Gilas coach Tim Cone will bring only 12 players to Seremban, Malaysia, for the fifth FIBA World Cup Asia qualifying window against Syria on Nov. 27 and Iran on Nov. 29. While FIBA requires a 12-man lineup to be submitted the day before each game, a team may change a roster for every contest but players will only come from up to a 24-man pool turned in no later than seven days leading to the start of a window.
Cone isn’t inclined to assemble a big pool because the practice period isn’t extended. For the coming window, overseas players are expected to fly in Nov. 20 and Cone will begin practice the next day. While the PBA takes a break starting today to make way for the window, it’s not sensible to gather locals to practice without the foreign players. There will be only six days of practice so familiarity with Cone’s system is crucial.
The seven-day lead time to submit the maximum of a 24-man pool will allow FIBA to scrutinize eligibility of players. Foreign-born players are recognized as locals if they were issued passports before 18. FIBA has granted exceptions to this rule, as in cases of long years of residence and playing for a local school. Greg Slaughter, Mike Phillips and Chris Newsome were given this exception. Different countries treat naturalization without a consistent or standard process. Some countries issue passports almost overnight while others take months to go through government approval.
Gilas’ overseas players are Kai Sotto, Carl Tamayo, Bennie Boatwright, Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Kevin Quiambao, Quentin Millora-Brown and Mike Phillips. The locals who’ve played at least two games in the FIBA qualifiers since the first window in November last year are CJ Perez, Scottie Thompson, RJ Abarrientos, Juan Gomez de Liaño, Calvin Oftana, Chris Newsome, June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Troy Rosario and Justine Baltazar. Justin Arana was listed in the pool but has yet to play in the qualifiers. Only Ramos, Edu, Quiambao, Newsome and Fajardo saw action in all of Gilas’ eight games so far.
With Tamayo out due to a sprained ankle, seven overseas players will be available. That’s assuming Sotto is cleared by his Japanese B-Premier League team Altiri Chiba. Sotto sat out eight games for Altiri from Oct. 9 to Nov. 1 because of a knee issue but returned to action against the Chiba Jets last Friday to collect six points and five rebounds in 10 minutes. If Sotto and six other overseas players are in harness, Cone will choose five locals to complete the lineup. Top candidates are Gomez de Liaño, Oftana,Perez, Thompson and Newsome. Who will make the final 12 is still up in the air.