Rockets superstar Ralph Sampson in the National Basketball Association, in the Middle East foray that Toroman described as a “challenge" for his young team.

By March, the Gilas squad will be joined in by Fil-Am Chris Lutz, a 6-4 shooting guard with US NCAA Division I school Marshall.

Games January 6 (Araneta Coliseum)
2:30PM — Smart-Gilas vs Purefoods
5:00PM — Sta. Lucia vs Rain or Shine
7:30PM — Talk ’N Text vs Ginebra

Source: O. Leyba  | gmanews.tv

Nokia RP U-18 Open tryouts draw interest

MANILA, Philippines - Nokia RP head coach Eric Altamirano yesterday said the Nokia RP U-18 team is now drawing interest with the open tryouts set on Jan. 4, at 5 p.m. at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.

Altamirano said aspirants born before1992 are welcome as long they make the grade for the team that will compete in the Fiba Asia U-18 Championships for Men in September next year.

He said the renewed interest is primarily due to the commitment of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) headed by Manny Pangilinan and executive director Noli Eala in the youth basketball program with support coming from Nokia Philippines and TAO Corporation.

“We were receiving a lot of queries about the upcoming tryouts. And much of the credit goes to the SBP for its commitment to make the youth program stronger and make it the backbone of the Philippine basketball program,” he said.

“The under-16 and under-18 teams in particular benefited from the support of Nokia Philippines and TAO Corporation,” he added.


Altamirano said he needs all the help he can get in forming the team as he also called on Filipinos to encourage young players, particularly in their neighborhoods, to attend the tryouts.

“These players may not know it, but they are the ones needed in the team. I am emphasizing that they are now playing for a cause that is bigger than themselves,” said Altamirano.

The Nokia RP U-16 team placed fourth in the inaugural Fiba Asia U-16 Tournament held recently in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. It was the highest finish by any Philippine youth team in recent years.

Also expected to try out for slots are members of the Nokia RP U-16 team like Kiefer Ravena, Von Pessumal, Roldan Sara, Gelo Alolino, Jeron Teng, Jeoffrey Javillonar, Kevin Ferrer, Mike Pate, Mike Tolomia, Nestor Bantayan, Paolo Romero and Cedric Labing-Isa.

Source: Unknown Author  | Philstar.com

Williams in Toroman's wish list

MANILA, Philippines - Smart-Gilas coach Rajko Toroman said the other day PBA star Kelly Williams of Sta. Lucia Realty would be the last piece in the puzzle to make the national team competitive against Asian powerhouses Iran and China but hesitated to invite the power forward in deference to his pro contract.

SBP executive director Noli Eala agreed with Toroman’s assessment that the gap in the Gilas lineup is in the four position.

Williams, 27, appears to be the perfect choice as he fits the bill for a power forward to complement 6-11 naturalization candidate Jamal Sampson, a five-year NBA center from the University of California at Berkeley. The problem is Williams has a live contract with Sta. Lucia in the PBA and neither Toroman nor Eala will make a move to find out his availability.

“A player like Williams will complete our team,” said Toroman. “We’ve got Sampson to take care of the middle. We’re hoping to sign up Marcio Lassiter who’s solid at either two or three. Then, there’s Chris Lutz who’s coming in March after finishing at Marshall University. Chris can play one or two. We’ve also got Japeth Aguilar, Chris Tiu, Mac Baracael, Mark Barroca, Dylan Ababou, Jayvee Casio, Rabeh Al-Hussaini and the others.”

Toroman said because Williams failed to play for the Powerade team at the FIBA-Asia Championships in Tianjin this year due to illness, he may be willing to join Gilas in the quest for a slot in the 2012 London Olympics.


“Williams can rebound, play defense inside and pass,” said Toroman. “He has excellent fundamentals. He’s not really a shooter and he won’t need to do too much shooting with us. But he’ll make us whole.”

Unless the SBP makes a formal request to the PBA Board and Sta. Lucia Realty, Toroman’s dream will remain wishful thinking.

As for Williams, he said he can’t comment on whether or not he’d like to play for Gilas because at the moment, it’s an academic issue.

“I can’t really comment on that right now,” Williams told The STAR. “But I certainly take it as a compliment. I can say that I think coach Rajko is a good coach doing a great job with the team and that I did miss having the chance to play international competition.”

Sampson, 26, is due back from a two-week leave in the US on Jan. 3 and will join Gilas in a Middle East tour of Doha, Kuwait and Dubai until Jan 23. Lassiter, 22, will reinforce Gilas if he is signed to a contract. Lutz, 24, is definitely joining Gilas in March and will suit up in the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup in Doha on May 7-15, the Jones Cup in July and the Asian Games in Guangzhou on Nov. 12-27.

