THE Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is counting on arguably the PBA’s current best two cagers to answer the call for the fifth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers in November.
Reigning MVP Scottie Thompson of Ginebra and former six-time MVP winner June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer lead the initial list of shoo-ins released by the SBP yesterday for the Gilas Pilipinas squad set to do battle against Jordan on Nov. 10 and Saudi Arabia three days later.
Joining Fajardo and Thompson are Beerman CJ Perez, the Kings’ Japeth Aguilar and Arvin Tolentino, and TNT’s Roger Pogoy and JP Erram.
“These PBA players are being planned to be included after Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes reached an agreement with the management of San Miguel Beer, Ginebra and TNT on the availability of these players for the coming FIBA window,” the SBP said yesterday on its website.
“They will be joined by available players from the Japan B. League and several other players from the UAAP and the national training pool. The SBP is set to announce the other members of the pool once their availability is confirmed.”
The squad will also be bolstered by Filipino players in the Japan B. League such as brothers Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, Dwight Ramos, and Bobby Ray Parks Jr., the UAAP’s Carl Tamayo and Kevin Quiambao, and the current national team training pool.
The PBA board of governors last week decided to allow national coach Chot Reyes to tap players from a maximum of three teams for the next window.
The nationals are expected to hit the ground running next Monday.
Fil-Am NBA standout Jordan Clarkson and prized 7-foot-3 big man Kai Sotto are likely unavailable due to their commitments with their squads.
The SBP is also working hard to add Ginebra do-it-all import Justin Brownlee and incoming TNT reinforcement Cameron Oliver as naturalized players in the pool.
Cage body President Al Panlilio has already asked the Senate Committee on Sports to fast-track Brownlee and Oliver’s naturalization process.
Gilas dropped a heartbreaking 81-85 loss to Lebanon last Aug. 26 but redeemed itself with a an emphatic 84-46 beatdown of Saudi Arabia three days later to hike its mark to 3-3 in Group E heading into the November window of the no-bearing qualifiers since the Philippines has already qualified for the world cage spectacle next year as co-hosts with Japan and Indonesia.
