Gilas Pilipinas Basketball

MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia On My Mind) - Barely a few months into his new work as head coach of the Gilas Pilipinas program in the Philippines, former New Zealand tactician Tab Baldwin has hit the ground running. He has not wasted any time in preparing the country’s national teams for what is one of the busiest basketball calendars in recent memory.

Just take a look at the list of tournaments Gilas Pilipinas and its youth counterpart, Batang Gilas, will have to go through this year:

April
-    Southeast Asia Basketball Association (SEABA) U16 Championship (qualifier for the 2015 FIBA Asia U16 Championship) in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines
-    SEABA Championship (qualifier for the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship) in Singapore

June
-    Southeast Asian Games in Singapore

July
-    2015 FIBA Asia U16 Championship in Bangalore, India

August
-    37th William Jones Cup in Chinese Taipei

September
-    2015 FIBA Asia Championship in Changsha, China (qualifier for the 2016 Olympics)

In preparing for this gauntlet of tournaments, coach Tab’s mindset appears to revolve around gathering the very best of Philippine basketball at all levels and ensuring that they are properly trained for their respective objectives.

Right now, there are three teams in varying processes of selection and try-outs:

The Batang Gilas (youth) team that will participate in all U16 tournaments.
The Sinag Pilipinas (cadets) team that will participate in the SEABA Championships and SEA Games.
The Gilas Pilipinas (seniors) team that will participate in the Jones Cup and FIBA Asia Championship.

The most immediate competitions, of course, are those at the SEABA and SEA Games level. With respect to these, coach Tab has tasked a slew of assistant coaches to focus on hands-on preparation and training. Former collegiate player Michael Oliver has been assigned to take the reigns of the U16 squad, while coach Tab whips the Sinag boys into shape.

As of this writing, the final 16 for both Sinag Pilipinas and Batang Gilas have been named, with both teams having a good mix of size, speed, and athleticism.

As can be expected, the Batang Gilas team will have good size compared to its Southeast Asian neighbors, but if they do manage to qualify to the FIBA Asia level, then they will give up a lot of inches to traditional youth powers like China, Korea and Iran. With the tallest teener at around 195cm (6ft 5in) - and that’s being generous - the Batang Gilas boys will be hard-pressed to match up with much bigger frontlines. One possible remedy to this is a foreign-based Filipino named AJ Edu, who has a Filipino mother and who already possesses a Philippine passport. At just 15 years of age and already 200cm (6ft 7in), Edu’s addition (perhaps at the FIBA Asia level already as he is still playing and going to school in Ireland) should be a big boost to the Philippine cause.

Their older counterparts in Sinag Pilipinas, meanwhile, are currently being primed to dominate the SEABA and SEA Games tourneys. With the emergence of Singapore and the constant unpredictablity of Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia, the Philippines cannot afford to relax and take their opponents lightly. In view of this, coach Tab has selected nothing short of the best talents outside of the pros. Guys like Kiefer Ravena, Ray Parks, Mac Belo, Baser Amer, and Arnold Van Opstal are expected to banner this crack team of collegiate-level stars, and they would benefit from doing well, too, as some of them are headed to the PBA either this year or next year. Surely, doing well while donning the country’s tri-colors will only serve to boost their stock.

Jimmy Alapag is bidding adieu to the Philippine Basketball Association.

Former Philippine national men’s basketball team coach Chot Reyes has asked the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) selection committee not to include his name in the search for the next Gilas Pilipinas head coach.

“I understand the Search Committee is scheduled to meet this week. In this light, I humbly request that my name would not be considered by the Committee as a candidate for the national team coach of Smart Gilas

Still licking its wounds from a painful defeat to Iran, the Philippine national men’s basketball team plunges right into quarterfinal action barely a day after the close decision against reigning FIBA Asia Championship titlist in the 2014 Asian Games basketball tournament in Incheon, Korea.

Reigning FIBA Asia Championships and FIBA Asia Cup titlists Iran came through in the clutch to once again torment the Philippine national men’s basketball team, 68-63, to top Group E in the 2014 Asian Games basketball tournament in Incheon, Korea.

Gilas Pilipinas positioned itself as a true threat to Iran in this game, coming back from an early double-digit lead to hold the lead for much of the second half before eventually falling short in the end.

The Philippine national men’s basketball team hopes to finally get over the hump against tormentor Iran as it plunges back to action in the Asian Games basketball competition on Thursday in Incheon, South Korea.

Gilas Pilipinas and Iran tussle at 1 p.m. live on TV5.

Both Gilas Pilipinas and Iran are already assured of spots to the next round after their wins over India, but the Filipinos will have an extra motivation to win the game as they try to finally end the defending FIBA Asia champion’s reign over them

Watch the highlights of Philippines vs Argentina
featuring Gabe Norwoods posterizing Luis Scola

Watch Gilas Pilipinas Ranidel De Ocampo, Gabe Norwood and Japeth Aguilar dance with Fiba World official song Music Video