Gilas set for 10-day buildup for games vs New Zealand, Australia

February 7 ------ GILAS Pilipinas coach Tim Cone gets his wish for a 10-day preparation for the next window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers. Cone disclosed the initial plan was to bring the players together by Feb. 11, only to have it moved back by a week. Still, the Feb. 16 start is still within Cone's wish for at least a 10-day window for the national team. “Our initial date was Feb.11, but we could only secure four players for practice,” the Gilas mentor related to SPIN.ph.

Still, the new training date remains within Cone’s timetable after requesting the PBA hierarchy for at least a 10-day buildup for Gilas' two games in the Asian qualifiers against regional powerhouses Australia and New Zealand. The second window of the World Cup qualifiers will begin on Feb. 26 when the Philippines hosts the Tall Blacks at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Gilas battles the Boomers three days later (March 1), also at the MoA Arena. “So we’ve moved it to Feb 16, which is when the Japan and Korea guys will start trickling in,” according to Cone. The B.League guys include the returning Kai Sotto, who has recovered from an ACL injury as he has resumed playing for the Koshigaya Alphas. Other core members of the Gilas team coming in from Japan are AJ Edu, Dwight Ramos, and Quentin Millora-Brown, while those from the Korean Basketball League include Kevin Quiambao and Carl Tamayo.

Source: spin.ph