Rajko Toroman warns Philippine collegiate stars on SEAG

MANILA, Philippines — Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman cautioned the national basketball team made up of collegiate stars not to press its luck in the coming Southeast Asian Games.

Toroman seriously believes the opposition in the region has grown stronger and become more scientifically sound despite the Philippine five’s overwhelming victory in the recent 9th Southeast Asian Basketball Association Championship in Jakarta.

“The quality of basketball in Southeast Asia has improved tremendously in the last two years,” said Toroman, whose Smart Gilas swept the tournament with a 40-point winning margin, including an 89-50 whipping of host Indonesia in the finals. “That’s why we showed respect by trying to be consistent every night.”

A team made up of UAAP and NCAA stars will be formed by coach Norman Black to don the national colors in the basketball competitions of the 26th SEA Games in Jakarta on Nov. 11 to 25.

Expected to lead the squad are Smart Gilas holdovers Aldrech Ramos of FEU and seven-footer Greg Slaughter of Ateneo.

There’s also a possibility that Smart Gilas team captain Chris Tiu would join the team should the former Ateneo hotshot skip the coming PBA rookie draft in August.

Indonesia and Malaysia are seeking to upstage the Nationals, who never lost the SEA Games gold except the 1989 edition in Kuala Lumpur, when the Philippines settled for silver.

“I noticed that they’re improving every time we play them. You can’t toy with these teams,” said Tiu, who remains non-committal on the pro league’s freshman lottery.

Indonesia, which qualified to the Fiba Asia Championship in Wuhan, China on Sept. 15 to 25 along with Smart Gilas and Malaysia, will also play in the Jones Cup in Taipei (Aug. 6 to 14) and train for two weeks in Australia before competing in the SEA Games.

“We’re the hosts and we’re really serious on winning the gold,” said Indonesia coach Rastafari Horongbala.