Lassiter played two years with the California State at Fullerton varsity, averaging 8.9 points as a senior in 2008-09. He was described by Titans coach Bob Burton as “a tremendous defender (and) a really outstanding shooter.” Lassiter’s junior college coach Justin Labagh at City College of San Francisco said, “Marcio brings consistency to the team - he is always ready to play, he has a basketball sense that realizes that shooting is just one part of the game, he is a complete player.”

Lutz is playing out his varsity eligibility at Marshall University this season. He previously saw action for Purdue. The 6-2, 190-pound shooting guard averaged 10.7 points and shot .374 from the three-point arc last campaign. He is known for his “sweet stroke” from the perimeter.

Williams’ mother Andrea Elsa Castro is a registered nurse from Cebu. She migrated to the US over 30 years ago. Williams was born in Detroit and starred at Martin Luther King high school for three years before moving to Oakland University, an NCAA Division I school in Michigan. He was invited by then national coach Chot Reyes to play on the national team in 2005 and was the PBA’s first overall pick in the 2006 draft and MVP in 2007-08.

In the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup, Williams is averaging 17.2 points and a league-high 14.1 rebounds. He sat out 10 Sta. Lucia games last season due to a blood disorder, which also sidelined him for the FIBA-Asia Championships.

Toroman said he wasn’t surprised that C. J. Giles was lured by Lebanese club Al Riyadi after he was released by Gilas two months ago.

“I think Al Riyadi was after Giles since he played for us at the Champions Cup in Jakarta last May,” said Toroman. “When we cut Giles, Al Riyadi signed him up. We gave his FIBA clearance. Since he joined Al Riyadi, they’ve won four in a row. That’s how Giles is. He’s very impressive at the start.”

Al Riyadi is one of 10 teams competing in the Dubai international invitationals on Jan. 14-23 with Gilas the only entry from Southeast Asia. The club not only boasts of Giles but also former PBA import Nate Johnson, 6-11 Joe Vogel, NBA veteran Matt Freije, Canadian guard Ali Mahmoud and 6-1 Omar El Turk under coach Fouad Abou Chakra.

Meanwhile, Eala disclosed that the Philippines is one of only 20 teams picked by FIBA to play in the first-ever World Youth Olympics in Singapore in August. The basketball tournament will be a 3-on-3 event for under-17 boys. Eala said five players will be chosen for the Philippine selection and opened a slot for ex-PBA import Bobby Parks’ Fil-Am son Ray whose mother is Shane Barbosa.

Eala said Parks’ son, a prolific scorer who now stands 6-4, could’ve made a difference in the recent FIBA-Asia under-16 championships where the Philippines finished fourth. A six-point loss to Iran in the quarterfinals could’ve been overturned with Parks in coach Eric Altamirano’s lineup.

Source: Joaquin M. Henson  Philstar.com

Williams in Toroman's wish list

MANILA, Philippines - Smart-Gilas coach Rajko Toroman said the other day PBA star Kelly Williams of Sta. Lucia Realty would be the last piece in the puzzle to make the national team competitive against Asian powerhouses Iran and China but hesitated to invite the power forward in deference to his pro contract.

SBP executive director Noli Eala agreed with Toroman’s assessment that the gap in the Gilas lineup is in the four position.

Williams, 27, appears to be the perfect choice as he fits the bill for a power forward to complement 6-11 naturalization candidate Jamal Sampson, a five-year NBA center from the University of California at Berkeley. The problem is Williams has a live contract with Sta. Lucia in the PBA and neither Toroman nor Eala will make a move to find out his availability.

“A player like Williams will complete our team,” said Toroman. “We’ve got Sampson to take care of the middle. We’re hoping to sign up Marcio Lassiter who’s solid at either two or three. Then, there’s Chris Lutz who’s coming in March after finishing at Marshall University. Chris can play one or two. We’ve also got Japeth Aguilar, Chris Tiu, Mac Baracael, Mark Barroca, Dylan Ababou, Jayvee Casio, Rabeh Al-Hussaini and the others.”

Toroman said because Williams failed to play for the Powerade team at the FIBA-Asia Championships in Tianjin this year due to illness, he may be willing to join Gilas in the quest for a slot in the 2012 London Olympics.


“Williams can rebound, play defense inside and pass,” said Toroman. “He has excellent fundamentals. He’s not really a shooter and he won’t need to do too much shooting with us. But he’ll make us whole.”

Unless the SBP makes a formal request to the PBA Board and Sta. Lucia Realty, Toroman’s dream will remain wishful thinking.

As for Williams, he said he can’t comment on whether or not he’d like to play for Gilas because at the moment, it’s an academic issue.

“I can’t really comment on that right now,” Williams told The STAR. “But I certainly take it as a compliment. I can say that I think coach Rajko is a good coach doing a great job with the team and that I did miss having the chance to play international competition.”

