Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times

2023 FIBA World Cup

Gilas’ 2023 plan almost complete with Sotto, Clarkson, says Chot Reyes


Loaded was Gilas Pilipinas Men’s Window 4 lineup.

Ten of the 12 players were either overseas pros or PBA stars. And of course, the two pillars of the program played together for the first time in Jordan Clarkson and Kai Sotto.

For Clarkson and Sotto, it was the result of years of courtship from Chot Reyes.

“One of the main reasons I played sa Gilas kasi nalaman ko si Coach Chot [Reyes] ang coach dahil bata pa lang ako pangarap ko na maging coach yan,” said the 20-year-old Sotto.

“To be honest with you, coach was the first person to talk to me 10 years ago when I was just going into college. Just being here is a blessing,” added Clarkson, who first met Reyes back when he was still at University of Missouri.

It was just five years ago when Reyes released his ’23 for 2023′ pool filled with youngsters who he thinks will be ready come the World Cup.

Since then, the likes of Dwight Ramos, Thirdy Ravena, Juan Gomez de Liano, Robert Bolick, Isaac Go, and Carl Tamayo were able to be tapped by Reyes’ iteration of Gilas.

But of course, Sotto and Clarkson were the crown jewels.

“When they awarded the hosting rights to us in 2017 our chairman MVP [Manny V. Pangilinan] said, ‘Chot, you need to put up a list on players we can put for 2023’,” bared Reyes.

“On top of our list were Jordan and Kai Sotto. For us to have those two guys here, it’s huge. That was five years ago and now we have it here. We are just completing the plan.”

2023-FIBA-World-Cup-Asian-Qualifiers-Gilas-vs-Saudi-Arabia-Kai-Sotto-and-Jordan-Clarkson-6 Gilas' 2023 plan almost complete with Sotto, Clarkson, says Chot Reyes 2023 FIBA World Cup Basketball Gilas Pilipinas News  - philippine sports newsIn the two games they played together, Clarkson and Sotto showed magic on the court.

#ReadMore  PNVF: Thailand puts on masterclass vs PWNVT in first leg of International Challenge

Clarkson averaged 25.0 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.5 rebounds while Sotto normed 13.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks.

Reyes knew that the two would mesh. But what’s important for him to see was how they would play alongside their peers.

And it was mission accomplished for this window.

“Well, we have a lot of first-timers and it’s important for us to see those guys. Guys like Calvin [Oftana], Jamie [Malonzo], Roosevelt [Adams], and all of these guys and how Dwight and JC played together. That was very, very important. We were also able to test the versatility of the teams. Sometimes, we go big when we have Kai and Japeth [Aguilar] together. Sometimes, we go regular or we go small when we don’t have a real four guy,” he claimed.

The next time the world will see the Clarkson-Sotto duo will be the Worlds. And up until that time, the rest will have to prove that they can play with them.

Written By


You May Also Like

Basketball

There was never any doubt in Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone’s mind about Scottie Thompson’s potential on the international stage. Thompson, whose play...

Basketball

Despite coming off a concussion, Kai Sotto delivered a stellar performance, filling the stat sheet in Gilas Pilipinas’ landmark victory over New Zealand on...

Basketball

Nearly two years into his tenure with Gilas Pilipinas Men, Justin Brownlee has repeatedly proven that the Philippines’ success on the international basketball stage...

Basketball

Prior to the second window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers, Gilas Pilipinas Men’s head coach Tim Cone promised fans a highly motivated...

Basketball

After four lopsided defeats, Gilas Pilipinas finally cracked the Tall Blacks code. Kai Sotto and Justin Brownlee led the way as the Philippines secured...

Basketball

Gilas Pilipinas has kept the same lineup for its upcoming FIBA Asia Cup 2025 qualifier against New Zealand on Thursday, with Justin Brownlee once...

Basketball

Filipino-American big man Quentin Millora-Brown has made a significant impact so far in his one-and-done season with University of the Philippines in the UAAP...

Basketball

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas has officially appointed Alfrancis Chua as the program director and team manager for both the Gilas Pilipinas Boys’ and...

Advertisement