Jordan Heading will repesent Strong Group Athletics in the Jones Cup. –FIBA BASKETBALL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The building of the cast for Strong Group Athletics’ squad for the upcoming 43rd William Jones Cup is off to a good start.
Jordan Heading, who already has familiarity with SGA after the 2024 Dubai International Basketball Championship, is rejoining the squad to represent the Philippine side in the upcoming tournament.
The National Basketball League Filipino import, who is currently signed with the West Adelaide Wildcats, averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds in SGA’s silver-medal run in Dubai.
READ: Strong Group to represent PH in Jones Cup
Coach Charles Tiu revealed that upon learning about Heading’s availability for SGA, he had no second thoughts about taking him back to the team.
“Jordan was an automatic choice for me once I found out he’d be available to play,” said Tiu. “We loved how he played for us in Dubai, and now he gets to go back to his original shooting guard spot to complement our point guards.”
Joining Heading in SGA’s new composition is 6-foot-4 swingman Caelan Tiongson.
READ: Strong Group beefs up lineup with Jordan Heading, Justine Baltazar
Tiongson is a 6-foot-4 Filipino-American swingman who’s slated to join the upcoming PBA Draft.
Like Heading, Tiongson is also an easy choice for Tiu to include in the squad competing in the Jones Cup.
“I’ve been in touch with Caelan for a while, helping him figure out his next moves before joining the PBA Draft. We figured this would be a great opportunity for him to remind people how good he is,” said the College of St. Benilde tactician.
“He’s a hard worker, tough and competitive, who is versatile and can play multiple positions, defend, and rebound very well. I think he will be a huge asset for our team,” he added.