MANILA – Team Philippines made minor changes in its roster ahead of its all-important battle with Iran in the 2019 FIBA World Cup Qualifier on Monday evening at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Filipino-German center Christian Standhardinger will serve as naturalized player for the national men’s basketball team, replacing Filipino-American guard Stanley Pringle.
“I do feel pressure playing for the country. I do feel pressure giving my all. But I wanna go out there no matter how many points, rebounds I make,” Standhardinger said. “I feel pressure to play my heart out and to play my best for the country.”
“You know, I’m a little unconventional, but with my speed on the court, I hope I can help the team a little bit and that will be enough to win against Iran,” he added.
Standhardinger’s teammate in the San Miguel Beermen, Arwind Santos, will also make his Team Philippines return in the game against Iran, which will be without Hamed Haddadi, Arzalan Kazemi, Samad Bahrami, and Sajjad Mashayekhi.
Moreover head coach Yeng Guiao again tapped veteran guard Jayson Castro and Jeth Troy Rosario, who are now eligible to play after serving their three-game FIBA suspension.
Completing the Philippine lineup are Japeth Aguilar, June Mar Fajardo, LA Tenorio, Scottie Thompson, Gabe Norwood, Beau Belga, Matthew Wright, and Marcio Lassiter.
Relegated to the reserve list are Pringle, John Paul Erram, Alex Cabagnot, and Greg Slaughter, who was absent during team practice on Saturday.
The Philippines is currently tied with Japan on third place in Group F with a 5-4 win-loss slate. Its remaining matches – against Iran, Qatar on Feb. 21 and Kazakhstan on Feb. 24 – are must-wins.
“I’m not giving up on our chances,” Guiao said. “There’s more pressure on us now to win against Iran, so we need to beat them on Monday. That’s just part of the process.”/PN
