Photo from Fiba.com
With Gilas Pilipinas’ manpower issues as evident as ever, coach Chot Reyes has already broached the idea of introducing a new batch of Gilas cadets to avoid the scheduling conflicts that comes with the new Fiba competition calendar.
“Having an expanded pool will allow us to have guys who are not in the PBA, that when scheduling conflicts arise, we’ll always have choices,” he said Thursday in the Chooks-to-Go-hosted homecoming presser at Marco Polo in Ortigas.
Unlike with the original setup between the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and the PBA where rookies in the national team pool were dispersed to all 12 teams, Reyes said that the idea is to have a core group similar to that of the old Smart Gilas, where the best amateur players will be tapped to form the core of the national team pool.
“Hopefully, in so doing, we’re able to train up enough players to form a competitive group even though there are complications with the pro leagues,” he said.
Though the idea is still at its formative stage, Reyes shared that the SBP has already made a list of possible players to tap.
“We know everyone who has potential, and everyone who are coming out, but we don’t want to touch those who are in college now. We know the problems that they will have in college teams,” he said. “We’re keeping tabs on everyone who we think are worthy, but right now, we want to focus on the guys who has no any collegiate obligations.”
Reyes is hopeful that all of these planning will eventually bear fruit in the end, saying, “Hopefully, we keep building until we get to the final objective which is to qualifying for the World Cup and be the best Asian team.”