Cone lauds Gilas players despite loss

MANILA, Philippines — Gilas head coach Tim Cone said yesterday the 12 cagers who answered the late call to suit up at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games were “the most enthusiastic team I’ve ever been around and no one can question how hard these guys played.”

Cone said the original lineup that was planned by SBP never got off the ground. That roster was made up of Justin Brownlee, Bennie Boatwright, June Mar Fajardo, Ange Kouame, Carl Tamayo, Kevin Quiambao, Zavier Lucero, CJ Perez, Chris Newsome, Scottie Thompson, Robert Bolick, Juan Gomez de Liaño and 13th man Adrian Nocum.

“We thought we were sitting pretty,” said Cone. “No players from Japan but still pretty strong. But then, no Justin because of health, no Bennie with late papers, KQ and Carl were not allowed by their KBL teams last minute, no June Mar with fatigue and injury and chose to retire and Kouame left for a contract in France. With all the unavailability, it was decided to bring and train a different team while the window was ongoing. SBP wanted the FIBA window team to focus on the qualifiers since they were do-or-die, something I wholeheartedly agreed with.”

Cone said the revised cast of Bolick, Lucero, Nocum, Jerrick Ahanmisi, Don Trollano, RJ Abarrientos, Calvin Oftana, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Justine Baltazar, Justin Arana, Brandon Bates and Sedrick Barefield faced a tough challenge. “They knew immediately that they were undersized and underdogs but repping their country was all they cared about,” he said. “They were so proud to represent. I just wish we, as a coaching staff, could have helped them better. The odds were stacked against them.”

Cone said the Perfect Storm that saw Gilas bag the gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games three years ago turned into another Perfect Storm in Nagoya but in reverse. “It can happen in a moment from game to game or within four years, from genius to idiot,” he said. “The Asian Games gold was a Perfect Storm. Two one-point wins over Iran and China to get to the gold medal game. No one thought we could do it. That team was more hastily put together than the current one. No doubt, China had a bone to chew with us and they were as delighted to crunch us as we were delighted to beat them at their home in Hangzhou. They questioned themselves after their loss at home. Now, it’s our turn to question ourselves.”