Collegiate stars Jerom Lastimosa of Adamson and Schonny Winston of La Salle had just been added to the Gilas Pilipinas pool as the training resumes on Monday.
Lastimosa, the top gun and playmaker of the Falcons, and Winston, the explosive swingman of the Green Archers, will inject new blood to the training team preparing for the sixth and final window of FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers to be held at the 55,000-seater Philippine Arena.
The Philippines will take on Lebanon on 24 February, 6 p.m. in a much-awaited return bout.
Lebanon defeated the Jordan Clarkson-powered Gilas in Beirut, 85-81, on 26 August last year during the fourth window.
Gilas also take on Jordan on 27 February, 6 p.m. for their final game in the windows.
Another new inclusion in the pool is 6-foot-7 Mason Amos, a Fil-Aussie junior player.
These new players will join in the training team the holdovers led by Justin Brownlee, the three-time best import in the Philippine Basketball Association who has just obtained his Philippine citizenship.
Barangay Ginebra teammate and reigning Most Valuable Player Scottie Thompson will also suit up along with Jamie Malonzo and Japeth Aguilar, Roger Pogoy and Calvin Oftana of TNT, June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez of San Miguel Beer, Arvin Tolentino of NorthPort, Chris Newsome and Raymond Almazan of Meralco.
Also included in the fold are Japan B. League stalwarts Dwight Ramos, Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena and Ray Parks, National Basketball League Australia player Kai Sotto, and young stars Carl Tamayo, Kevin Quiambao of La Salle and Francis Lopez and the team’s other naturalized player Ange Kouame.
Jordan Heading, the lefty player who previously played Gilas when the team was being handled by Tab Baldwin, is also returning to the program.