Sampson, 26, is due back from a two-week leave in the US on Jan. 3 and will join Gilas in a Middle East tour of Doha, Kuwait and Dubai until Jan 23. Lassiter, 22, will reinforce Gilas if he is signed to a contract. Lutz, 24, is definitely joining Gilas in March and will suit up in the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup in Doha on May 7-15, the Jones Cup in July and the Asian Games in Guangzhou on Nov. 12-27.

Lassiter played two years with the California State at Fullerton varsity, averaging 8.9 points as a senior in 2008-09. He was described by Titans coach Bob Burton as “a tremendous defender (and) a really outstanding shooter.” Lassiter’s junior college coach Justin Labagh at City College of San Francisco said, “Marcio brings consistency to the team - he is always ready to play, he has a basketball sense that realizes that shooting is just one part of the game, he is a complete player.”

Lutz is playing out his varsity eligibility at Marshall University this season. He previously saw action for Purdue. The 6-2, 190-pound shooting guard averaged 10.7 points and shot .374 from the three-point arc last campaign. He is known for his “sweet stroke” from the perimeter.

Williams’ mother Andrea Elsa Castro is a registered nurse from Cebu. She migrated to the US over 30 years ago. Williams was born in Detroit and starred at Martin Luther King high school for three years before moving to Oakland University, an NCAA Division I school in Michigan. He was invited by then national coach Chot Reyes to play on the national team in 2005 and was the PBA’s first overall pick in the 2006 draft and MVP in 2007-08.

In the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup, Williams is averaging 17.2 points and a league-high 14.1 rebounds. He sat out 10 Sta. Lucia games last season due to a blood disorder, which also sidelined him for the FIBA-Asia Championships.

Toroman said he wasn’t surprised that C. J. Giles was lured by Lebanese club Al Riyadi after he was released by Gilas two months ago.

“I think Al Riyadi was after Giles since he played for us at the Champions Cup in Jakarta last May,” said Toroman. “When we cut Giles, Al Riyadi signed him up. We gave his FIBA clearance. Since he joined Al Riyadi, they’ve won four in a row. That’s how Giles is. He’s very impressive at the start.”

Al Riyadi is one of 10 teams competing in the Dubai international invitationals on Jan. 14-23 with Gilas the only entry from Southeast Asia. The club not only boasts of Giles but also former PBA import Nate Johnson, 6-11 Joe Vogel, NBA veteran Matt Freije, Canadian guard Ali Mahmoud and 6-1 Omar El Turk under coach Fouad Abou Chakra.

Meanwhile, Eala disclosed that the Philippines is one of only 20 teams picked by FIBA to play in the first-ever World Youth Olympics in Singapore in August. The basketball tournament will be a 3-on-3 event for under-17 boys. Eala said five players will be chosen for the Philippine selection and opened a slot for ex-PBA import Bobby Parks’ Fil-Am son Ray whose mother is Shane Barbosa.

Eala said Parks’ son, a prolific scorer who now stands 6-4, could’ve made a difference in the recent FIBA-Asia under-16 championships where the Philippines finished fourth. A six-point loss to Iran in the quarterfinals could’ve been overturned with Parks in coach Eric Altamirano’s lineup.

Source: Joaquin M. Henson  Philstar.com

Yearender: MVP team calms storm, moves on

MANILA, Philippines - After a tumultuous 2008, Philippine basketball is back on its feet.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan cited the significant strides made by his management team this year in a yearend report to the SBP board.

The PLDT and Smart chair reported the “affirmation of the SBP as the duly recognized, officially sanctioned and legally existing national sports association for basketball in the Philippines by the Supreme Court and the FIBA or the World Basketball Federation through its Special Commission” as one of its most important accomplishments of the year.

“As we look back and review the events which transpired in 2009, it is comforting to note that the tumultuous events which threatened the legitimacy of the SBP have now been largely resolved,” said Pangilinan. “It is imperative that we put this behind us, and move forward in strength and resolve.”

“At the same time, the hard work put in by our members and constituents – from the grass roots level all the way to the international arena – is now starting to gain traction, and produce some meaningful results,” he added.


The man everybody calls MVP also cited the country’s improvement in both Asian and world basketball map as evidenced in the recent world rankings released by FIBA that saw RP’s mean’s team jump from 63rd eight months ago to 53rd entering 2010.

Overall, the country is ranked 57th by FIBA and obtained an increase of 2.7 FIBA ranking points, which happens to be second only to powerhouse Korea among Asian countries.

This was all because of RP’s various national teams in several major FIBA-Asia tournaments including a fifth place effort in the tough, import-laced fifth FIBA-Asia Champions Cup topped by heavy favorite Iran in Jakarta, Indonesia last May.

The country, represented by an all-pro squad, also finished a respectable eighth place in the Tianjin FIBA-Asia Men’s Championship ruled again by the Iranians.

The Philippines also ended up seventh in the FIBA-Asia Under-16 women’s championship, fourth in the FIBA-Asia Division II women’s championship, Under-16 men’s championship and the Asian Youth Games.

