By MARK REY MONTEJO
Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao admitted that the Jones Cup will be a huge challenge for his young team but they are nonetheless ready to hold their ground and put up a fight in the competition that kicks off on Aug. 12.
Seeing the lineups that the team will be facing, the Elasto Painters who initially plan to field Gilas Plipinas naturalized player Ange Kouame as its lone reinforcement, decided to tap one more import to make the team even more competitive.
“Nung nakita namin yung lineup ng teams and yung makakalaban namin doon, malakas yung competition. So management decided to bring in another import. We will have Ange Kouame and itong si Nick Evans, who’s coming in siguro by Saturday or Sunday to join us,” said Guiao who graced the PSA forum at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
Evans, a veteran big man who had stints in Japan, Colombia, Thailand, and Lebanon, will start practicing with Rain or Shine on Monday before the team leaves for Taiwan on Friday (Aug. 11).
ROS will be facing national teams of Iran, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Taipei (Teams A and B) are alongside the Japan U-20 team, a US team represented by the University of California-Irvine, and reigning KBL (Korean Basketball League) and EASL (East Asia Super League) champion Anyang KGC.
With the expected tough field, Guiao is tempering expectations for his crew although he is optimistic that the stint will do a lot of good for the development of his young crew
“Kahit papaano may laban tapos gusto mong magka experience tong mga player(s) mo kaya tinanggap na namin agad yung invitation. Mahirap sabihin na magagawa natin yung national team nung nakaraan dahil nag champion sila with a lot of imports. Pero kung second or third (place) mas realistic, baka kakayanin yan,” said Guiao in the session presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, MILO, Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
“Lalo pa sigurong titibay ang team namin after ng Jones Cup,” he added.
Guiao is bringing the core of the team, including Rey Nambatac, Gian Mamuyac, Shaun Ildefonso Anton Asistio, Andrei Caracut, and Leonard Santillan, and for the seniors are Beau Belga, Mark Borboran, Jewel Ponferrada and former Gilas forward Gabe Norwood.
Guiao also took the opportunity to thank Rain or Shine co-team owners Raymund Yu and Terry Que for not hesitating to take the offer made by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) through the PBA for the team to take part in the Jones Cup.
“Nagpapasalamat tayo kina Boss Terry and Boss Raymund dahil kahit kelan hindi nagkait ng players or talent ang mga yan pagdating sa pagpapahiram sa national team, hindi nagda-dalawang isip ang mga yan,” said the Rain or Shine mentor, recalling the same gesture the two PBA owners did when he also coached the Gilas Pilipinas team in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.
