LIPIK , Croatia – After a month off, Cebu Chooks is back in the FIBA 3×3 pro circuit.
The country’s top 3×3 team begins their road to the 2022 Chooks-to-Go-FIBA 3×3 Cebu Masters on Friday in the FIBA 3×3 Lipik Challenger in Pozesko-Slavonska Zupanija here.
But bad news to its fans as Cebu Chooks was bracketed in Pool A along with world No. 2 Liman of Serbia (July 22, 11:44 Manila time) and Switzerland’s top team Fribourg (July 23, 1:20 a.m.).
This marks the second time Cebu faces Liman this season, bowing to the mighty Serbians during the 2022 Chooks-to-Go Manila Masters’ quarterfinals, 21-11.
This time around, Mac Tallo, Zach Huang, Brandon Ramirez, and Mike Nzeusseu are ready.
“Mabigat yung pagkatalo namin sa Liman noong Manila Masters,” recalled Tallo, the country’s top 3×3 player and No. 78 in the world. “Akala namin noon na ready na kami sa kanila kasi nakaka-ensayo namin sila pero iba pa rin talaga sila sa laro.
“Ngayon siguro mas ready kami para sa kanila,” he added as Liman will still field the quartet of world no. 4 Stefan Kojic, no. 9 Aleksandar Ratkov, no. 13 Nebojsa Kilijan, and no. 19 Miroslav Pašajlić.
Huang though stressed that they should also be wary of Fribourg.
Cebu spent its first day in Croatia by doing conditioning exercises, a shootaround in the halfcourt, a film session with head trainer Aldin Ayo, and attending the technical meeting.