To put icing on the cake, the SBP was given one of the only 20 berths to the first World Youth Olympics in Singapore next year as an acknowledgment of SBP’s youth development program and good standing with FIBA.

Pangilinan, however, cited the formation of Smart Gilas Pilipinas, mentored by Serbian Rajko Toroman and composed of country’s finest collegiate players, geared towards an Olympic berth in the 2012 London Games as its biggest milestone.

“The most gratifying result has been one where our country has slowly regained the notice and respect of FIBA and the world basketball community,” said Pangilinan.

“As we look forward to the new year, we must believe that 2010 will represent the true test of all our efforts to date when our Smart Gilas team will perform starting with international competition in the Middle East this coming January, culminating in the Asian Games in Guangdong, China in November.

“These competitions are what will really count,” he added.

“The SBP also showed growth of its constituency and membership base from 19 membership in January last year to 35 last month while successfully staging national youth programs and accreditation of new coaches and referees nationwide.

“The SBP also provided more opportunities for growth for players, referees as well as coaches and increased corporate and government funding and assistance with new and dynamic partnerships with industry leaders like Smart Communications, PLDT, Unilab, International Pharmaceutical, Inc. and GMA-7,” he said.

Source: Philstar.com

Yearender: MVP team calms storm, moves on

MANILA, Philippines - After a tumultuous 2008, Philippine basketball is back on its feet.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan cited the significant strides made by his management team this year in a yearend report to the SBP board.

The PLDT and Smart chair reported the “affirmation of the SBP as the duly recognized, officially sanctioned and legally existing national sports association for basketball in the Philippines by the Supreme Court and the FIBA or the World Basketball Federation through its Special Commission” as one of its most important accomplishments of the year.

“As we look back and review the events which transpired in 2009, it is comforting to note that the tumultuous events which threatened the legitimacy of the SBP have now been largely resolved,” said Pangilinan. “It is imperative that we put this behind us, and move forward in strength and resolve.”

“At the same time, the hard work put in by our members and constituents – from the grass roots level all the way to the international arena – is now starting to gain traction, and produce some meaningful results,” he added.


The man everybody calls MVP also cited the country’s improvement in both Asian and world basketball map as evidenced in the recent world rankings released by FIBA that saw RP’s mean’s team jump from 63rd eight months ago to 53rd entering 2010.

Overall, the country is ranked 57th by FIBA and obtained an increase of 2.7 FIBA ranking points, which happens to be second only to powerhouse Korea among Asian countries.

This was all because of RP’s various national teams in several major FIBA-Asia tournaments including a fifth place effort in the tough, import-laced fifth FIBA-Asia Champions Cup topped by heavy favorite Iran in Jakarta, Indonesia last May.

The country, represented by an all-pro squad, also finished a respectable eighth place in the Tianjin FIBA-Asia Men’s Championship ruled again by the Iranians.

The Philippines also ended up seventh in the FIBA-Asia Under-16 women’s championship, fourth in the FIBA-Asia Division II women’s championship, Under-16 men’s championship and the Asian Youth Games.

To put icing on the cake, the SBP was given one of the only 20 berths to the first World Youth Olympics in Singapore next year as an acknowledgment of SBP’s youth development program and good standing with FIBA.

Pangilinan, however, cited the formation of Smart Gilas Pilipinas, mentored by Serbian Rajko Toroman and composed of country’s finest collegiate players, geared towards an Olympic berth in the 2012 London Games as its biggest milestone.

“The most gratifying result has been one where our country has slowly regained the notice and respect of FIBA and the world basketball community,” said Pangilinan.

“As we look forward to the new year, we must believe that 2010 will represent the true test of all our efforts to date when our Smart Gilas team will perform starting with international competition in the Middle East this coming January, culminating in the Asian Games in Guangdong, China in November.

“These competitions are what will really count,” he added.

“The SBP also showed growth of its constituency and membership base from 19 membership in January last year to 35 last month while successfully staging national youth programs and accreditation of new coaches and referees nationwide.

“The SBP also provided more opportunities for growth for players, referees as well as coaches and increased corporate and government funding and assistance with new and dynamic partnerships with industry leaders like Smart Communications, PLDT, Unilab, International Pharmaceutical, Inc. and GMA-7,” he said.

Source: Philstar.com

Smart Gilas tangles with Giles-led Lebanon

CJ Giles gets a chance to get back at the Smart Gilas Pilipinas national team that dropped him from its lineup recently.

The 6-foot-11 former NBA prospect Giles and ex-PBA import Nate Johnson will beef up Lebanon club team Al Riyadi in the tough 21st Dubai International basketball tournament that will also feature Smart Gilas next month.

It will be the first serious international stint for the RP team handled by Serbian coach Rajko Toroman, who is tasked by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to bring the country back to the Olympics in 2012.

Aside from Al Riyadi, the best club teams from Jordan, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Egypt are seeing action in the tournament scheduled Jan. 14 to 23.

