Chot to name 13-man cast before NZ trip

MANILA, Philippines - Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes will name his Final 12 for the 27th FIBA Asia Championship on Thursday, and the choices could well be down to the 13 players leaving for their New Zealand tour Tuesday.

The New Zealand-bound national hopefuls are the same players who attended Gilas’ boot camp in Lithuania last month, led by naturalized player Marcus Douthit and 2012 Jones Cup campaign holdovers Gary David, LA Tenorio, Ranidel de Ocampo, Jeff Chan, Gabe Norwood and Larry Fonacier.

Jayson Castro, Marc Pingris, Junmar Fajardo, Jimmy Alapag, Japeth Aguilar and Beau Belga are also in the cast. Conspicuously missing in the list are Sonny Thoss and Greg Slaughter.

Thoss, Gilas’ second-string guard in the Jones Cup and in the FIBA Asia Cup last year, underwent medical treatment in China right after the PBA Commissioner’s Cup while Slaughter has been tied up with his studies at Ateneo.

The two behemoths could now be way behind in Gilas Pilipinas’ training for the coming Asian world championship qualifier.

Reyes insists Thoss and Slaughter are still part of the pool, but it’s doubtful the two would be picked over those who’ve been religiously attending all the activities of the Gilas program.

They are likely to end up as reserves, or just possible replacements to anyone who might injure before the start of the tournament on Aug. 1.

Others serving as backups are Kelly Williams, Ryan Reyes, Jared Dillinger and cadet players Garvo Lanete, RR Garcia, Kevin Alas, Matt Ganuelas, Jake Pascual and Ronald Pascual. They are all included in the 24-man roster submitted by Gilas to FIBA Asia last June 18.

Reyes said he would decide on the Final 12 on the eve of their first game in their New Zealand series.

“As we play our six games in New Zealand, the players already know who made it to the team,” Reyes told The STAR.

The Last 13 are made up of two pure point guards in Alapag and Tenorio, combo guard Castro, wing men David, Chan and Fonacier, big forwards De Ocampo, Aguilar and Belga, centers Douthit and Fajardo, and forwards/defenders Pingris and Norwood.

Most probably, Reyes, by now, has already got in his mind the 12 players he’s sending to war in the FIBA Asia event slated Aug. 1-11.

There could only be changes if any unforeseen thing happens between now and Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan yesterday signed a covenant with the Metro Manila Development Authority and the cities of Pasay, Manila and Makati that will ensure smooth hosting of the 16-nation event.

“It goes without saying that we need their support,” Pangilinan said after the covenant-signing at the Dusit Hotel in Makati which MMDA chair Francis Tolentino graced.

Also present were Pasay City administrator Dennis Acorda, representing Mayor Antonio Calixto, and the representatives of Manila’s Joseph Estrada and Makati’s Jun Jun Binay.