Toroman: No Kiefer, Baser in Gilas’ PBA stint

Kiefer Ravena and Baser Amer, two of the country’s most talented players from the high school ranks, may not be able to get their historic moment of playing in the Philippine Basketball Association for now. Pilipinas-Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman told GMA News that he’s not keen on tapping the services of the two high school standouts for the upcoming Commissioner’s Cup. “We may not have problems from their respective schools once we make the request, but we will definitely encounter problems from the collegiate leagues, which they will play for this year," said Toroman in a telephone interview. Toroman’s comments came on the heels of Ricky Palou’s statement that Ateneo is willing to lend the 5-foot-11 incoming freshman Ravena to Pilipinas-Smart Gilas’ PBA campaign. “Bakit naman natin hindi papayagan si Kiefer? All they have to do is make a request," said Palou. But Toroman doesn’t want to take a gamble, especially now that all the national developmental team’s games are played with a bearing on the standings: “It’s a short tournament, and we need to win as many games as possible. Our campaign in the PBA will be tough, so I don’t want to take a gamble," added Toroman, the mentor who led Iran to the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship crown that eventually qualified the country to compete in the basketball tournament of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Ravena, son of former PBA star and now Talk N Text assistant team manager Bong Ravena, is an incoming rookie for the four-peat-seeking Ateneo Blue Eagles. The younger Ravena led the Ateneo Eagles to a Grand Slam in the UAAP juniors basketball tournament late last year, making him one of the most sought-after high school players in the nation. Amer is also a hot commodity, having led the San Beda Red Cubs to a title in the NCAA. But instead of tapping these promising young turks, the veteran mentor wants to focus more on preparing his squad's core for the bigger battles ahead in the pro league. “It will definitely be a problem for us facing teams like Talk N Text, San Miguel, B-Meg Derby Ace, Alaska and Ginebra," said Toroman. “We need to pick up wins quickly." - KY, GMA News