New recruits for Smart Gilas?

MANILA, Philippines - Searching for the elusive Mr. Right to shore up the middle as a naturalized import, Smart Gilas national basketball team coach Rajko Toroman said yesterday aside from picking Jared Homan of Iowa State, he is studying the option of adding a few more Fil-foreigners for the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup in Doha on May 22-30.

Homan, 27, is playing for Maroussi in the Greek league at the moment. A contract offer was sent three days ago and his reply is being awaited.

As a senior at Iowa State in 2004-05, the 6-10 Homan averaged 13.6 points and 8.1 rebounds in 31 games. He finished his varsity career as Iowa State’s all-time blocks leader. In his final Iowa State game on the second round of the NCAA tournament, Homan compiled 19 points and 20 rebounds in a loss to eventual champion North Carolina.

“Jared is a warrior,” said Iowa State coach Wayne Morgan. “He fights every second he’s on the court and I think he has a big future playing this game.”

Toroman said other possible recruits in the pipeline are 6-6 Fil-Italian Nico Monacini, 6-8 Fil-German Christian Standhardinger who averaged 8.1 points for the University of Nebraska varsity this past season and 6-1 Fil-Italian Chris Banchero of Seattle Pacific University.

Fil-Am guard Chris Lutz of Marshall University is completing his obligations in school and will be ready to join Smart-Gilas for the Doha tournament.

Toroman said Lutz and another Fil-Am Marcio Lassiter must be issued their Philippine passports before the Doha competitions or else only one of them will qualify to play along with the naturalization candidate because of the two-import limitation.

“We’re 70 percent ready for the Asian Games in November,” said Toroman. “The balance of 30 percent will be covered by the import, other new recruits and small details in defense. I think we’re on target. In Australia last month, we played the best young players. In Serbia a week ago, we played tough pro teams with lots of experience and talent. We learned more from the competition in Serbia. Time is going fast. Before this month ends, we’ll leave for Las Vegas to play five games then move to Canada for three games. Then, it’s the Stankovic Cup in Beirut, the Jones Cup in Taipei and the Asian Games in Guangzhou.”

In Australia, Gilas won five, drew one and lost none. In Serbia, the team lost five and beat only Super Fund, 91-84. The losses were to Metalac Valjevo, 86-76, Mega Vizura, 75-70, Hemofarm Vrsac, 98-67, Partizan Belgrade, 87-71 and OKK Beogard, 80-79.

Lassiter, a gunner from California State at Fullerton, was the team’s most consistent scorer, firing 17 against Metalac, 17 against Beogard and 21 against Partizan. But he sat out the game against Mega with a strained hamstring.