By Bohol Chronicle
The Philippines has dominated the
Southeast Asian Games' men's basketball competition, where it has won 14 of the 15 times the event was played in the biennial sporting conclave. he Philippines only lost the gold medal once, back in 1989 when host Malaysia topped the competitions.
That is why multi-titled coach Norman Black doesn't want to become the second Philippine team mentor that failed to win the gold.
There were also two other times (off court) that the Philippines didn't win a gold medal in men's basketball, but that was because basketball wasn't in the calendar of events.
The country was suspended by FIBA when it hosted the SEA Games in 2005, while the absence of a suitable basketball venue prompted Laos to drop the event in 2009.
The national men's basketball team to the 2011 SEA Games will be composed mostly of collegiate standouts. Black, who has won in all fronts of local basketball from the collegiate to the professional ranks, will handle the national team for the first time since an all-pro squad competed in Hiroshima for the 1994 Asian Games.
Black wants to form a running team and said that he wants to inject his system as early as possible since some of the players are still playing for their schools.
A total of 16 players participated in the first of a series of tryouts for the national team. The notables include Smart Gilas players Japeth Aguilar, Greg Slaughter and Aldrech Ramos, and collegiate standouts UAAP Most Valuable Player RR Garcia of Far Eastern University, and San Sebastian's Calvin Abueva and Ian Sangalang.
Black said that he expects a good turnout in the next few days that might include Chris Tiu, who has already expressed interest to join the SEAG-bound team.
Also expected to participate in the SEA Games tryouts is Fil-Am Chris Newsome, a 6-foot-2 guard from New Mexico.Newsome, born to an American father and a Filipina mother, is expected to suit up for Ateneo when he finishes his residency in two years.
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