RP basketball team faces acid test vs Puerto Rico

MANILA, Philippines - Yeng Guiao, the fiery Philippine men’s basketball team mentor, is bracing for his squad’s first acid test when a cracked group from the Puerto Rican League plays against the Filipinos in an exhibition match late this month. How ready the RP quintet is? Guiao remains clueless. “I really don’t know at this stage if we’re ready and primed to play in the international tournament. Like I’ve said, we had a difficult time with the schedules of the other members of the RP team. But we have installed at least five patterns in our last few practices so maski paano may ipakikita tayo sa Puerto Rican team," Guiao told GMANews.TV. Several members of the team like Ranidel de Ocampo and Jared Dillinger of Talk N Text and Willie Miller and Sonny Thoss of Alaska have yet to join the RP squad’s practices because their team is still competing in the finals of the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup. But Guiao managed to squeeze the bets out of his remaining talents. Guiao is also contemplating on tapping any from Japeth Aguilar or Rabeh Al-Hussaini to get additional size in the absence of a naturalized import player. “That’s a possibility," said Guiao. “I’m very pleased with the way Al-Hussaini played in the two games with the Smart Gilas squad." Guiao’s only apprehension with Al-Hussaini is his game, which is designed solely inside the paint. “Al-Hussaini’s game is perfect for big men in our own standard, but might not be good enough in the international level. Dito sa atin, effective siya, his size is enough and capable of dominating the paint. But when you play internationally, parang maliit siya for his game and that’s my apprehension," said Guiao. The multi-titled mentor and new coach of Burger King welcomes the arrival of the 6-8 Aguilar, who has become one of the most potential Fil-Am players. He is currently playing for the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers in the US NCAA, but has saw action in limited minutes due to a sprained ankle. “We haven’t seen Japeth much as his minutes had gone down in Western Kentucky after suffering an injury," said Guiao. Japeth is expected to come here in the Philippines to tryout with the RP team this summer. “I didn’t give him or his father - former Ginebra player Peter Aguilar - an assurance," said Guiao on Aguilar. “But we will see what he can do. I’m sure, he and Al-Hussaini have tremendous potentials of making it to the team." - GMANews.TV