TRUE enough, most of the players named by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas last Tuesday night to the 21-man national team training pool are TNT mainstays who have suited up for Gilas Pilipinas in the past.
Former two-time FIBA Asia Best Point Guard Jayson Castro, along with Troy Rosario, JP Erram, Kelly Williams, Ryan Reyes, Carl Bryan Cruz, and Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, make up the core of the Tropang Giga who are set to backstop the Nationals in the first window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Other members of reigning PBA Philippine Cup champion TNT tapped to join the Jjay Alejandro, and first-timers Kib Montalbo, Brian Heruela, Glenn Khobuntin, and Gab Banal.
Nursing a left calf strain, gunner Roger Pogoy was cut. Ditto with rookie sensation Mikey Williams who is deemed a naturalized player in FIBA-sanctioned tournaments.
Spearheading the pool are NorthPort star Robert Bolick, Japan B. League imports Thirdy Ravena and Dwight Ramos, Juan Gomez de Liaño, William Navarro, Jaydee Tungcab, Tzaddy Rangel, LeBron Lopez, and naturalized player Ange Kouame.
With time ticking, the team, camped at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center in Katipunan, is having its hands full bracing for virtually no-bearing matches since Gilas already has a slot in the World Cup next year as one of the hosts along with Japan and Indonesia.
