No Ravena or Amer in Smart Gilas

Straight from Coach Toroman's mouth, via a GMA News report:

“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.

“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

Toss in the fact that the chance of either making it to the final, PBA-reinforced roster that we're sending to the FIBA qualifying tournament is extremely tiny and the whole idea of Kiefer Ravena and Baser Amer being on the squad seems more ridiculous. 

Remember, it was not Toroman who said that they ought to be on the PBA roster. That was SBP vice-chairman Ricky Vargas. We never really got the sense that Toroman wanted either of them, so it's good that he comes out now and quashes this line of thinking before the summer collegiate preseason tournaments get underway, so that both Ravena and Amer can concentrate on practicing with their respective teams.

Ravena, Amer to the PBA?

Here's something unexpected, should the Smart Gilas team be allowed to play in the upcoming PBA conference, the squad could see the addition of two incoming freshmen, Kiefer Ravena and Baser Amer. From the Philippine Star:

"Straight from high school, Kiefer Ravena and Amer Baser would jump straight to pro play should the PBA board allow Smart Gilas’ to take over Barako Bull’s slot in the second conference.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas vice chairman Ricky Vargas said they intend to include the two Phl Youth standouts in the men’s training pool they hope will be allowed to play as guest team in the PBA reinforced tourney.

Ravena and Baser have just completed their eligibility in high school ball with Ateneo and San Beda, respectively.

If ever, they would be the first players to play in the PBA straight from high school since Terry Saldana of Letran."

Patricia Hizon wrote in her blog that the second tournament would be single-elimination and last from February 20 to about May 15. Right now, Gilas is lobbying to be included in the third tournament as well, which would last from about May 20 to around August 19.

One might immediately think that this would undoubtedly improve the two players' games, having to play against professionals (and imports, given that the next two conferences would be import-laden), but past exposure has shown that such is not the case. Despite much trumpeting, Magi Sison and JR Cawaling's games didn't show a lot of improvement from being included in Smart Gilas, due to the fact that the system they run there is quite different from what their college coaches run. And being included on the squads is a lot different from getting actual playing time. I find it hard to see either of the two dislodging JV Casio, Chris Tiu or Mark Barroca, to be specific.

Furthermore, this might even hurt the two players as it means their summer practice with their respective schools will be shortened, or they will feel more tired, having to shuttle back and forth between the PBA and tournaments like the Fil-Oil Preseason Tournament.

Looking ahead, should Gilas get the nod to play for the third conference this year, that means both will miss the first month of their respective collegiate tournaments. Then, should either of them get the nod to play in the Olympic qualifiers, that might mean that they might strongly consider red-shirting their freshman years, due to the large number of absences they will incur. I would imagine there would be quite a few fans in red and blue in uproar over that.

Finally, wouldn't the national team be better off including some of the country's up and coming big men like Arnold Van Opstal, Ray Ray Parks or Brian Organ, considering how the Gilas squad seems to struggle against the big men of opposing teams?

While it is an honor to play for one's national team, it entails a lot of sacrifices, and we'll have to see if the two are willing to make them.

EDITED TO ADD:

Executive Director of SBP Noli Eala tweeted the following this morning:

"Plan to tap HS stars Keiffer n Amer to play 4 Gilas in PBA is gud n well-meaning altho I honestly doubt if it w/ help Gilas at ths time."[sic]

"More importantly, I wonder what d UAAP n NCAA have to say abt this. Hope d 2 boys got the nod to play or they may get into trouble w/ rules."

 I personally think the nod from the collegiate leagues is a given, but the fact that we're asking the question in the first place ought to make people wonder if this is really such a good idea.

Kiefer Ravena: The Decision

Image courtesy of GMA News online

Is he or isn't he? Will he or won't he?

Despite Chot Reyes' Tweets, there is still some doubt in the air, as to whether or not Kiefer Ravena will be donning Ateneo blue in Season 74 of the UAAP.

Ateneo's Athletics Director, Ricky Palou, told the Philippine Star earlier today that:

"Yes, he is with Ateneo...He’s been actually working out with the team for the last couple of months already"

In the same article though, he also added:

"We’re confident he’ll come to Ateneo...It is our understanding that if he stays in the Philippines and there are no offers abroad, he’ll play for Ateneo."

Parsing his statements though, it is no guarantee that a player will wind up with the Blue Eagles in spite of months of training with them. For one, no formal agreement can be worked out until the student has graduated and enrolled. Another thing to consider is that Coach Norman Black has open training sessions, meaning any prospective recruit can work out with the Eagles at any time. This philosophy can easily give rise to rumors. For example, last season, many speculated that De La Salle Zobel point guard Nico Elorde would be Ateneo-bound, after seeing him in practice with the Eagles. He would later wind up at DLSU.

The fact that Palou couched his statement as "We're confident..." and "It is our understanding..." means it is not 100% sure yet.

This indecision was further strengthened in a later GMA News report found online, in which Ravena's father, former PBA standout Bong Ravena, issued a statement saying:

“Kiefer will make the announcement this week"

Which may give some hoops fans flashbacks to "The Decision" brouhaha that entangled NBA star Lebron James last summer.

Other nuggets of information from that article include Reyes' confirmation that he was in fact talking about Ravena in his Tweets, if there was any doubt (Reyes says "he got the news from a very reliable source from Ateneo"), and Palou clarifying that the school had a "verbal commitment" from Ravena about playing in Ateneo should there not be any foreign overtures, last October.

In addition to practicing with the Eagles, Ravena is also making appearances at the Smart Gilas practices, along with another standout incoming freshman, San Beda High School's Baser Amer, who is expected to stay at home as well.