Gilas plays a US select team, bannered by three former PBA imports, at the Jones Cup in Taipei tomorrow and it will be a reunion party for Marc Pingris, Dondon Hontiveros and Terrence Romeo.
The US squad lists 6-8 Marquin Chandler, 6-11 Jameel Watkins and 6-7 Calvin Warner, all of whom are PBA veterans. Chandler, 33, was named Best Import in the 2005-06 Fiesta Conference with Purefoods and returned for two more conferences with the franchise. He averaged a league-high 29.5 points and 13.3 rebounds in his first season with Purefoods. Chandler has played the game all over the world with stops in Bahrain, Latvia, Singapore, South Korea, Portugal, Japan and Puerto Rico. Pingris was a Chandler teammate at Purefoods.
Watkins, 38, suited up for Shell in 2004-05, averaging 27.3 points and 13.7 rebounds. He was recalled to the PBA in 2007-08 and joined the San Miguel franchise, promoting Magnolia at that time. His teammates included Pingris and Hontiveros. Watkins averaged 18.8 points and 14.2 boards in 14 games then was replaced by Amal McCaskill.
Warner, 35, averaged 20.8 points and 23.3 rebounds in four games with Globalport in the Commissioner’s Cup last season. He came in as C. J. Leslie’s replacement. After towing the Batang Pier to a 2-2 mark, Warner was bumped off by Derrick Caracter. Globalport, however, failed to win a single game with Caracter. Romeo was Warner’s teammate with the Batang Pier.
* * *
The US team is coached by 11-year NBA veteran Paul Mokeski who has worked with the Jamaican and English national teams. Mokeski, 58, is a 7-foot giant who played for Houston, Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee and Golden State in the NBA.
The others in the US lineup are 7-4 Keith Closs of Central Connecticut, 6-3 Cory Bradford of Illinois, 6-11 Derek Hall of Albright, 6-1 Anthony McDonald of North Carolina Central, 6-2 Brian Waters and 6-3 Wes Hsu both of Elon University, 6-6 Carlos Andrade of Queens and 5-9 Naheer Mirza of Lancaster Bible College. Struck out from the original roster were 6-4 Jermaine Barnes of Point University, 6-8 Quincy Hankins Cole of Nebraska and Pineville and 6-8 Tanner McGrew of West Virginia Wesleyan.
Mokeski started Chandler, Bradford, Warner, McDonald and Watkins in the first four games in Taipei. Then, in the contest against Iran, Mokeski opened with Hall instead of Watkins. Iran, playing without Hamed Haddadi, took an 81-66 blow from the US. Warner showed the way with 34 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. He hit 12 of 13 free throws. Bradford tallied 15 points while Chandler had 10 points and 10 rebounds. The US had more rebounds, 42-39, more assists, 13-5 and more three-point conversions, 7-of-17 compared to Iran’s 2-of-24. Without Haddadi in the middle, Iran looked extremely vulnerable even as veteran Mahdi Kamrani played the stabilizer’s role. It also didn’t help Iran that crack forward Samad Nikkhah Bahrami isn’t in the lineup.
The US squad was assembled just for the Jones Cup with eight players at least 30 years old. Closs, who broke David Robinson’s NCAA record in blocked shots, is 39. Watkins is 38, Andrade 37, Bradford 36, Warner 35, Chandler 33, Hsu 31 and Waters 30. Mirza and Hall are from NCAA Division III schools so their exposure to big crowds is limited.
* * *
Bradford has been Overtake’s most consistent scorer with 20 points against Spartak Primorye of Russia, 19 against Chinese Taipei A and 15 against Iran. He played four years with the Illinois varsity and started every game in his career or a streak of 134 straight contests. Bradford has played as an import in Italy, France, Egypt, Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia and Qatar.
Three of the Philippines’ four Jones Cup titles came at the US’ expense. In 1981, coach Ron Jacobs piloted the Philippines, sponsored by Northern Cement, to an 86-85 overtime win over the Midwest Select of Augsburg coach Rees Johnson. Jacobs’ cast included Ricardo Brown, Jeff Moore, Dennis Still, Willie Pearson, Frankie Lim and J. B. Yango with Itoy Esguerra, Ricky Relosa, Bokyo Lauchengco and Ed Cordero as reserves. In 1985, Jacobs again steered the Philippines, this time carrying the San Miguel Beer colors, to the championship, beating coach Gene Keady’s US All Stars, 108-100, in overtime. The team included Hector Calma, Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim, Moore, Chip Engelland, Still, Franz Pumaren and Tonichi Yturri.
In 1998, coach Tim Cone won a third title for the Philippines with the clincher an 82-72 decision over Chinese-Taipei behind a squad that included Caidic, Jun Limpot, Alvin Patrimonio, Marlou Aquino, Jeff Cariaso, Johnny Abarrientos and Jojo Lastimosa. In 2012, Chot Reyes became the first Filipino coach to win the Jones Cup as Gilas upended the US, 76-75, with L. A. Tenorio, Jeff Chan, Marcus Douthit, Gabe Norwood, Sonny Thoss, Sol Mercado, Gary David and Ranidel de Ocampo.