Magsanoc: Homecourt key in 3x3 World Cup

MANILA, Philippines — Meralco assistant coach and PBA Hall of Famer Ronnie Magsanoc said the other day playing at the 55,000-seat Philippine Arena will be a boost for the national squad competing in the 20-team men’s division of the FIBA 3x3 World Cup on June 8-12 with the lineup expected to be named this week.

SBP president Al Panlilio has confirmed that Magsanoc will be the head coach of the host team that is bracketed in Group C with Russia, Brazil, Mongolia and Canada. PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said the appointment came directly from the SBP and since it involved a coach of a specific PBA team, there was no need of clearance from the league Board of Governors unlike in the case of players.

SBP executive director Sonny Barrios said a pool of six players for the FIBA 3x3 World Cup will be announced jointly by the SBP and PBA, possibly on Friday or Sunday during a PBA playdate. From the six players, four will be chosen to compose the final roster. There is global interest in the coming FIBA tournament because 3x3 will be introduced as a medal event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

No player is seeded to make it to the lineup but there is speculation that Christian Standhardinger, Troy Rosario, Stanley Pringle, R. R. Pogoy, Terrence Romeo, Marcio Lassiter, Arwind Santos, Mo Tautuaa and Chris Ross are under consideration to comprise the pool. Japeth Aguilar was reportedly nominated for the pool but was struck out because of conflict of schedule as Barangay Ginebra is booked for a PBA game against NLEX in Legazpi City on June 9.

Magsanoc, 52, declined to suggest any names for the pool. “Once the formal appointment is given, we will then discuss with the SBP the composition of the pool of players for the World Cup,” he said. “I’m thankful and excited to be a part of the 3x3 World Cup. Playing at home will help out our 3x3 team because of the hometown support.”

Magsanoc, a former national player himself who saw action in the PBA from 1988 to 2002, said it’s his 3x3 coaching debut. “This is my initial assignment in coaching a 3x3 competition but I’ve been following the FIBA 3x3 tournaments in the last few years,” he said. “I’ve been watching the FIBA 3x3 World Cup of the recent past, trying to check out the players of the different countries to familiarize myself with the game flow and better understand the rules and how to compete against the elite teams.”

A coach’s role in FIBA 3x3 games is a challenge. Under the rules, a 3x3 team may not be coached during a game. The coach may prepare a team before the competition and in between games but will not be allowed to interact with players for the duration of a contest, even in timeout situations.

FIBA 3x3 event manager Ignacio Soriano of Spain is expected to arrive this week to conduct a seminar on the staging of the World Cup in the course of an Asian briefing tour. It will be Soriano’s seventh trip to Manila since 2014. Last week, FIBA sport and competitions director Predrag Bogosavljev of Serbia and FIBA media and marketing services director general Frank Leenders of the Netherlands were in town for a meeting with the SBP on the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China and preparations for the Philippines as lead host of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Bogosavljev and Leenders arrived from Beijing where they attended the official announcement of the 2019 FIBA World Cup mascot, Son of Dreams, inspired by the Chinese dragon. FIBA held an on-line contest to pick the mascot with Speed Tiger, inspired by the Siberian tiger, and Qiuqiu (Little Lightning), inspired by the Chinese lion, as the other finalists.