Lessons from Iran

Although the Philippine national pool–split into two teams–was hardly challenged by Iran in their recent two-game exhibition series, coach Chot Reyes said there were valuable lessons to be learned from the visitors.

"From the Iran games, we saw the need to improve our ball control under pressure because the FIBA allows quite a bit of physical contact unlike in the PBA where there is strictly no hand-checking," noted Reyes.

"That’s why Iran got away with a ton of steals. We’re not used to reaching in. We also saw the need to learn how to play without the ball in our hands. Movement is essential in the international game. Finally, we saw the need to know how to be efficient playing four or five minutes a half. Remember our guys are used to playing extended minutes in the PBA. Now, they’ve got to understand their roles and learn how to produce right away."

Reyes singled out Kelly Williams, Yancy de Ocampo and Jimmy Alapag as the outstanding players in the Iran series.

Williams hit 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 19 minutes in Team A’s 79-60 win over Iran last April 24. De Ocampo delivered 11 points and 13 rebounds in a team-high 25 minutes as the starting center. Alapag compiled 13 points, four rebounds and nine assists in 20 minutes in Team B’s 90-75 decision over Iran the next day.

With the mandate to take over the Philippine team headed to defend the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) crown in Singapore next month, Reyes has expanded the national pool to include 25 amateurs, mostly from the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) ranks.

The idea is to juggle the players in the expanded pool for the national team, depending on the level of competition in a tournament and the availability of the players themselves, taking into account their commitments to mother clubs. It appears to be the perfect solution to the persistent problem of finding the right players to fill the slots for a competitive national squad.

The pool won’t be a fixed roster. Players may come and go. Take Fil-Am recruit Williams, for instance. Reyes was tipped off by Rudy Hatfield about Williams and he personally arranged to ship him to Manila after meeting him in Detroit last month. Hatfield and Williams are Fil-Ams from the Metro Detroit area.

For the Sydney Kings series on May 9 and 10, Reyes plans to play a common nucleus for both games. He’ll likely choose a platoon of about six to eight "shoo-ins" and reinforce them with different players from the pool in the series. Splitting the pool into two separate lineups like in the Iran series may not be viable as it would spread the talent too thinly against a tough team like the Kings.

Reyes wouldn’t disclose who the "shoo-ins" are but the betting is Alapag, Eric Menk, Danny Seigle, Willie Miller, De Ocampo, Mark Caguioa and Tony de la Cruz will be on the "elite" list.

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International Little League Association of Manila (ILLAM) volunteer parent Maricris Davila Cang disclosed recently that a US major league representative is seriously considering to build a school, playing facility and a farm system for Filipino kids in the country.

Major League Baseball development envoy Oscar Marcelino, a Filipino based in Porterville, California, has been designated to look at the Philippines as a possible growth center, Cang said. Marcelino, a former Triple A star who once worked for the Arizona Diamondbacks, visited Manila twice last year.

It was Marcelino who arranged a baseball scholarship for ILLAM player and Southridge graduate Miggy Corcuera, 19, at Porterville Junior College as an offshoot of the Major League program. He also sent seven balikbayan boxes of hardly used bats, gloves, catchers equipment and balls from the US for the ILLAM’s use.

Marcelino is due back in Manila shortly to look for a place where to set up a headquarters.

"Baseball and softball take kids out of the streets," said Cang. "It’s why parents are so involved because sports instills positive values in kids. With 400,000 Filipino kids playing baseball and softball, we’ve got a big base to start a grassroots program."

Cang’s daughter Isabel played on the Manila girls team that won the 18-and-under Southeast Asia Youth Baseball-Softball Tournament championship in Singapore last month. She took the "fastest speed in base running" award.