Coach Jong Uichico is embracing the challenge of mentoring and preparing a young Gilas Pilipinas crew for the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers’ second window, slated later this November in Manama, Bahrain.
The decorated bench tactician has the task of steering the national team in the upcoming meet. This marks his return to the helm since leading Gilas to a gold medal finish in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.
“It’s a welcome challenge,” he said in a presser Thursday. “It’s something new, but it’s always welcome — the challenge.
“And we’re trying to do the best we can in trying to make them ready for the international game.”
Uichico, also currently the head of the SBP’s Coaches Academy, feels more used to handling professional players for the Philippine team. Take for example the 2002 Asian Games team.
That squad he coached in 2017, however, mainly had Cadets. All of them, though — except for Kobe Paras — were already playing in the pro ranks.
Paras is still part of the current pool, but much has changed since Uichico was last at the helm. The pool is now made up of amateur and collegiate players, including some with little to no experience on the international stage.
The pool has Isaac Go, the Nieto twins, Rey Suerte, Allyn Bulanadi, Jaydee Tungcab, the Gomez de Liaño brothers, Dwight Ramos, Justine Baltazar, Dave Ildefonso, Angelo Kouame, Will Navarro, Calvin Oftana, and Kemark Carino.
But then, Uichico, who handled the men’s cage team in the 2002 Asian Games, refuses to back down on the challenge. The key, he said, is making things simple for the young ones to adapt the best that they can.
“They’re young, they’re inexperienced, as Coach Tab [Baldwin] said; that’s why we’re trying to keep things as simple as possible — things that they can comprehend and execute the best way they can.
“It’s an adjustment for me because you need more teaching, but not making things too complicated,” added Uichico, who has SBP program director Tab Baldwin, Boyet Fernandez, and Alton Lister on his coaching staff.
The good thing about the players, he said. is that all are willing to put in the work. Now, the focus is on building chemistry, since they will be banking on it for the tilt that will run from Nov. 27-30 through a bubble set-up.
“The young players are willing learners and they’re hard-workers, so that’s something positive that we can look forward to. They have energy, which is also something positive that we can look forward to,” the two-time PBA Coach of the Year said.
“We hope we can get that chemistry as soon as possible. We have a few more practices today, tomorrow, and the next day before we leave on Sunday. And then we will have a few more practices before our first game,” he continued.
“Hopefully we will all be ready for our first game.”
