Smart Gilas Falls to Qatar, Comes In Fourth.

Too little D, too many turnovers, too many fouls, too little outside shots.
And that is the story of how Smart Gilas ended up in fourth place int he 2011 FIBA-Asia Champions Cup.

Smart Gilas lost to Qatar, 64-71, because of atrocious shooting (3-24 from threepoint land), horrible boxing out (gave up 20 offensive rebounds) and non-existent defense that allowed Al Rayyan to stave off the Gilas challenge.

Game story here.

Gilas Takes On Al-Jala'a for Ssemis Seat!

One win is all that stands between Smart Gilas and its highest finish yet in the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup in more than a decade.

Gilas emerged as the top seed in Group A after sweeping the group, beating Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad, Malaysia's KL Dragons, Iraq's Duhok and finally Jordan's ASU.

Hontiveros Impressing Toroman!

Could Dondon Hontiveros be the missing link for Smart Gilas?

Coach Rajko Toroman seems to think so, as the Cebuano hotshot continues to impress in Gilas practices.

Toroman singled out both Hontiveros and Taulava as the guys who have provided a major boost to the  chances of Gilasin winning the FIBA Asia Champions Cup.

Two other PBA stars that Toroman tapped, Kelly Williams and Jimmy Alapag, have not yet joined the team's practices. Both are seasoned international veterans though, having suited up for the Philippine National Team before.

The Nationals will still be led by Chris Tiu, JV Casio and naturalized player Marcus Douthit. The FIBA Asia Champions Cup serves as a testing ground for the team as they prepare for the Fiba Asia Championship in Wuhan, China.



More on this story, here.

FIBA-Asia Champions Cup Cast Finally Complete!

Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Those are the final two teams that will join the 2011 FIBA Asia Champions Cup which will be held at the PhilSports Arena from May 28 to June 5.

Saudi Arabia will be represented by Al Ittihad while Iraq will field in Duhok. Duhok stands as a representative of the Middle East region while Al Ittihad takes the place of an Eastern Asia representative.

FIBA-Asia Champions Cup Down To 8 Teams?

Two slots left to fill.

That's the monumental task the organizers of the FIBA Asia Champions Cup are facing after Japan, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan all withdrew from the tournament, citing financial reasons.

The organizers are now eyeing South Korea and India as replacement teams, giving them until Friday to confirm.

Smart Gilas Pilipinas will be playing in Group A, with Malaysia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. Group B is composed of Iran, Qatar, Lebanon and Jordan.

If both South Korea and India confirm their participation, South korea will be joining Group A and India, Group B.

Either way, the Smart Gilas squad are confident of their chances in the tournament especially as they will be reinforced by PBA stars Dondon Hontiveros and Asi Taulava.

More on this story here.

Smart Gilas Chooses To Join "Easier" Bracket!

Some will say it was a sliver of uncertainty peeking through.
Coach Rajko Toroman sees it as a way to build confidence.

The Smart Gilas National team chose to join Group A, composed of Jordan-ASU, Japan, Malaysia and possibly Kazakhstan or Afghanistan, in the upcoming 22nd FIBA-Asia Champions Cup.