Kinumpleto na ni coach Chot Reyes ang final 12 niya sa Gilas Pilipinas, mapapalaban ngayon ang nationals sa Cebu All-Star sa panghuling installment ng PBA All-Star Week sa Hoopsdome sa Lapu-Lapu City.
Pagkatapos ng 122-111 win ng Gilas laban sa Luzon All-Star sa Lucena City nitong Biyernes, kinumpleto ni Reyes ang roster na isasabak sa SEABA Men’s Championship sa Araneta Coliseum sa May 12-18, ang qualifying ng FIBA Asia Cup sa Lebanon sa August.
Tinapik ni Reyes sina Gilas regulars June Mar Fajardo, Terrence Romeo, Calvin Abueva, Jayson Castro, Troy Rosario at Japeth Aguilar, newbies sina Raymond Almazan, Jio Jalalon, Allein Maliksi, Roger Pogoy at Matthew Wright. Pang-12 si naturalized Andray Blatche.
Si multi-titled coach Tim Cone ang hahawak sa Cebu All-Star na babanderahan nina two-time MVP James Yap at back-to-back Philippine Cup Finals MVP Chris Ross.
Wala pang abiso kung saan maglalaro sina three-time MVP Fajardo at scoring champion Romeo na naka-lineup din sa Cebu All-Star.
“Our approach is that we’re there for a purpose. It’s not an All-Star game in our minds, but we’re there for a purpose to get the national team ready,” paliwanag ni Cone.
“So I expect our guys to go out and play, take it seriously, and really go at it.”