THE Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) announced over the weekend a 28-member pool for the national men’s team to the Cambodia 32nd Southeast Asian Games.
Naturalized player Justin Brownlee and big man June Mar Fajardo lead the pool where, in the words of the SBP, members of the country’s version of the “Redeem Team” will be culled.
But getting everyone in the pool to practice together has become a concern.
“This is a great pool of players,” Gilas Pilipinas deputy coach Jong Uichico told BusinessMirror on Sunday. “The only problem we have though is the schedule of practices because we have the Holy Week and the PBA [Philippine Basketball Association] semifinals and the finals.”
Holy Week is from April 2 to 8 while the PBA finals could end on April 20 with the Cambodia SEA Games set to start only two weeks after that on May 5.
Named to the pool were CJ Perez, Chris Ross, Marcio Lassiter, Japeth Aguilar, Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, Jeremiah Grey, Christian Standhardiger, Stanley Pringle Jr, Roger Pogoy, Calvin John Oftana, John Paul Erram, Michael Williams, Chris Newsome, Raymond Almazan, Norman Aaron Black, Arvin Tolentino, Kevin Louie Alas and Brandon Rosser.
They were joined by collegiate players Deschon Winston, Karl Kevin Quiambao, Jerom Lastimosa, Mason Francis Amos, Benjamin Phillips III, Ariel John Edu and Michael Phillips.
No Filipino or half-Filipino player who’s playing in the Japan league is included in the pool because of a conflict in schedule with the Cambodia SEA Games.
“That moment is upon us, and we’re not leaving any stone unturned in our overall bid to regain basketball glory in our region,” SBP president Al Panlilio said. “What we’ve gone through after that fateful day in Hanoi, both the wins and the losses in the various tournaments that followed, are, in effect, geared also toward bringing the SEA Games gold medal back to our shores.”
The SBP also named its pool for 3×3 which settled for the bronze medal in Hanoi. Now under new head coach Lester Andrew del Rosario, the pool is composed of Almond Vosotros, Rodel Samboy De Leon, Brandon Matthew Bates, Jorey Napoles, Lervin Flores, Joseph Emmanuel Eriobu, Jeffrey Manday, Alfred Ryan Batino, Kakou Ange Frank Kouame and Joseph Sedurifa.
The women’s pool out to win a third straight gold medal and coached by Pat Aquino is made up of Danielle Animam, Afril Bernardino, Stefanie Ann Berberabe, Mikka Cacho, Clare Castro, France Mae Cabinbin, Ana Alicia Katrina Castillo, Camille Izabel Clarin, Monique Allison Del Carmen, Ella Patrice Fajardo, Katrina Guytingco, Marizze Andrea Tongco, Janine Pontejos, Angelica Marie Surada, Quinn Kacey Dela Rosa, Mai Loni Lashae’ Henson, Louna Ozar, Kristine Cayabyab, Aurea Day Marie Gingras, Kristan Geyl Yumul, Kennan Elizabeth Ka, Katelyn Bobadilla, Karl Ann Pingol, Sofia Isabella Roman and Jhazmin Joson.
Ryan Batino, Kakou Ange Frank Kouame, and Joseph Sedurifa.
The 3×3 women’s pool, on the other hand, includes Jack Danielle Animam, Afril Bernardino, Ana Alicia Katrina Castillo, Quinn Kacey Dela Rosa, Janine Pontejos, Clare Castro, Kristine Cayabyab and Mai Loni Leshae’ Henson.
The US sent a star-studded all-National Basketball Association squad it called the “Redeem Team” to regain the gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympics after losing the crown in the 2004 Sydney Olympics and 2006 World Cup.