They are Jordan’s Zain and ASU Sports Club, Al Jalaa Aleppo and Al Ittihad Aleppo from Syria, Al Ittihad Alexandria (Egypt) and United Arab Emirates national team.

According to online reports, Giles has inked a multimillion deal with Al Riyadi, the top team in Lebanon with 19 championships in the professional ranks.

“Giles is looking for some payback after being dropped from the RP national developmental team for his erring behavior,” the website riyadifans.com announced.

Giles, who played college ball for Oregon State and Kansas, joins a team that features local hero Fadi El Khatib, Ali Mahmoud, Jean Abdel-Nour, Joe Vogel and Johnson.

A former San Miguel Beer import, Johnson led the Beermen to the 2001 Commissioners Cup finals where they lost to Red Bull headed by former Duke University standout Tony Lang in six games.

Jamal Sampson, Giles’ replacement, had an unimpressive debut for Gilas in the PBA but Toroman said the NBA journeyman has yet to regain his old form.

“He has never played actively for 10 months,” said Toroman. “CJ is more athletic, but Sampson is a better defender.”

Smart Gilas tangles with Giles-led Lebanon

CJ Giles gets a chance to get back at the Smart Gilas Pilipinas national team that dropped him from its lineup recently.

The 6-foot-11 former NBA prospect Giles and ex-PBA import Nate Johnson will beef up Lebanon club team Al Riyadi in the tough 21st Dubai International basketball tournament that will also feature Smart Gilas next month.

It will be the first serious international stint for the RP team handled by Serbian coach Rajko Toroman, who is tasked by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to bring the country back to the Olympics in 2012.

Aside from Al Riyadi, the best club teams from Jordan, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Egypt are seeing action in the tournament scheduled Jan. 14 to 23.

They are Jordan’s Zain and ASU Sports Club, Al Jalaa Aleppo and Al Ittihad Aleppo from Syria, Al Ittihad Alexandria (Egypt) and United Arab Emirates national team.

According to online reports, Giles has inked a multimillion deal with Al Riyadi, the top team in Lebanon with 19 championships in the professional ranks.

“Giles is looking for some payback after being dropped from the RP national developmental team for his erring behavior,” the website riyadifans.com announced.

Giles, who played college ball for Oregon State and Kansas, joins a team that features local hero Fadi El Khatib, Ali Mahmoud, Jean Abdel-Nour, Joe Vogel and Johnson.

A former San Miguel Beer import, Johnson led the Beermen to the 2001 Commissioners Cup finals where they lost to Red Bull headed by former Duke University standout Tony Lang in six games.

Jamal Sampson, Giles’ replacement, had an unimpressive debut for Gilas in the PBA but Toroman said the NBA journeyman has yet to regain his old form.

“He has never played actively for 10 months,” said Toroman. “CJ is more athletic, but Sampson is a better defender.”

RP cagers target semis in Asiad

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine national basketball team’s goal is to finish at least fourth in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, on Nov. 12-27 and SBP executive director Noli Eala said yesterday the challenge facing Serbian coach Rajko Toroman is daunting but doable.

The preparations for Guangzhou begin when the Smart-Gilas selection leaves Manila on Jan. 7 to play the Qatar national team in two “friendlies” in Doha. Then, Gilas plays the Kuwait national squad in two games on Jan. 10-11 before competing in an international invitational tournament in Dubai on Jan. 14-23.

Eala said Gilas is booked to play in the SEABA Champions Cup qualifiers on March 3-7 at a site still to be set and at least six games against Australian pro clubs during a 10-day tour of the Gold Coast late that month. Lined up are the Perth Wildcats, Adelaide 36ers and Melbourne Tigers. In April, the team will participate in the Stankovic Cup qualifiers on April 2-6 then play in a series of games in Serbia for 10 days.

Assuming Gilas qualifies, Toroman will pilot the Philippines at the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup in Doha on May 7-15 then train at the Joe Abunassar camp in Las Vegas and play games against the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and the Canadian national squad in Vancouver.

In June, Eala said the SBP is planning to host a pocket tournament featuring teams gearing up for the World Championships in Turkey where Iran, China and Lebanon will represent Asia. Iran and China finished 1-2 in the FIBA-Asia qualifiers in Tianjin this year while Lebanon joined three other wildcards – Germany, Lithuania and Russia – to enter the 24-team tournament via the backdoor by paying 500,000 euros. Eala said he is in contact with the New Zealand basketball association for the Tall Blacks to train with Gilas either in Manila or Auckland.


Then, Gilas will play at the Jones Cup in Taipei in July, take a break in August to allow collegiate players Ryan Buenafe, Aldrech Ramos, J. R. Cawaling and Magi Sison to suit up for their schools in the UAAP and barnstorm the US in October on an extensive NCAA tour similar to what coach Tim Cone arranged for the Centennial squad in 1998. Also in October, Gilas will play in the Stankovic Cup before heading for the Asian Games.

