Former Meralco Bolts head coach Norman Black. Photo from PBA Images.MANILA — Gilas Pilipinas Southeast Asian Games head coach Norman Black had to hurdle through a lot of restrictions to complete his 12-man lineup for the upcoming biennial meet in December.
Justin Brownlee, Ange Kouame, Ray Parks Jr., Matthew Wright, Veejay Pre, Thirdy Ravena, Jason Brickman, Remy Martin, Kymani Ladi, Dave Ildefonso, Mike Phillips, and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser comprise the National team in the Thailand SEA Games.
However, given that the PBA, UAAP, NCAA, and overseas leagues are also ongoing, Black said that they would only likely start their preparations in November.
“As we get closer to the tournament, that’s when we will start practicing,” said Black at the sidelines of the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball games on Sunday.
“These are the best talents available. But all these players are actually playing somewhere, or they're not even here in the country right now,” added the San Beda University consultant, noting that roster adjustments are also possible given the uncertainty of the approval of the players’ respective mother teams.
As of the latest schedules, the elimination round of the NCAA will end on Wednesday, November 19, while the play-in will be on Friday, November 21.
But unlike the usual outright Final 4, the grand old league will first go through the quarterfinals stage before the Best-of-3 semifinals, and eventually the Best-of-3 Finals.
The NCAA is highly likely to extend until mid-December, while the SEA Games run from December 9 to 20. While there are no current NCAA players in the pool, there is still a possibility for Black to adjust his roster and get players from the league.
Some potential players are College of Saint Benilde’s Allen Liwag and San Beda University’s Janti Miller.
On the other hand, while the UAAP has committed to condensing its schedule, its Round 2 will end on Sunday, November 23, while the men’s basketball tournament ends in early December.
Meanwhile, the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup will not have any breaks for the SEA Games.