DOUTHIT TO BANNER TALENTED SEA GAMES SQUAD
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 04 Sep 2011
Not wishing to take any chances in the quest for gold, coach Norman Black has chosen naturalized Smart Gilas national player Marcus Douthit to banner the talented Philippine team to the Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia in November.
Black told the Inquirer that since Douthit who had played in the SEABA tournament is available there is no reason not to play him since it would also help keep the naturalized American in game shape for future tournaments in which the Smart Gilas national team will compete.
Black said they submitted a list of 12 players because the Philippine Olympic Committee "insisted that I hand in twelve names but its not final yet and I think there are going to be some changes in that team."
The 12 players named to the squad aside from Douthit are collegiate standouts Greg Slaughter and Kiefer Ravena along with Nico Salva and Eman Montfort (all from Ateneo) the undefeated UAAP team coached by Black, Jake and Ronald Pascual, Garvo Lanete, Cliff Hodge, Chris Ellis, RR Garcia and Ray Parks, son of PBA seven-time "Best Import" Bobby Parks.
Black told the Daily Inquirer "right now we have size, we definitely have athletic ability where some of those guys can jump out of the gym as you saw the other night during our scrimmage and they are very, very talented at the wing position with Parks (National University) and Ronald Pascual from San Sebastian."
The multi-titled PBA and UAAP coach said he doesn't "really have legitinate point guards other than Montfort but revealed "we are going to keep Jeric Fortuna in the pool and take a better look at him. He's attended only two practices but we'll probably run the type of offense where the one, the two and the three can all run the offense." He pointed out that Garcia and Ravena are really shooting guards who play the point.
Black said the twelve named are "the guys I thought I would go with right now but we have a pool of about 20 players so I can definitely make some changes." He said since the POC insisted that they submit a lineup right now he chose the players "based on the guys who have been coming consistently to the practice since February. They are being rewarded for their consistency."
However, the coach emphasized that there are players like Ian Sanggalang who will be "included in the list but its just that he stopped attending after the first five weeks and then I didn't see him and he just started attending again,so I didn't put him in the 12 but there's a good chance he'll end up in the final twelve."
Aside from Sangalang, Smart Gilas skipper Chris Tiu and Jeric Teng are in a pool of 15 players being maintained by Black.
Strong and nicely built Keith Jensen from New York University who was a mere walk-in impressed Black and Butch Antonio at Monday's workout at The Arena in San Juan. Black said "he's good but the thing is I put him in the pool too in fairness to the other guys. When you saw him it was the first time I saw him also so I was trying to be fair to the guys who have been coming since February . But I'll keep him in the pool and like I told the other players there's a possibility there will be changes as we continue to practice."
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