Eala said with the emergence of Asian powers Lebanon and Jordan to crowd Iran, China, Qatar, Korea and Japan for basketball supremacy, the Philippines will be severely tested in Guangzhou.

“We’ve finished at least fourth in the last three Asian Games where we played with a PBA selection so our target is to make it to the semis,” said Eala. “This will be our big test. This will give us an indication if we’ll be up to the task of winning the FIBA-Asia title in 2011 to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.”

The PBA began to represent the Philippines in the Asian Games in Beijing in 1990 with coach Robert Jaworski leading the national squad to the silver medal. In 1994, the Philippines fell to fourth place after losing a 79-76 heartbreaker to Japan in the battle for the bronze with coach Norman Black. China took the gold and Korea, the silver. In 1998, Cone led the Centennial team to the bronze medal behind China and Korea as the Philippines beat Kazakhstan, 73-68, in the playoff for third.

In 2002, the Philippines blew a sure silver when the national team, coached by Joseph Uichico, missed four free throws – two each by Olsen Racela and Asi Taulava – down the stretch and lost a 69-68 squeaker on Lee Sang Min’s desperate triple at the buzzer in the semis. The Philippines never recovered from the shock and was upset by Kazakhstan, 68-66, in the playoff for the bronze.

The Philippines did not play basketball at the Asian Games in Doha in 2006 because of its FIBA suspension. China crushed host Qatar, 59-44, in the finals while Iran trounced Jordan, 84-78, in the consolation match for third. China was paced by NBA veterans Yi Jianlian and Wang Zhizhi. Qatar’s stalwarts included Yasseem Ismail Musa, Daoud Musa Daoud and Erfan Ali Saeed. Hamed Haddai, Nikkah Bahrami and Mehdi Kamrani were the Iranian stars.

Eala said Toroman hopes to suit up a crack 12-man lineup in Guangzhou with naturalization candidate Jamal Sampson and Fil-Ams Marcio Lassiter of California State at Fullerton and Chris Lutz of Marshall University leading the charge. In contention to make the roster are skipper Chris Tiu, Japeth Aguilar, Mac Baracael, Dylan Ababou, Mark Barroca, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Greg Slaughter, R. J. Jazul, Jayvee Casio, Rey Guevara, Cawaling, Ramos, Buenafe and Sison.

Eala said the Dubai invitationals will feature Al Riyadi and Champville of Lebanon, Al Jalaa Aleppo and Al Ittihad Aleppo of Syria, ASU Sports Club and Zain of Jordan, Al Ittihad Alexandria of Egypt, two teams from the United Arab Emirates and Gilas.

RP cagers target semis in Asiad

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine national basketball team’s goal is to finish at least fourth in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, on Nov. 12-27 and SBP executive director Noli Eala said yesterday the challenge facing Serbian coach Rajko Toroman is daunting but doable.

The preparations for Guangzhou begin when the Smart-Gilas selection leaves Manila on Jan. 7 to play the Qatar national team in two “friendlies” in Doha. Then, Gilas plays the Kuwait national squad in two games on Jan. 10-11 before competing in an international invitational tournament in Dubai on Jan. 14-23.

Eala said Gilas is booked to play in the SEABA Champions Cup qualifiers on March 3-7 at a site still to be set and at least six games against Australian pro clubs during a 10-day tour of the Gold Coast late that month. Lined up are the Perth Wildcats, Adelaide 36ers and Melbourne Tigers. In April, the team will participate in the Stankovic Cup qualifiers on April 2-6 then play in a series of games in Serbia for 10 days.

Assuming Gilas qualifies, Toroman will pilot the Philippines at the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup in Doha on May 7-15 then train at the Joe Abunassar camp in Las Vegas and play games against the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and the Canadian national squad in Vancouver.

In June, Eala said the SBP is planning to host a pocket tournament featuring teams gearing up for the World Championships in Turkey where Iran, China and Lebanon will represent Asia. Iran and China finished 1-2 in the FIBA-Asia qualifiers in Tianjin this year while Lebanon joined three other wildcards – Germany, Lithuania and Russia – to enter the 24-team tournament via the backdoor by paying 500,000 euros. Eala said he is in contact with the New Zealand basketball association for the Tall Blacks to train with Gilas either in Manila or Auckland.


Then, Gilas will play at the Jones Cup in Taipei in July, take a break in August to allow collegiate players Ryan Buenafe, Aldrech Ramos, J. R. Cawaling and Magi Sison to suit up for their schools in the UAAP and barnstorm the US in October on an extensive NCAA tour similar to what coach Tim Cone arranged for the Centennial squad in 1998. Also in October, Gilas will play in the Stankovic Cup before heading for the Asian Games.

Eala said with the emergence of Asian powers Lebanon and Jordan to crowd Iran, China, Qatar, Korea and Japan for basketball supremacy, the Philippines will be severely tested in Guangzhou.

