With the 2017 SEABA Championship just 14 days away, Chooks Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes, together with Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executives Al Panlilio and Butch Antonio and PBA officials, announced the 12-man line-up that will compete in the region’s sole qualifier for the 2017 FIBA Asia Championship, Friday night at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena, Quezon.
The announcement was held right after Gilas Pilipinas’ 122-111 triumph over the Luzon All Stars.
“This is not the Final 12, this is just the the SEABA 12,” Reyes said.
Key returnees headline the cast, as Andray Blatche; three-time PBA Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo of the San Miguel Beermen; Gilas original Japeth Aguilar of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel; four-time Best Player of the Conference Jayson Castro of TNT Katropa; five-time All-Star Calvin Abueva of the Alaska Aces; and two-time scoring champion Terrence Romeo of the Globalport Batang Pier have been named to lead this batch of Gilas.
Last season’s runner-up to the Rookie of the Year race and the 26th man in the pool Troy Rosario was also named to the team, together with Rain or Shine Elasto Painter big man Raymond Almazan and recently crowned three-point shootout champion Allein Maliksi.
Rookies Matthew Wright of Phoenix, Roger Pogoy of TNT Katropa, and Jiovani Jalalon of Star finish up the 12.
The 2017 SEABA Championship will begin on Friday, May 12, at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
