Strong Group-Pilipinas has bolstered its lineup for the 44th William Jones Cup by tapping two reinforcements from the Asian basketball circuit.
Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters forward Javi Gomez de Liaño and Ulaanbaatar Xac guard Ian Miller have been enlisted by the defending champions for the tournament set from July 12 to 20 at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City, Taiwan.
“These are excellent additions to our team,” said head coach Charles Tiu. “Javi and Ian bring high-level experience and versatility. They’ll really complement the core group we already have.”
Gomez de Liaño, 26, is entering his second season in the Korean Basketball League with Anyang. In his debut campaign, the 6-foot-5 swingman posted averages of 8.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and shot 41.7% from three.
“Javi and I go way back. He played for me during the 2019 Dubai tournament with Mighty Sports, so it’s great to reunite with him,” Tiu added. “I know what he brings to the table — toughness, shooting, and professionalism.”
Miller, meanwhile, is a proven scorer who recently stood out in the Basketball Champions League Asia.
The 6-foot-3 American was named MVP of the BCL Asia-East division, averaging 17.9 points on 44.1% shooting, alongside 2.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists.
“He’s coming off an impressive run in BCL Asia, so we’re excited to bring that firepower to our backcourt,” said Tiu.
Gomez de Liano and Miller will join a stacked Strong Group roster that includes Andre Roberson, Kiefer Ravena, Jason Brickman, Dave Ildefonso, Rhenz Abando, Angelo Kouame, Geo Chiu, DJ Fenner, Tajuan Agee, and Allen Liwag.
Strong Group is scheduled to play eight games in eight days as they look to defend their Jones Cup title.
The Athletics will kick off its campaign on July 13 against Chinese-Taipei A, followed by matchups versus Japan’s Under-25 team, Qatar, Australia, Chinese-Taipei B, Malaysia, Bahrain, and UAE.
