A new pool of players that will make the up the new members of the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team will be assembled within the week.
This is the main concern of Tim Cone after he accepted his appointment as the new Gilas Pilipinas head coach from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.
“We’re hoping by the end of the week, we’ll have a pool of players working together at full force. I’m extremely excited to get going,” said Cone in a twitter message.
Cone, who will prepare the national team for the 30th Southeast Asian Games, is back after coaching the national squad to a bronze medal back in the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok.
“I will sit down with the SBP over the next couple of days and come up with a plan of attack,” said Cone.
Guiao comes aboard, some 12 days after Yeng Guiao took full responsibility for the outcome of the campaign of Gilas Pilipinas FIBA World Basketball 2019 and submitted his resignation.
Guiao’s resignation came after Team Pilipinas finished winless after five games in the World Cup at the end of the Classification 17-32 Phase in China.
The 60-year-old Guiao felt that for the national squad to be able to compete with the world’s best teams, Gilas needs better players and more exposure.
Cone is the third coach to handle the national following Chot Reyes, who resigned last year, and Guiao, who coached Gilas in the 2018 Asian Games and the World Cup.
Cone, who coaches Barangay Ginebra in the PBA, said that his coaching stint may only be up to their Philippines’ title defense in the SEA Games.
But he feels honored that he has been chosen.
“Even though my appointment is just a stop-gap measure, I am incredibly honored and proud to be selected as coach in the SEA Games,” Cone said.
The top officials of San Miguel Corp., according to Cone, have already given their blessings on his new role.
