TAIPEI – Ryan Reyes and Ranidel de Ocampo were relegated to the reserve list of Powerade Team Pilipinas, which journeys to Tianjin, China next month in chase of a slot for the 2010 World Championship in Turkey.
Reyes is out due to a hamstring injury while De Ocampo failed to make the roster as the coaching staff considered him undersized for the forward position.
Making the RP roster for the 2009 FIBA-Asia championship set Aug. 6-16 in Tianjin are Asi Taulava, Mick Pennisi, Japeth Aguilar, Sonny Thoss, Kerby Raymundo, Arwind Santos, Jarred Dillinger, Gabe Norwood, Cyrus Baguio, James Yap, Willie Miller and Jayjay Helterbrand.
Reyes would have been a shoo-in for one of the point guard spots but the prized Sta. Lucia playmaker himself told the coaching staff Wednesday he might not be 100 percent healthy by the time the Tianjin joust is held.
De Ocampo, meanwhile, was bumped off by much bigger front court players in Taulava, Thoss, Pennisi, Aguilar and Raymundo. He’s relegated as a reserve as what had happened to him in the 2007 Asian meet in Tokushima.
Coach Yeng Guiao announced the final composition of the team after a breakfast talk with team manager JB Baylon and PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios yesterday.
“I asked the consensus of the coaching staff, including coach Jong (Uichico). It wasn’t really difficult to come up with the decision,” said Guiao.
“I would have preferred for Ryan to be in the team but he himself admitted he won’t be 100 percent ready by Tianjin. It’s good to have somebody who’s healthy rather than take the risk on somebody who’s injured,” Guiao added.
“It’s not a matter of two players playing or performing less. It’s just we have to name 12. If we can name 14, we’ll name all them to the team,” said Barrios.
Baylon said Reyes and De Ocampo will go to Tianjin with the team.
“In case there’s an injury in the team, we’re still allowed to replace any injured player three days before the tournament. It’s always a possibility and if anybody gets injured, the next guy likely to come in is Ranidel,” said Guiao.
If Reyes mends in time, Guiao said he would automatically be tapped in.
“Once he feels he’s okay, we’ll find a way to include him. We really need him in the team.” said Guiao, pointing out Helterbrand is the only natural point guard left in the team minus Reyes.
Meanwhile, the Nationals play their penultimate game in the 31st William Jones Cup competition versus Chinese Taipei-B at 3 p.m. today at the Hsinchuang Gymnasium here.
Guiao and his chargers are cramming in their training and preparation with less than two weeks to go before the opening of the Asian championship which serves as the regional qualifier for the 2010 world meet.
They close out their stint versus Iran tomorrow then leave for home Monday. They resume practice the very next day.
“We’ll not have much change in the system. We just have to improve our defense, physical condition and do extensive shooting practice,” said Guiao.
NOTES: James Yap flew home ahead of the team yesterday to be with his wife Kris who is attending to her ailing mom, former President Cory Aquino. Yap left with a sore nape incurred in a collision with a Kazakhstan rival Monday. “I thought of Eugene Tejada when I was hit,” said Yap... The RP team is looking to offer a mass for President Cory. At press time, PBA media bureau chief Willy Marcial was in search of a Filipino priest here to say mass.