Photo from Fiba.com
Gilas Pilipinas has taken the Fiba Asia Cup by storm in Beirut and one man who helped put away all pre-tournament talk on how mighty China is has been heaping praises from international media there.
Terrence Romeo, who exploded for 26 points in a 97-86 upset of the defending champion Chinese last week, is being described as possibly “the best scorer” in the tournament after being the only player in the Top 7 to come off the bench.
An article at Fiba.com on Wednesday was dedicated to the 5-foot-10 Romeo, who is averaging 17.7 points in the Filipinos’ first three games. He is also averaging the least minutes among the top scorers.
Lebanese legend Fadi El Khatib is shooting an average of 24.3 points in 30 minutes to be at No. 1, with former PBA import Michael Madanly tossing in a shade over 20 points in 29 minutes, counting a 35-point explosion versus China.
But Romeo has been hailed as this tournament’s biggest star and labeled by the article as the Philippines’ new face in international basketball because of his “overflowing swagger, slick ball-handling and streaky shooting,” according to the article.
It also narrates how Romeo and the rest of the team sulked in the locker room after losing to the Chinese in the finals in Changsha in 2015, and how Romeo vowed that no one from the Chinese national team would be able to touch him when a return bout happens.