“We’ve finished at least fourth in the last three Asian Games where we played with a PBA selection so our target is to make it to the semis,” said Eala. “This will be our big test. This will give us an indication if we’ll be up to the task of winning the FIBA-Asia title in 2011 to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.”

The PBA began to represent the Philippines in the Asian Games in Beijing in 1990 with coach Robert Jaworski leading the national squad to the silver medal. In 1994, the Philippines fell to fourth place after losing a 79-76 heartbreaker to Japan in the battle for the bronze with coach Norman Black. China took the gold and Korea, the silver. In 1998, Cone led the Centennial team to the bronze medal behind China and Korea as the Philippines beat Kazakhstan, 73-68, in the playoff for third.

In 2002, the Philippines blew a sure silver when the national team, coached by Joseph Uichico, missed four free throws – two each by Olsen Racela and Asi Taulava – down the stretch and lost a 69-68 squeaker on Lee Sang Min’s desperate triple at the buzzer in the semis. The Philippines never recovered from the shock and was upset by Kazakhstan, 68-66, in the playoff for the bronze.

The Philippines did not play basketball at the Asian Games in Doha in 2006 because of its FIBA suspension. China crushed host Qatar, 59-44, in the finals while Iran trounced Jordan, 84-78, in the consolation match for third. China was paced by NBA veterans Yi Jianlian and Wang Zhizhi. Qatar’s stalwarts included Yasseem Ismail Musa, Daoud Musa Daoud and Erfan Ali Saeed. Hamed Haddai, Nikkah Bahrami and Mehdi Kamrani were the Iranian stars.

Eala said Toroman hopes to suit up a crack 12-man lineup in Guangzhou with naturalization candidate Jamal Sampson and Fil-Ams Marcio Lassiter of California State at Fullerton and Chris Lutz of Marshall University leading the charge. In contention to make the roster are skipper Chris Tiu, Japeth Aguilar, Mac Baracael, Dylan Ababou, Mark Barroca, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Greg Slaughter, R. J. Jazul, Jayvee Casio, Rey Guevara, Cawaling, Ramos, Buenafe and Sison.

Eala said the Dubai invitationals will feature Al Riyadi and Champville of Lebanon, Al Jalaa Aleppo and Al Ittihad Aleppo of Syria, ASU Sports Club and Zain of Jordan, Al Ittihad Alexandria of Egypt, two teams from the United Arab Emirates and Gilas.

SBP sees progress for Smart Gilas team next year

Despite the Smart-Gilas national team’s poor performance in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup as guest squad, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Noli Eala expressed confidence that the Nationals will improve more when they play abroad next year.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m satisfied,” Eala said recently. “I think the team could have played better, our progress in the PBA is slow.”

The Philippine Team, which will see action in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, currently sports a 3-9 win-loss record in the PBA and will end its campaign when it battles Purefoods next week at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Nationals preparations suffered a major blow when the SBP’s first choice of import, CJ Giles, was dropped from the team because of several personal problems endured by the American.

Giles was replaced by another American import, Jamal Sampson, who played in the NBA for seven seasons. Sampson, a cousin of former NBA player Ralph Sampson signed a contract giving him at least $15,000 monthly salary. His total package for one year will cost the SBP approximately P9 million.

The 6-foot-11 Sampson, however, must be a naturalized citizen in order for him to play for the national team in the 2011 FIBA-Asia Championship, the qualifying event for the 2012 London Games.

Sampson’s first game with the Nationals, however, was forgettable.

In a 91-96 loss to Barako Bull, Sampson, 26, was bothered by back pain that limited his production to only four points, two rebounds with four fouls in only 10 minutes of action. He did not play in the fourth quarter of that game.

According to Eala, there’s nothing to worry as far as Sampson’s back in concerned. Sampson left the country last December 17 and will return on January 2.

“He had no actual competitive games in a while. But he’ll get around. In practice we can see that he can really play and help the team,” Eala said, adding that Sampson will join the team in an invitational meet in Dubai as well as friendly games in Kuwait and Qatar.

“We only play once a week, we don’t get much game to help us get better, but the Middle East tour will surely help because we’ll get a lot of competitive games,” he said.

Eala said that they have to improve on playing team defense, which was their problem in their PBA stint.

“Our big men must get tougher, offensively we’re good. But it’s really on defense that we have to improve,” said Eala.

----note---

Smart Gilas will bring 15 players for the Middle East tour. They are Sampson, Aguilar, Lassiter, Chris Tiu, Mac Baracael, Dylan Ababou, Greg Slaughter, J. R. Cawaling, R. J. Jazul, Mark Barroca, Aldrech Ramos, Rabeh Al Hussaini, Magi Sison, Jason Ballesteros and Jayvee Casio. Staying behind are Ryan Buenafe, who has commitments in school, and Rey Guevara who is recovering from knee surgery.

