The common denominators

Two Gilas pools were formed by coach Tim Cone – one for the FIBA World Cup Asia fourth qualifying window and another for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The pool for the window listed 20 players and the pool for the Asian Games, 30. From the pools will emerge the final lineups. Under FIBA rules, Cone may use a different 12 for the games against Jordan and Iran but the players may only come from the 20-man pool. Under OCA rules, only the same 12 players may be lined up for the duration of the Asian Games and they’ll come from the 30-man pool.

There are 16 common players in both pools. They are RJ Abarrientos, Justine Baltazar, Justin Brownlee, AJ Edu, June Mar Fajardo, Juan Gomez de Liaño, Ange Kouame, Quentin Millora-Brown, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, CJ Perez, Mike Phillips, Dwight Ramos, Troy Rosario, Kai Sotto and Scottie Thompson. In the FIBA pool but excluded from the Asian Games pool are Geo Chiu, RR Pogoy, Kevin Quiambao and Carl Tamayo. In the Asian Games pool but excluded from the FIBA pool are Bennie Boatwright, Jamie Malonzo, Jerrick Ahanmisi, Don Trollano, Jordan Heading, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Justin Arana, Adrian Nocum, Caelan Tiongson, Brandon Bates, Sedrick Barefield, Robert Bolick, Zavier Lucero and Jason Perkins.

The FIBA lineup allows only one naturalized player and Fil-foreigners who were issued their Filipino passports before 18 (exceptions are Millora-Brown, Newsome and Phillips). The Asian Games will allow all players with Filipino passports, regardless of when they were issued and their ethnicity. Fil-foreigners Perkins, Barefield, Lucero, Ganuelas-Rosser, Tiongson and Bates received their Filipino passports after 18 so they’re eligible for the Asian Games but not FIBA. Boatwright, Brownlee and Kouame may play together in the Asian Games as there is no limit to naturalized players.

A newcomer to international action is Nocum. He said his only experience playing against a foreign team was a tune-up against a Korean club. Nocum, 27, has never won a championship in his career except for a provincial invitational tournament in Davao. He said it’s a blessing just to be part of the Gilas pool.

The other day, Nocum reported for his first Gilas pool practice and said he was so excited that he could hardly sleep the night before. Cone showed up but said he’ll concentrate first on the FIBA window while assistants LA Tenorio, Jong Uichico and Josh Reyes cover for the Asian Games. Nocum said the focus is a flow offense and the PBA players are familiar with the system. What he hopes to contribute is his aggressiveness in attacking the basket and what he hopes to improve on is his outside shooting since the perimeter will be open on dribble drive situations. Nocum said among his pool teammates, Bolick stands out as his model and Ahanmisi for his work ethic.