Banged up Gilas' FIBA Asia rivals get stronger

Bad news for the banged up Smart-Gilas squad, its opponents in the FIBA Asia Club Championships have become stronger and better. Defending champion Mahram of Iran will be parading a formidable line up bannered by NBA veterans Jackson Vroman (6-foot-10) and Loren Woods (7-foot-2). The duo is expected to pose problems to other participating teams in Doha, Qatar. Vroman has played for the Phoenix Suns and the New Orleans Hornets while Woods suited up for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings. Both players then transferred to the European League where they played for several teams before joining the Iranian Super League. Al Riyadi, which won the Arab Club Championships recently, will be led by former San Miguel Beer import Nate Johnson, NBA veteran Joseph Vogel, holdover guards Ali Mahmoud and Omar El Turk and former Smart-Gilas import CJ Giles. As if that was not enough, Al Riyadi is reportedly bringing in Lebanon’s scoring sensation Fadi El Khatib. And then, there’s Jordan’s ASU Sports Club, which also tabbed a legit NBA veteran in Nigerian big man Oyedeji Olumide, described as an athletic 6-foot-10 center that can run, jump and play physical. Olumide has won every slam dunk contest he has entered and played as a pro in basketball leagues in Russia, Germany, Greece, Kuwait, Puerto Rico, South Korea and China for several years. He was the Seattle Supersonics’ second-round draft choice in 2000. ASU also has signed James Williams, a 6-foot-8 forward from Brown Mackie, to team up with Olumide. While the other teams beefed-up their respective roster, Smart-Gilas is reeling with injuries from its key personnel. Chris Tiu, Mac Baracael, JR Cawaling, and guards JV Casio and Mario Lassiter have been laying hurt. Casio and Lassiter will miss the entire tournament because of knee injuries. Taking Casio and Lassiter’s place is Filipino-American guard Chris Lutz from Marshall University. The National team aspirants, however, avoided an early meeting with Jordan and Lebanon. They are grouped with defending champion Iran, Kazakhstan, Iraq and host Qatar ASU is joined at Group B with Syria’s Al Jalaa, An Nasr of UAE, Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal and Al Riyadi of Lebanon. Host Qatar, represented by Rayyan, will be reinforced by seven-foot former UCLA Bruin Michael Fey and NBDL standout guard Craig Windler. Windler has averaged 16 points, 5.4 rebounds and two assists per game while playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Priest Lauderdale, who was a curious footnote for PBA teams which failed to secure his services, will be playing for Iraq’s squad Duhok. The 7-foot-4 Lauderdale will be paired with 5-foot-11 guard Calvin Cage of Buffalo. – JVP/Rey Joble, GMANews.TV