Gilas Cadets applying finishing touches to SEA Games title defense bid

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net

A convincing victory wasn’t enough to make Gilas coach Jong Uichico confident about his team’s chances in the Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian Games.

The Gilas Cadets trimmed Ateneo, 86-79, Tuesday at Moro Lorenzo Gym and Uichico used the match as a chance to measure the team’s preparedness for a tournament the country has dominated for decades.

“I like it so far; I like what I was seeing,” Uichico told the Inquirer. “But we have many things to work on that I can tell based on how we played.”

“I was experimenting out there and Ateneo was using all its players,” the nine-time PBA champion coach said. He did not go into details of the preparation, however.

Bannered by Kiefer Ravena and Ray Parks, the national team will fly to Kuala Lumpur with the main bulk of Team Philippines on Aug. 18.

Uichico won’t have naturalized player Marcus Douthit in the team this time.

“We won’t have that inside presence, but we will have Christian (Standhardinger),” said Uichico. “So we’ll see.”

The 6-foot-8 big man from Munich, who was born to a Filipina mother, will fly straight to Kuala Lumpur from Beirut where he is playing with the senior Gilas squad in the Fiba Asia Cup.

Uichico said they will play Far Eastern University, National University and Adamson as they rev up for their SEA Games defense.