Making sense of Chot Reyes’ ’23 for 23′ Gilas roster

MANILA, Philippines – On January 5, Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes released on Twitter 23 prospects for the 2023 FIBA World Cup Gilas roster, dubbed as the #23for23. (READ: Kobe Paras, Thirdy Ravena banner ’23 for 23′ Gilas pool roster)

Because the event is 5 years away, all of the names were college and high school standouts under 25 years old. A collection of familiar and not-so-familiar names of youngsters rounded up the list, and we’re here to break down the selections.

Like Coach Reyes said, the list is “by no means final,” so our judgment won’t be as well. Also, don’t worry about your favorite PBA players. They’re more likely to get in unless they’re above 32 years old in 2023.

Notable Omissions: The De La Salle University back court (Ricci Rivero, Aljun Melecio, Andrei Caracut)

The most notable name left off the initial list is UAAP Mythical 5 member and social media sensation Ricci Rivero. However, Reyes has gone on record with SportsCenter Philippines, saying that the La Salle backcourt players were not snubbed. Rather, it was the school that requested their omission since they were “in the process of transition.”

While it is true that DLSU has been internally wrecked with the recent departures of new University of Santo Tomas head coach Aldin Ayo and Mexican league baller Ben Mbala, schools like the University of the Philippines have been stuck in transition since the first People Power Revolution but had no problems including their star players to represent the country.

Here’s where “by no means final” really comes into play. Talents like Rivero are just too good to be left out.

Shoo-ins: Robert Bolick, CJ Perez, Matt Nieto, Thirdy Ravena, Kobe Paras, Kai Sotto, AJ Edu

Meanwhile, there are notable names on the list that really should stay on the list, simply because their upside is too good to be left off.

First off are the warring Robert Bolick and CJ Perez, two NCAA studs who have raised their individual stock by going head-to-head in the NCAA Finals. Although San Beda College’s (SBC) Bolick repeatedly drove daggers into the hearts of the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) fans en route to their finals sweep, it was Perez who was named the season’s Most Valuable Player after leading his squad to a perfect 17-0 record in the elimination round, their first playoff appearance and first finals berth in school history.

Next up are the newly-crowned UAAP champions Matt Nieto and Thirdy Ravena of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles.

Much has been said about their long-standing war with the DLSU Green Archers, and both Nieto and Ravena have grown into battle-tested veterans at a young age. Nieto’s unflinching stroke from the perimeter and Ravena’s Swiss Army Knife play style will be invaluable at the international stage, especially when they get even more training at the pros.

Rounding up the shoo-in crop is the prodigy trio of Kobe Paras, Kai Sotto and AJ Edu. Already blessed with top-notch genetics, these players are still going hard to hone their craft and prove that they can make great use of their gifts.

Paras needs no further introduction, as the 20-year old from Cal State Northridge already has a Gilas stint at the 2017 Southeast Asian Games under his belt, and it’s clear to see why. Aside from the highlight-reel monster jams, Paras has shown a head well-schooled in the game and a tenacity befitting the #PUSO mantra. Reyes himself has told reporters that Paras “is going to be the frontrunner of that youth brigade.”

Sotto and Edu, meanwhile, bring an asset more precious than gold in the context of Philippine basketball: height. Standing at 7-foot-2 and 6-foot-11, respectively, the two giants are great boons for a team who doesn’t even have to use its import slot just to get tall.

But size is not all that makes them attractive. Sotto, currently a member of the ADMU Baby Eaglets juniors team, has helped his team to a 7-0 record so far in the UAAP Season 80 while the Fil-Nigerian Edu has shown flashes of his upside in the FIBA Under-18 3×3 tournament last year.

 

Waitlist: Juan Gomez de Liano, Paul Desiderio, Jayjay Alejandro, Isaac Go

If any in the shoo-in list are somehow left out either by choice or circumstance, these collection of players should be up next in the fray.

First up is the UP Fighting Maroons star tandem of Juan Gomez de Liano and Paul Desiderio. While the pair have led the improving program to a decade-best finish of 6-8 in Season 80, there is still work to be done in order for them to leapfrog the other candidates. Juan GDL still has to show that he can be a leader like he was in high school and infect his teammates with his on-court composure and savvy. Desiderio, meanwhile, has to prove he is more than just a volume scorer and can either take better shots or involve his teammates more. A drought-ending championship for UP in Season 81 can certainly raise a lot of eyebrows in the Gilas’ scouting circle.

As for Jayjay Alejandro, there is really not much left to criticize, if any. He already passed through a needle hole by leading National University in Season 77 to their first championship in 60 years. He is already a high-IQ floor general who earned Mythical 5 honors in Season 80 after averaging around 17 points, 6 boards and 6 assists. The only question now is whose spot will the 6-foot-2 guard take away in a very crowded back court. Picking up big men like Sotto and Edu is an easy choice to make. Picking a back court that would gel with the rest of the team from a very large pool is not.

Finally, Isaac Go. The man, the myth, the legend.

Being a soft-spoken player for a team-oriented system of Ateneo, Go didn’t really stand out for much of the regular season. He was there, he played his role, and won games.

It was not until the playoffs came where Go’s true potential really showed. With his team’s backs against the wall multiple times against Far Eastern University and DLSU, Go came through in the clutch not once, not twice, but 3 times. If not for Go’s heroics, Ateneo would have been long gone and spending Christmas without iPhone Xs.

Now that he is most likely going to be the Blue Eagles’ starting center in their title defense campaign, Go is now front and center (pun intended) – ready to showcase more of his clutch gene and post footwork. To get to 2023 as a valuable stretch power forward, Go will have to #PlayLouderIn2019 first. – Rappler.com