Smart Gilas to tour provinces

source: sunstar.com.ph
Beside providing quality basketball entertainment, the “Smart Gilas Provincial Tour” slated on March 4 and 5 will also enhance the basketball knowledge of the Cebuanos with related events.

The coming of the Gilas will launch the program that is a joint effort of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and Smart Sports. It is aimed to solicit more support for the national squad from the people in the provinces.

SBP Executive Director Noli Eala announced that aside from playing two exhibition matches with the M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños, Gilas will also extend new techniques to local coaches and players through a two-day coaching clinic.

Team

Smart Gilas Serbian head coach Rajko Toroman will lead the coaching workshop together with the rest of the coaching staff that includes Allan Gregorio, Jude Roque and Djalma Arnedo.

Gilas will also allow local teams and players to sit in and watch the practice and scrimmage of the national squad.

“SBP is excited about this opportunity to showcase our national team in action. This is SBP’s way of soliciting more support from the Filipinos for Gilas while lending new techniques and methods to our provincial coaches,” Eala told Sun.Star Cebu in a text message.

The tour, which is sponsored by M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala, is expected to be a hit since the national squad is fully-equipped with talent, skills and height.

“We are ready for them (Gilas) and I guess we could give them a tough game in this two-day meeting,” MLKP-Cebu Niños coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba stressed.

Two names

Meanwhile, the candidates for an American reinforcement and possible candidate for neutralization for Gilas have narrowed down to two names—the 6’11” Dwayne Jones and seven-foot slotman Michael Frey.

Toroman and Gilas team manager Frankie Lim are expected to sign eight players and bring them over to Cebu for the two-day sortie.

In addition, Gilas is also expected to have one more Fil-Am recruit who is expected to join the team by April.

Chris Lutz, a 6’3” backcourt player for the Marshal University Thundering Herd in NCAA Division I, will be joining the Philippine national squad when the team will be in Las Vegas from April 22 to 30 for training.