Baldwin not keen in tapping college players for Gilas

MANILA, Philippines -- Even though a number of training pool members have skipped Gilas Pilipinas’ practices the past weeks, national coach Tab Baldwin said chances of opening the door for collegiate standouts to join them every Monday is not the main option.

On Monday, big men Greg Slaughter, Ian Sangalang, Ranidel de Ocampo and guards Paul Lee and Marcio Lassiter didn’t join the practice for various reasons.

“We’ll see (if they will invite college players to join Gilas practice). Probably next week, I don’t know, I doubt it. We have to determine whether that’s gonna be something that’s gonna benefit our practices or whether it’s gonna be something that causes more guys to go sit down on the sideline because they think we have extra bodies here,” said Baldwin, who worked with the remaining warm bodies in the Gilas national pool led by two-time PBA Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo and Jayson Castro of Talk ‘N Text.

The veteran international coach made it clear that the once-a-week Gilas training had one clear goal--that of preparing the national team for the Olympic Qualifying tournament set in July next year.

“So I have to think that through. We’re not here to train college players. We’re here to train players that we believe would be playing in July next year. So where we think we might have a need, we might do that but just to increase the numbers, no,” stressed the American-Kiwi coach.

Last week, UAAP MVP Kiefer Ravena joined the Gilas practice.

Meanwhile, Baldwin said absences from some members of the pool are expected from time to time. However, he stressed that practicing without some of the bigs and the guards can be a hindrance for them to improve as a unit.

“It’s difficult for us to really improve as a basketball team when we have so many guys sitting on the sidelines. It’s the way it is with these Monday trainings and we can’t avoid that,” Baldwin said, who was recently named head coach of the Ateneo Blue Eagles.

“People shouldn’t, as I’ve said before, they shouldn’t get too excited about how much we’re gonna progress and they shouldn’t feel like these Monday trainings are gonna be the difference for this Gilas team. They’re not. They’re allowing us to take baby steps forward but only that.”

The Philippines is gunning for a historic return to the Olympics since the last national team bannered by William Adornado, Danny Florencio, Jimmy Mariano and Freddie Webb placed 13th in the 1972 edition in Munich, Germany.