STRONG Group coach Charles Tiu knows winning a third straight William Jones Cup championship will not be easy as the Philippine-based team faces a number of serious title contenders in the tournament this year.
To boost the team’s chances, Tiu has put together a veteran-laden roster with the backing of Strong Group big boss Frank Lao.
Strong Group begins its title retention campaign on Friday in Taipei City against Korean squad Wongju DP Promy.
Leading the charge for Strong Group are NBA veteran Boban Marjanovic, returning import Tajuan Agee and Puerto Rican Isaiah Piñeiro.
“I think this year, the tournament is much tougher. There’s a Korean team also. You’ve got the Jordan national team, UC Irvine, the college team with the 7”9 dude. So, interesting pool of teams now,” Tiu said in a recent interview.
“The format, it’s a different format. We’re in groups of four. And our group is a bit of a tougher group. Tougher but still exciting. We should be up for the task and hopefully we can compete and represent the country,” he added.
Before the squad’s departure for Taiwan, Tiu managed to get some help from former many-time Gilas Pilipinas guard Kiefer Ravena, who showed up in one of Strong Group’s practices.
“Kiefer wanted to help us out. It’s great to have him with us there. I truly wish he would’ve been able to play but unfortunately not this year. But he’s such a big boost to the team, just his presence,” said Tiu.
Other than the three foreign reinforcements, Strong Group will also lean on returning locals Dave Ildefonso, DJ Fenner and Titing Manalili.
Also expected to contribute are Filipino-American guard Remy Martin, former Gilas Pilipinas sharpshooter Matthew Wright, William Navarro, Shaun Ildefonso and Malick Diouf.
