GILAS 12. (From left to right, top to bottom row) Jayson Castro, Joachim Thoss, Asi Taulava, Terrence Romeo, Marc Pingris, Gabe Norwood, JC Intal, Dondon Hontiveros, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, Ranidel de Ocampo, Andray Blatche, and Calvin Abueva. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
By ADRIAN STEWART CO
MANILA – Gary David and Jeth Troy Rosario will serve as Gilas Pilipinas’ reserves in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship in Changsa, China.
Head Coach Thomas Baldwin said he is sticking with the 12-men lineup he submitted to the FIBA office two weeks ago.
This year’s FIBA Asia opens on Wednesday at the Changsa Social Work College’s Gymnasium.
“We’re sticking it out with the Final 12, but we also [brought] along reserves Gary David and Troy Rosario,” said Baldwin, who replaced Chot Reyes.
Unlike David and Rosario, however, other Gilas cutouts Jimmy Alapag, Aldrech Ramos and naturalized player Moala Tautuaa were not joining the team.
Earlier named to the “Gilas 12” were Andray Blatche, Calvin Abueva, Terrence Romeo, Jayson Castro, Ranidel de Ocampo, Gabe Norwood, Marc Pingris, Asi Taulava, Joachim Thoss, Dondon Hontiveros, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, and JC Intal.
Teams are allowed to make changes in their lineup on the eve of the competition as long as the player they will insert will come from the 24-man pool that they submitted to the FIBA board last month, according to FIBA rules.
“Changing of players (during the FIBA Asia tournament) is not that easy [for] we have to pay corresponding fees,” said Baldwin.
Gilas Pilipinas looks to bring Philippine basketball back to the Olympics for the first time since the 1972 Munich Games.
It will face Palestine at 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Hong Kong at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday and Kuwait at 4:45 p.m. on Friday./PN