Dickel meets Gilas pool as Asia Cup preparation gets going

TNT Team Consultant Mark Dickel. INQUIRER PHOTO/ Sherwin Vardeleon

With a new man to call the shots and a new system to be put in place, Gilas Pilipinas kicks off its preparations for the Fiba Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers on Thursday at Ateneo’s Moro Lorenzo Sports Center in Quezon City.

Mark Dickel, TNT’s active consultant and a two-time Olympian, is set to meet the 24-man talent pool for the first time and prime it up for the two battles against Thailand and Indonesia later this month.

The Nationals will host the Thais on Feb. 20 at the fabled Big Dome in Cubao. They will then play the Indonesians at Britama Arena in Jakarta three days later.

“We’re talking about two, three weeks to get them ready and then get in the games,” Dickel said in a previous interview. “I’m not ducking away from that.”

“We should play well and we should play really well on these games and win,” the Kiwi-Aussie tactician added.

In the bunch are World Cup veterans Marc Pingris, Japeth Aguilar, Troy Rosario, Roger Pogoy, Kiefer Ravena, CJ Perez along with Matthew Wright, Christian Standhardinger, Poy Erram, Ray Parks Jr. and Mac Belo.On loan for the program are PBA rookies Isaac Go, Rey Suerte, Allyn Bulanadi and brothers Mike and Matt Nieto.