Cebuano behemoths June Mar Fajardo, Greg Slaughter, and Gabe Norwood are expected to lead the new national training pool coach Yeng Guiao will divulge in a meeting with the PBA board of governors Tuesday in the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City.
Naturalized player Andray Blatche and possible subs Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle are also tipped to make the list of players, who will be considered for the national squad that is to play Kazakhstan and Iran in the fifth and penultimate window of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.
Guiao said he’ll consider the players that played in the recent FIBA window and the Gilas players, who were suspended by FIBA in the aftermath of the Gilas-Australia brawl.
Paul Lee, Alex Cabagnot, Scottie Thompson, Poy Erram, Ian Sangalang, Marcio Lassiter, Allein Malicsi, Beau Belga and Asi Taulava, meanwhile, were the players who rendered service to the country in the September FIBA window.
Guiao may also name new candidates to the pool along with 16-year-old national youth player Kai Sotto as a developmental player.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said the board wants to hear from Guiao the necessary arrangements and adjustments that league would have to make in support of the country’s World Cup drive.
He also said the league is taking another break to give way to the Nationals’ game against Kazakhstan on Nov. 30 and versus Iran four days later.
It’s back-to-back home games for the Filipinos before playing two successive “away” games to close out their campaign in the qualifiers.
Team PH plays Qatar in Doha and Kazakhstan in Almaty in February.