Three more names have been added to Gilas Pilipinas’ SEA Games roster, head coach Norman Black said.
Black, in an interview aired over Noli Eala’s Power and Play program on Saturday, said that guard Thirdy Ravena, Ateneo forward Kymani Ladi and La Salle big man Mike Phillips have committed to play for the Philippines for this year’s Thailand games.
‘Actually, we have 11 guys who have actually committed. Actually, we have 12, but I’m leaving the last slot open because I’m trying to recruit another big guy. Because it’s exactly what you just said, the fact that Thailand does have big guys that play well, they’re good players. So we have to have a lineup where we can match up,’ the coach said.
‘We have a pretty decent team. It’s not a team to sneeze at,’ he added.
Ravena is currently playing for Dubai Basketball in the Euroleague.
Ladi is one of the top players in the UAAP now. The one-and-done forward is
averaging 17.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game for the 4-2 Blue Eagles.
Phillips, of course, is arguably the best local center in the league right now. He is norming 13.5 points, 15.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals and a block per contest for the 3-3 Green Archers.
The initial eight players who have committed for Gilas were Ray Parks, Matthew Wright, Remy Martin, Ange Kouame, Justin Brownlee, Dave Ildefonso, Jason Brickman and Veejay Pre.
Black, though, voiced hope that the eligibility rules will not change anymore. If so, the Philippines will be down to five or six players.
‘If we take away some of the guys who did not get their passports before age 16, they’ll also be out. We’ll be down to six players already. We’re down to five, six players,’ he said.
The Philippines is defending its championship in Thailand. In the 2023 edition of the biennial meet, it regained the gold medal after an 80-69 win over Cambodia.