Fil-Americans Jordan Heading and Caelan Tiongson are the new reinforcement for Strong Group Athletics when it competes in the 43rd William Jones Cup slated July 13 to 21 in Taipei, Taiwan.

The 28-year-old Heading, who currently plays for NBL1’s West Adelaide Bearcats, will suit up for SGA once again after a bridesmaid finish in the 2024 Dubai International Basketball Championship last January. 

The 6-foot-2 spitfire put up impressive numbers in Dubai where he backed former NBA players Dwight Howard, Andre Roberson and Andray Blatche and some PH collegiate stars in Kevin Quiambao, Francis Escandor and JD Cagulangan and averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds.

Strong Group head coach Charles Tiu said Heading’s addition to the squad is a no-brainer, noting that the latter's presence will be vital for their campaign this year.

“Jordan (Heading) was an automatic choice for me once I found out he'd be available to play,” said Strong Group head coach Charles Tiu about Heading.

“We loved how he played for us in Dubai, and now he gets to go back to his original shooting guard spot to complement our point guards,” he added. 

Aside from Heading, Tiongson, a former Alab Pilipinas, is now set to bring his talent in the PBA according to Tiu.

“I’ve been in touch with Caelan for a while, helping him figure out his next moves before joining the PBA Draft. We figured this would be a great opportunity for him to remind people how good he is,” said Tiu.

Before entering the PBA draft, the 6-foot-4 Tiongson will showcase his skills against elite teams and clubs.
Tiu and coach Rajko Toroman will be at the helm of SGA, aiming to break the five-year title drought of a PH team in the tilt.

PBA’s Rain or Shine Elasto Painters previously bannered the Nationals in last year’s edition and finished fifth place.