Gilas Pilipinas gets boost from PBA break; coach says team needs Kouame, too

Gilas Pilipinas program director Tab Baldwin said on Thursday that Gilipinas Pilipinas will be tapping pro players for the February window of the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup Qualifiers.

“In this upcoming window, because the PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) is at a break period, we should be able to access some PBA players,” Baldwin said. “But at this point, it’s far too early to be able to delineate how many [will be tapped].”

National coach Jong Uichico, meanwhile, believes that adding a naturalized player to the pool vastly enhances the country’s chance of nailing that one victory the Philippines needs to advance to the Fiba Asia Cup 2021.

“It’s going to be tougher without a naturalized player,” Uichico, who steered Gilas Pilipinas to a pair of rousing victories over Thailand in a Group A qualifying leg in Bahrain recently, told the Inquirer on Friday.

Uichico’s squad, composed of amateur standouts including those already drafted by PBA squads but haven’t played a single pro game yet, hiked the country’s record to 3-0 in the group that also includes South Korea and Indonesia.

More firepower

Dwight Ramos, Justine Baltazar, and brothers Juan and Javi Gomez de Liaño showed their chops against the Thais, but Gilas Pilipinas will need more firepower higher-quality foes. South Korea is ranked No. 30 in the world, one rung ahead of the country, while Indonesia is No. 89. Thailand is ranked 101.

The availability of the PBA players due to the pro league’s break considerably widens the pool of the national team, which is still awaiting the final steps of the naturalization of Ateneo center Angelo Kouame.

“If Kouame gets his papers and makes it to the third window, that will greatly enhance our chances of getting that one win—or even more wins,” Uichico said.

The two countries who will join the next qualifying leg to be held in a bubble at Clark Freeport are Indonesia and South Korea, both of which are likely to field naturalized players. Indonesia has naturalized former PBA import Lester Prosper along with highly touted Brandon Jawato. Both were not fielded during the country’s win against Indonesia last February.

Sotto available

South Korea boasts another ex-PBA reinforcement in Ricardo Ratliffe, whose Korean name is Ra Gun-ah.

“There’s always gonna be room for and a need for experience in our team, if we expect to compete at the elite level,” Baldwin said.

Kouame’s naturalization was passed on the first reading in the House of Representatives and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Al Panlilio as well as Sen. Sonny Angara, the principal sponsor of Senate Bill No. 1892 filed last Oct. 22, are hopeful that the entire process can be fast-tracked so that Kouame can join Gilas Pilipinas in the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers in February.

“We’re very thankful that [his naturalization] was approved in the first reading,” Panlilio told the Inquirer over the phone. “Ange is very excited to join Gilas (as a naturalized player) and we just hope that he can join the team in the third window.”

Apart from Kouame, the national squad is also hoping to add Kai Sotto to the pool.

The 7-foot-2 teen prodigy, who is part of the NBA G League developmental team, said on Thursday he is joining the national team for the Clark window, which will also feature Group C action.

“I will be joining the national team. I am excited. I hope we bring our best. This is a very special moment for all of us,” Sotto said in a video message aired on Thursday during a virtual press conference.

Already an established presence in the junior competitions, Sotto has yet to play in the senior level.

“At this point, you’ve heard Kai and he said he’s going to be available. Obviously this is step one. We’d like to think that we have every belief that he would be there for February, but there are still discussions ongoing,” said Baldwin, who said SBP would need to clear things with Sotto’s G League squad.