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Thirdy Ravena, Ray Parks beef up young Gilas core for Asia Cup

Sports | Basketball

Thirdy Ravena, Ray Parks beef up young Gilas core for Asia Cup

By Reynald I. Magallon

Thirdy Ravena (left) and Ray Parks (B.League photos)

B.League imports Thirdy Ravena and Ray Parks are back in the fold along with TNT big man JP Erram to beef up Gilas Pilipinas for the FIBA Asia Cup 2022 in Jakarta, Indonesia from July 12 to 24.

The trio will be reinforcing the young Gilas core that saw action in the third window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers earlier this month.

Kiefer Ravena and Korea-bound guards SJ Belangel and RJ Abarrientos remain with the crew along with Gilas mainstays Dwight Ramos and Will Navarro. Completing the cast for the continental showpiece are big men Carl Tamayo, Geo Chiu and Kevin Quiambao, and young gun Francis Lopez.

Dave Ildefonso, who missed Gilas’ final game in the third window against India due to a knee injury, and Letran star Rhenz Abando were the final cuts in the roster.

Still reeling from the 31st Southeast Asian Games debacle where Gilas saw its 33-year reign in the biennial meet come to a close after falling to Indonesia, 85-81, in the finals and settling for the silver, Gilas’ “redeem team” is set to get a major boost with the addition of Thirdy and Parks.

The younger Ravena missed the third window of the qualifiers but was a vital cog in the second after averaging 19 points in two games while Parks is making a Gilas comeback after last donning the national tri-colors back in 2017 in the 29th SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur. He averaged 10.6 points on a 38 percent shooting clip from beyond the arc with the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins in Japan.

Erram, on the other hand, is the lone PBA call-up to aid an injury-plagued Gilas frontline that has naturalized center Ange Kouame on the sidelines due to a meniscal sprain and partial ACL tear on his knee.

Gilas will be coached by Chot Reyes, with Nenad Vucinic, Jong Uichico and Sandro Soriano as his deputies.

Related Tags

Ray Parks Jr. FIBA Asia Cup gilas pilipinas Thirdy Ravena

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