Host Cambodia is going all-out for the men’s basketball tournaments of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games which might spell trouble for Gilas Pilipinas’ bid for redemption.
For the 3×3 tournament which begins on Saturday, Cambodia will field three naturalized players along with one local.
Darrin Dorsey and Brandon Peterson beef up Cambodia’s 3×3 team, along with Sayeed Pridgett.
Dorsey and Peterson are teammates in Jordan club Orthodox Amman, which competes in the West Asia Super League.
Peterson, 32, is a 6-foot-8 big man while Peterson, 35, is a 6-foot-2 guard.
Pridgett is a 6-foot-6 product of Montana who currently plays for Greece’s Karditsa.
Completing the squad is Tep Chhorath.
Cambodia is slotted in Group B with Singapore, Malaysia, and defending champion Thailand.
All three naturalized players are expected to suit up for the 5-on-5 tournament as well.
There will be numerous Cambodian-American players that will join the trio, namely 6-foot-8 Dwayne Morgan, 6-foot-9 Darius Henderson, and 6-foot-4 Oscar Lopez Jr.
Cambodia is grouped with Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore in the pool phase.