Parks Jr, Ravena headline Gilas roster for SEA Games
Philippines national basketball team head coach Chot Reyes has revealed the roster for August’s SEA Games, which will include two prominent names in Kiefer Ravena and Bobby Ray Parks Jr.
The squad was announced personally by Reyes on his Twitter account.
The team features a host of guards and no true centers. It is expected that Reyes will employ a run-and-gun style that focuses a lot on shooting.
Ravena was part of the Philippines squad in the last three editions of the SEA Games that won gold. He also served as the starting point guard and captain of the 2015 squad.
He most recently played for the Alab Philipinas in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL), where he averaged 16 points in the playoffs.
Ravena will be joined by Alab teammate Park. Parks was named the Most Valuable Player (Local) in the recently concluded ABL, averaging 19 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
This will be Parks’ third SEA Games tournament, after winning both the 2011 and 2013 campaign. He did not participate in the 2015 SEA Games due to injury.
Reyes also selected 19-year-old Kobe Paras, who is the son of former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) MVP Benjie Paras. It is the first time the athletic 6’6 guard is part of the Philippines national team.
Paras will be the youngest member of the team, but much will be expected from him, given that he will be participating in the National Collegiate Athletic Association championships next year for Cal State Northridge.
The team also includes a German-Filipino, Christian Standhardinger. The 27-year old 6’8 forward plays professionally in the Basketball Bundesliga in Germany, and is expected to fill the center role given the squad’s lack of true center, along with Troy Rosario.
The rest of the team are members of the Gilas Cadets.
Full roster: Michael Tolomia, Von Rolfe Pessumal, Baser Amer, Bobby Parks Jr., Kiefer Ravena, Kobe Paras, Almond Vosotros, Troy Rosario, Christian Standhardinger, Kevin Ferrer, Carl Bryan Cruz
