PHILIPPINES QUEST FOR WORLD CUP SPOT BEGINS TODAY
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 01 Aug 2013
The Philippines quest for a spot in the FIBA World Cup of basketball in Spain next year begins with the nationals lightest assignment in their opening game of Group A in the FIBA Asia Championships at the Mall of Asia Arena at 8:30 p.m. today.
Although coach Chot Reyes admits that the toughest assignments in the group stage would be against powerhouse Jordan on Friday and a tough Chinese-Taipei squad reinforced by center Quincy Davis III on Saturday, he refuses to take the Saudis lightly.
Reyes told the Manila Standard ?I don?t like the fact that we know very little about them (Saudi Arabia) or much about their players and how they play at all? although he knows their coach, Serbian Nenad Kradzic.
The biggest success of Saudi Arabia internationally was a bronze medal finish in the 1999 Asian Championship won by China who beat South Korea in the finals in a low scoring game 63-45.
He said Saudi Arabia who qualified by finishing third behind Qatar and Bahrain in the 13th Gulf Basketball Championships ?doesn?t worry me as much as Jordan and Chinese-Taipei.?
The multi-titled PBA coach foresees ?a huge battle against Chinese-Taipei who have been reinforced by a great naturalized player, Quincy Davis in the middle.?
Reyes said the physical conditioning and the game-plans have been worked out and that the final practice would be ?more mental than anything else because when you go in there with thousands of fans screaming it could be mentally breaking. Sometimes minds go blank when pressure comes in. That?s where its going to be tested.?
Point guard Jayson Castro and forward Ranidel de Ocampo suffered ankle injuries in a tune-up game against Kazakhstan last Friday but Reyes said the two had a light workout on Tuesday and seemed ready to play although he is keeping big Beau Belga on call just in case.
Castro said ?there?s nothing to worry? while De Ocampo said ?It would be sad if I won?t be able to play because of an injury. I?ve long been working hard for this.?
A sellout crowd is expected on opening day with three stellar games before the Filipinos take the court, with Jordan taking on Chinese-Taipei at 1:15 p.m. that would give the Philippines an idea of the strength of the two teams; Japan playing Qatar at 3:30 p.m. and an eagerly anticipated showdown in the so-called ?group of death? between China which is regarded as one of the favorites to take the championship and sweet-shooting South Korea at 5:45 p.m.
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