SBP sticks with KG-led Team Manila for world final

SEOUL, Korea – Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas has decided to stick it out with the quartet of KG Canaleta, Rey Guevarra, Aldrech Ramos and Terrence Romeo who have begun preparation for their stint in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Final in Tokyo, Japan on Oct. 11-12.

“We’ve asked the permission of their PBA mother ball clubs. We’re sticking with the winning team,” said SBP executive director Sonny Barrios of the team that qualified for the world final in topping the Manila Masters last July.

“We’ve begun preparing on our own. We practice together upon our return to Manila,” said Romeo who is with his Globalport team in a training tour here in preparation for the coming PBA season.

Team Manila will be up against 11 other qualifiers for the Tokyo finale. Team Doha is qualifier from the Manila masters like Team Manila. Others will come from the masters legs in Beijing, Chicago, Prague, Lausanne and Rio de Janeiro.

Canaleta, Guevarra, Ramos and Romeo sustained the good ride of Philippine basketball in international tourneys in ruling the Manila masters just after Gilas Pilipinas placed third in the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup in Wuhan, China.

SBP officials are hopeful the quartet can somehow redeem the Philippines from its Incheon Asiad debacle.

Meanwhile, Romeo and his Globalport teammates have won two of their first three tune-up matches here.

“So far so good. We’ve been doing well even in tune-up matches in Manila. Hopefully, we can carry that over to the season proper,” said Globalport coach Pido Jarencio.

The coaching staff and the team management are one in saying Fil-Am top pick Stanley Pringle is a big boost.

“I think we’re going to play hard. We’re going to play ‘till the end of the game,” said Pringle.

“We’re just taking it step by step, I think. I don’t know how the league is, I don’t know about the other teams,” Pringle also said. “I’ve been watching (the league), but you know it’s different from watching it on YouTube and actually seeing them play with the team. It’s much different.”