MANILA -- A total of 18 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) stars and two members of the Gilas Cadets were named into the national team pool for the fifth window of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.
In a press conference held during the halftime of the Blackwater-Magnolia game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Tuesday night, Gilas head coach Yeng Guiao named the players to the pool of the so-called "Gilas Elites".
They are TNT's Jayson Castro and Troy Rosario, Magnolia's Paul Lee and Ian Sangalang, NorthPort's Stanley Pringle, San Miguel's Alex Cabagnot, Marcio Lassiter, Arwind Santos, Junemar Fajardo, and Chris Standhardinger, Ginebra's LA Tenorio, Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, and Greg Slaughter, Phoenix's Matt Wright, Rain Or Shine's Gabe Norwood and Beau Belga, and Blackwater's Poy Erram.
Joining the pro stars are Ateneo High School's Kai Sotto and incoming University of the Philippines player Ricci Rivero, who are part of the "23 for 23" cadets pool.
"I think this will be one of the best teams if not the best team that we would ever form to represent the Philippines in international competitions," said Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Al Panlilio. "Both the PBA and the SBP support the proposal of Coach Yeng Guiao."
Gilas will begin its training camp on Monday night.
The camp will feature separate two-game tune-up series against Jordan and Lebanon.
Gilas will play host to Kazakhstan on Nov. 30 and Iran on Dec. 3 in the fifth window of the FIBA WCQ at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. (PNA)
