Chot wants tough SEABA team

MANILA, Philippines – Returning Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes will not delegate to a lesser team the task of winning the 2017 SEABA Championship.

Reyes is tapping 12 players from the elite Gilas pool in the PBA to jumpstart the campaign of Team Phl with an end goal of making the FIBA World Cup in China in 2019 and the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020.

The 2014 World Cup veteran coach will not risk losing the SEABA crown and the possibility of missing a berth in the succeeding FIBA Asia Championship.

“We’re not shoo-in in the FIBA Asia and we have to win the SEABA Championship,” said Reyes.

“Coach Chot has mentioned to the PBA board the SEABA event in April. He asked for it (availability of the PBA players to SEABA). The board will surely take it into consideration in drawing the 2017 PBA calendar,” said PBA media bureau chief Willie Marcial.

Under the agreement by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and the PBA, Reyes can pull out from their PBA mother teams Gilas players he wishes to bring to an international tourney.

In this pool are incoming PBA rookies Mac Belo, Kevin Ferrer, Jio Jalalon, Arnold Van Opstal, Mike Tolomia, Russel Escoto, Roger Pogoy, Ed Daquiaog, Von Pessumal, Matthew Wright, Alfonso Gotladera and Carl Bryan Cruz plus Almond Vosotros and one player each from the 12 PBA teams that Reyes is allowed to tap in.

Reyes has mentioned June Mar Fajardo, Jayson Castro, Calvin Abueva and Terrence Romeo as the players that are high on his list.

During his first stint as national head coach, Reyes also brought his team to the SEABA championship in Thailand before proceeding to the Asian joust in Tokushima, Japan in 2007.

His team then included Asi Taulava, Eric Menk, Danny Seigle, Kelly Williams, Kerby Raymundo, Jimmy Alapag, Jayjay Helterbrand, Mark Caguioa, Renren Ritualo.

In 2009, coach Yeng Guiao did the same, playing his all-pro team in the Medan SEABA before competing in the Tianjin Asian meet.

In 2011 and 2015, the SEABA tasks were delegated to the Gilas cadets reinforced by naturalized player Marcus Douthit. Coach Jong Uichico delivered the championship in Jakarta in 2011 then coach Tab Baldwin kept the crown in 2015 in Singapore.    

“If we need to bring along Andray Blatche, we’ll do so,” said Reyes to stress the need to make sure they win the SEABA crown.

All Gilas players, except Daquiaog and Cruz, signed contracts with the SBP ahead of the PBA draft.

But these contracts are now assumed by their PBA ball clubs. The players, however, get their salaries from the SBP during their time with Gilas. 

Meanwhile, Daquiaog and Cruz, late additions to the Gilas pool, will now negotiate with their PBA teams Meralco and Alaska, respectively.