Quotients could decide advancers

SEVILLE – Two wins in the group stage won’t guarantee elevation to the knockout round-of-16 at the FIBA World Cup that started yesterday in Spain. Six teams are playing a round-robin in four groups in different Spanish cities, meaning a schedule of five games for each. The top four qualify for the next round and the last two go home.

Ordinarily, two wins will be enough to advance the top four with the last placer winless and the fifth finisher with only one victory over the doormat. But there was a case at the 2010 FIBA World Cup in Turkey where Germany had a 2-3 record in the group stage and was eliminated. Also in Turkey, China won only once in five games yet booked a ticket to the second round.

Germany and Angola tied with identical 2-3 records in Group A where Serbia and Argentina were both 4-1, Australia 3-2 and Jordan 0-5. Since Angola beat Germany 92-88 in overtime, the African champion advanced by virtue of the winner-over-the-other rule. So despite two wins, Germany went out the door. In Group C, Turkey went 5-0, Russia 4-1, Greece 3-2 and China, Puerto Rico and the Ivory Coast wound up with 1-4 marks. To break the logjam, quotients were used. China advanced with a superior quotient of 1.0127 (points for over points against) compared to Puerto Rico’s 0.9939 and the Ivory Coast’s 0.99938.

In this Andalucia capital city, the Philippines is bracketed with Croatia, Greece, Argentina, Puerto Rico and Senegal. Gilas head coach Chot Reyes hopes to score at least one upset before playing Senegal in its final Group B outing on Sept. 4. If the Philippines beats Senegal and finishes with two wins, the chances are it will advance but as in the case of Germany in Turkey, two wins do not guarantee a ticket to ride. Quotients will decide the fate of teams that are tied for fourth place. Three wins will be safe but that’s a tall order for Gilas. Just to win twice would be a monumental accomplishment.

Marc Stein, predicting the order of finish in his World Cup power rankings on espn.go.com, picked four Group B contenders to end up in the top 15 – No. 5 Greece, No. 9 Argentina, No. 10 Croatia and No. 14 Puerto Rico. Stein pegged the Philippines at No. 20 over No. 21 Dominican Republic, No. 22 Angola, No. 23 Senegal and No. 24 Egypt.

“Whether or not (Andray) Blatche and company even win a game in Group B along the way, Filipinos everywhere will rejoice in the fact that their Gilas are back where they’ve longed to be,” wrote Stein. “Back at the adult table of world basketball. The more significant story here is that the hoops-mad Philippines – where roundball is religion just like it is in Lithuania – has qualified for its first major tournament since 1978.”

In the World Cup guide published by the Spanish sports daily Marca, writer Tolo Jaraba said Blatche’s arrival is a big boost for Gilas. “We need height,” said Reyes quoted by Jaraba. “Our team is the shortest in Asia.” Jaraba said the Philippines is expected to play at full velocity and noted the presence of consultant Tab Baldwin and the emergence of Japeth Aguilar as added positives. He said Reyes’ probable starters are Blatche, Gabe Norwood, Jeff Chan, L. A. Tenorio and Aguilar.  Gigantes del Basket, a Spanish monthly magazine, singled out Jimmy Alapag, Chan, Ranidel de Ocampo, Jayson Castro, Norwood and Blatche as Gilas’ key players. There was mention of Norwood as a defensive specialist. “The Philippines is possibly the one country in the world where there is most passion for basketball,” said Gigantes. “Their group is difficult and it will take an authentic miracle for the Philippines to advance. But the miracle may seem possible with thousands of fans in the stands and the NBA player Blatche.”

Gilas logistics manager Andrew Teh said the earliest the national team will leave Spain for Manila is Sept. 6 assuming it fails to advance to the second round. If Gilas qualifies for the round-of-16 as Group B No. 4, it will face Group A No. 1 in the knockout round-of-16 on Sept. 6 in Madrid. “Nothing is certain,” said Teh. “We will wait how Gilas does then make the travel arrangements.”

Teh arrived here last Friday night with a group of 70 Filipinos. Teh and SBP deputy executive director Butch Antonio came in from Doha where they were with the Philippine team coached by Jamike Jarin at the FIBA Asia U18 Championships. PBA commissioner Chito Salud, PBA media bureau chief Willie Marcial and Excite Events CEO Gelo Serrano came from a brief trip to Dubai before flying to Madrid. Another batch, including Rep. Robbie Puno, incoming PBA chairman Patrick Gregorio, former Department of Justice Undersecretary Aristotle Batuhan, Jean Henri Lhuillier, tennis coach Jun Toledo, Dudo Vaca and winners of fly-to-Spain contests conducted by Master, Milo, Foton, Max’s and TV5’s Moneyball, logged over 27 hours in leaving Manila to end up here via Dubai and Madrid. The hook-up point was the Atocha station in Madrid where the Filipinos boarded a high-speed train to Seville.

A group of 40 will arrive here on Tuesday led by Teh’s assistant Maureen Tan. The group will include former PBA chairman Mon Segismundo and members of the PBA Board of Governors, including Robert Non, Alfrancis Chua, Rene Pardo and Lito Alvarez. PLDT chairman/SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan left Manila last Sunday and arrived here from Berlin where he had a business meeting. Also here are Maynilad president/SBP vice chairman Ricky Vargas, Metro Pacific Tollways CEO Ramoncito Fernandez, Meralco senior vice president Al Panlilio and SBP executive director Sonny Barrios.

Barrios, Antonio and Teh will attend a seminar on Sept. 12-15 in Madrid where FIBA is conferring with representatives of countries bidding for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.