Source: Inside Sports
The Smart Gilas national team which returned home from a rewarding stint in Australia where they won five of their six games and drew in a rematch with the Australian Institute of Sports gets another acid test in a tournament in Serbia where they also competed last year.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Noli Eala who was with the team during the Australian series said coach Rajko Toroman will have a chance to find out whether the team has really improved when he measures their performance in Serbia this time around using last year’s tournament as a benchmark.
Eala said the team will play a minimum of six games in ten days after which they will fly to the United States on April 23 on a nine-day stint in Las Vegas.
Following the Las Vegas series the Smart Gilas squad will leave for Vancouver, Canada on a five-day trip.
Eala said that top guard Chris Lutz will join the nationals in the US following his graduation.
Discussing the Australian tour where Smart Gilas beat the Australian Under 19 squad 78-67, the Australian Institute of Sports 79-73 before a 73-73 tie in the rematch, the Canberra Gunners 79-73, NSW Institute of Sports 82-63, and the Sydney Comets 93-81, Eala said “everybody played well” and the team had truly improved.
He cited lanky Japeth Aguilar’s impressive performance in the team’s final game against their toughest opponents the Sydney Comets as a most welcome development. Aguilar had a fantastic game scoring 29 points, pulling down 10 rebounds for a welcome double-double and also issuing 1assist, blocking 2 shots and pulling off 4 steals, effectively providing coach Toroman and the Smart Gilas leadership an idea of what he is truly capable of.
While Eala didn’t wish to cite any particular players he said Greg Slaughter’s game had improved greatly. Slaughter had consistent numbers in terms of points, rebounds and shot blocks in every game and played hard just like every other member of the team.
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