Games January 6 (Araneta Coliseum)
3 p.m. — Smart-Gilas vs Purefoods
5 p.m. — Sta. Lucia vs Rain or Shine
7:30 p.m. — Talk ’N Text vs Ginebra

SBP sees progress for Smart Gilas team next year

Despite the Smart-Gilas national team’s poor performance in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup as guest squad, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Noli Eala expressed confidence that the Nationals will improve more when they play abroad next year.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m satisfied,” Eala said recently. “I think the team could have played better, our progress in the PBA is slow.”

The Philippine Team, which will see action in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, currently sports a 3-9 win-loss record in the PBA and will end its campaign when it battles Purefoods next week at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Nationals preparations suffered a major blow when the SBP’s first choice of import, CJ Giles, was dropped from the team because of several personal problems endured by the American.

Giles was replaced by another American import, Jamal Sampson, who played in the NBA for seven seasons. Sampson, a cousin of former NBA player Ralph Sampson signed a contract giving him at least $15,000 monthly salary. His total package for one year will cost the SBP approximately P9 million.

The 6-foot-11 Sampson, however, must be a naturalized citizen in order for him to play for the national team in the 2011 FIBA-Asia Championship, the qualifying event for the 2012 London Games.

Sampson’s first game with the Nationals, however, was forgettable.

In a 91-96 loss to Barako Bull, Sampson, 26, was bothered by back pain that limited his production to only four points, two rebounds with four fouls in only 10 minutes of action. He did not play in the fourth quarter of that game.

According to Eala, there’s nothing to worry as far as Sampson’s back in concerned. Sampson left the country last December 17 and will return on January 2.

“He had no actual competitive games in a while. But he’ll get around. In practice we can see that he can really play and help the team,” Eala said, adding that Sampson will join the team in an invitational meet in Dubai as well as friendly games in Kuwait and Qatar.

“We only play once a week, we don’t get much game to help us get better, but the Middle East tour will surely help because we’ll get a lot of competitive games,” he said.

Eala said that they have to improve on playing team defense, which was their problem in their PBA stint.

“Our big men must get tougher, offensively we’re good. But it’s really on defense that we have to improve,” said Eala.

----note---

Smart Gilas will bring 15 players for the Middle East tour. They are Sampson, Aguilar, Lassiter, Chris Tiu, Mac Baracael, Dylan Ababou, Greg Slaughter, J. R. Cawaling, R. J. Jazul, Mark Barroca, Aldrech Ramos, Rabeh Al Hussaini, Magi Sison, Jason Ballesteros and Jayvee Casio. Staying behind are Ryan Buenafe, who has commitments in school, and Rey Guevara who is recovering from knee surgery.

Games January 6 (Araneta Coliseum)
3 p.m. — Smart-Gilas vs Purefoods
5 p.m. — Sta. Lucia vs Rain or Shine
7:30 p.m. — Talk ’N Text vs Ginebra

Wanted: Tall and agile players for RP U-18 squad

Tall and agile players. These are what Nokia RP 18-and-under head coach Eric Altamirano hopes to find beginning Jan. 4 when he launches his search for cagers who will represent the country in the FIBA Asia U-18 Championships for Men in September.

Altamirano took over the mantle from Franz Pumaren, who piloted the first U-18 team to seventh place in the 2008 edition in Tehran, Iran.

The former UP Maroon was tasked to handle the U-18 squad after steering the 16-and-under quintet to a fourth place finish in the FIBA-Asia U-16 meet in Johor Bahru, Malaysia last November.

"Our mindset for the U-18 should be a bit different this time, but we will again continue to draw on our strengths of quickness, outside shooting and team play," said Altamirano.

He hopes the series of tryouts will also flush out tall and mobile players since other Asian countries are expected to parade teenaged behemoths.

"We need to get tall and talented players since we will be up against strong teams like Iran, China and Kazakhstan," Altamirano said.

China, which has won eight titles in 20 tournaments, is expected to form a strong team to atone for a fifth place finish the last time around.

The Chinese team walked out of their game against Syria due to perceived poor officiating in the 2008 competitions to place only No. 5.

Among the players in the RP U-16 team who may be considered for the U-18 squad are skipper Kiefer Ravena, Von Pessumal, Roldan Sara, Gelo Alolino, Jeron Teng, Jeoffrey Javillonar, Kevin Ferrer, Mike Pate, Mike Tolomia, Nestor Bantayan, Paolo Romero and Cedric Labing-isa.

The Philippines has a rich tradition in the event formerly known as the FIBA Asia Youth Championship, hosting the biennial meet six times (1972, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986 and 1989) and winning six titles overall.

The first five titles were won in succession from the initial year in 1970 to 1978 while the last crown was taken during the 1982 edition.

Sadly, it was all downhill from there as the country's best finish since then was second place in 1986. Additionally, the last time the nation reached the semifinals was back in 1992.