No junket. That’s the word from coach Joseph Uichico as the Philippine national team leaves tonight for Italy to play four games against beefy European squads in preparation for the Asian Games in Busan this September. It'll be all work and no play for the national squad in the 10-day trip. Uichico has scheduled daily three-hour workouts, even on game days. The Philippine team makes its debut against Italy in an exhibition organized by Travelproviders, a Milan-based Filipino travel agency, at the Palalido Milano on June 2.
From Milan, the Filipinos drive to Sondrio, about two hours away, site of the three-day, four-nation Selecta RP-Euro Basketball Challenge. The Philippines plays Latvia on June 3, Italy on June 4, and Ukraine on June 5.
Delegation head is Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) executive director Sonny Barrios. Also in the delegation are project director Carlos (Bobong) Velez and Yanga.
Uichico will be joined by his assistants Allan Caidic, Eric Altamirano, and Binky Favis in the trip. The players are Jeffrey Cariaso, Kenneth Duremdes, Dennis Espino, Boyet Fernandez, Rudy Hatfield, Dondon Hontiveros, Danny Ildefonso, Chris Jackson, Eric Menk, Mick Pennisi, Olsen Racela, Andy Seigle, Danny Seigle, and Asi Taulava.
Uichico said Noy Castillo, listed in the Fighting 15, will not leave because he has to stay home for his twice-a-day therapy for an injured toe--the same ailment that forced Shaquille O'Neal to sit out several games during the National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season.
Uichico told The Star yesterday the trip is a positive development for the team.
"First, it's our only exposure to international competition before the Asian Games—we need this experience," he said. "Second, we'll get a taste of what foreign officiating is like. We're getting used to FIBA rules but we know there are different interpretations of situations during a game. Third, we'll play on hostile territory—we should get used to it and not just play on our homecourt. Fourth, it's good for the players to be together abroad so they can bond. And fifth, we'll get to see how far we've gone in our preparations, how far we still have to go. We're getting ready for the PBA Second Conference where we will make our adjustments before playing in Busan. So the Italy trip will be a gauge for us in assessing our situation," he said.
Uichico said Ildefonso and Andy Seigle are day-to-day for the Italy games.
Trainer Dondi Narciso will supervise their therapy during the trip. Ildefonso, nursing an injured foot, is back at practice but isn't at full strength. Seigle's back continues to hurt and Uichico said if the pain doesn't subside, he will rest the 6-8 center until the Second Conference.
The competition in Milan and Sondrio will be stiff and Uichico knows it.
The experience will come in handy in Busan as contenders like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and even defending champion China play a style similar to the Eastern Europeans who are not as athletic as American players but are big and technically sound.
Italy, the 1999 European champion, is bannered by 6-5 Michele Mian and 6-7 Alessandro Tonolli who led the national team to fifth place at the Sydney Olympics. Coach Carlo Recalcati will also count on 6-6 Alex Righetti, 6-9 Massimiliano Monti, and 6-7 Walter Santarossa.
Latvia , a two-time European titleholder, is led by 6-6 scoring machine Ainars (The Rifle) Bagatskis who has played as an import in France and Poland. Other stars in coach Armands Kraulin's roster are 6-7 Edgar Sneps, 6-3 Sandis Buskevics, 6-7 Arnis Vecvargas, and Latvian-American Bruno Petersons of Wright State.
Ukraine's stalwarts include 6-1 Alexander Raevsij (voted the country's No. 1 point guard last year), 6-11 Stanislav Balashov who plays like Germany's Dirk Nowtizki, and deadly outside shooter 6-3 offguard Andrei Lebedev.