MANILA, Philippines - A pool of promising US- and Canada-based dribblers with Filipino roots said to be good enough to form a team has been invited by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to the Smart Gilas RP Training Camp in Las Vegas.

SBP executive director Noli Eala said more than 15 of the foreign-based players were called to show up in the April 24 to 26 tryouts at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

Eala said most of these aspirants are currently seeing action overseas, with some of them playing for US NCAA teams.

On top of the list are US NCAA Division I starters Stanley Pringle of Penn State University and Marshall University?s Chris Lutz.

The 6-foot-1 Pringle has a vertical leap of 42 inches, shoots 44 percent of his three-point attempts and earned the reputation of being the quickest guard in the Big 10 conference while Lutz is a 6-3 guard with excellent shooting skills.

?The SBP is excited and delighted to see the great enthusiasm shown by our young players to join the national team program,? said Eala.

?This is a testimony to the vision and leadership of SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan,? he said.

With the arrival of promising Filipino-American players in the national team, the Smart Gilas Pilipinas team skippered by Chris Tiu and Mark Barroca will have to prove themselves and fight to keep their slots in the team formed by Serbian coach Rajko Toroman.

Besides Pringle and Lutz, Niko Monachini of Trinity Western University and Filipino-German Christian Stanhardinger also look good on paper.

A 6-foot-6 forward, Monachini averaged 25 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks per game with Hugh Boyd High School while Stanhardinger is a prolific scorer who played for the Under-19 squad of Germany.

Other players invited are playmaker Jon Bricks of Citadel University, 6-foot-8 Gian Chiu of Oberlin College, 5-11 guard Ryan Arceo of Chaminade U, 6-9 Japeth Aguilar of Western Kentucky U, 6-4 forward Sean Anthony of McGill U; Cal State Fullerton?s 6-2 guard Marco Lassiter, Hawaii Pacific U?s 6-5 forward Kameron Steinhoff, 5-11 guard Nic Hailey of Arsenal Tech, Ryann Wetherel, 6-6 Kyle Pascual, 6-2 guard Matthew Wright from Toronto, Canada, Rayray Parks and John Lasa.

?We are confident that the country is now on the right track to regaining respectability in the Asian cage scene,? said Eala.