FIBA ASIA CHAMPIONS CUP 2017 : CHOOKS TO GO PILIPINAS LINE UP REVEALED

The line up of Chooks To Go Pilipinas for the FIBA Asia Championship 2017 has finally been revealed yesterday, way after the expected annpuncement last Friday which was the deadline for the team rosters.

The team are mostly PBA players and college standouts. Leading the charge for the Filipinos are the phenom Kiefer Ravena, former King Archer Jeron Teng and Gilas cadets member Carl Bryan Cruz. The team will be reinforced by naturalization candidate Isaiah Austin and CEU player Rob Ebondo.

Here is the complete list of players:

Alfrancis Tamsi
Almond Vosotros
Carl Bryan Cruz
Isaiah Austin
Jeric Teng
Jett Manuel
Jeron Teng
Kiefer Ravena
LA Revilla
Norbert Torres
Raymar Jose
Rob Ebondo

Andre Paras and Gab Banal has been included in the team as reserve players. The tournament will be on September 22 - 30, 2017 in Chenzhou, China. Games will be aired in Sports 5 / Aksyon TV. They will be showing the first two games live, still waiting for advise on the other games.

As of this afternoon, the team is already headed (if they have not already landed) to China.

Your Chooks to Go Pilipinas squad. CBC, Isaiah Austin, and Rod Ebondo will be flying to China tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/DidOTwOaqg

— Carlo Pamintuan (@carlo_pamintuan) September 20, 2017

The two reinforcements will be leaving separately after getting their visas only today. Rob will be leaving Manila by tomorrow while Isaiah is already on a train to Chenzhou after finally getting his visa in Hongkong after being denied in Manila.

Good luck Chooks To Go Pilipinas!

2017 FIBA ASIA CHAMPIONS CUP : GROUP PHASE SCHEDULE

As we are all waiting for the final line up of our very own Chooks To Go Pilipinas team, here is the group phase schedule of the FIBA Asia Champions Cup to be held in Chenzhou, China starting next week, September 22, 2017.

Chooks To Go Pilipinas is in Group A with BC Astana of Kazakhstan, Mono Vampire of Thailand, Petrochimi of Iran and Sarreyet Ramallah of Palestine.

Here is the group phase schedule as posted in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup Twitter account :

📆 Check out 👀 the #FIBAAsiaCC 2017 games & schedule 🏀🏆

 

📖 https://t.co/vMkAhGKSXa

🗓 https://t.co/4G8JVcUPMr pic.twitter.com/K2g2v7a4qS

— #FIBAAsiaCC (@FIBAAsiaCC) September 8, 2017

Good luck Chooks To Go Pilipinas! #LabanPilipinas

2017 FIBA ASIA CHAMPIONS CUP : ISAIAH AUSTIN ARRIVES IN MANILA TO REINFORCE CHOOKS TO GO PILIPINAS

Isaiah Austin has arrived in Manila to reinforce the Chooks To Go Pilipinas Team in the 2017 FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Chenzhou, China starting on September 22.

Austin is a 23 year old 7'1" center from California, USA. He applied for the 2014 NBA draft and was one of the prized prospect that year. Unofrtunately, he was diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome and had to withdraw from the draft. He recently played for the Guangxi Rhinos. He brings with him not just height and length but also an agile, athletic center with perimeter and outside shooting.

He is also being considered as a candidate for naturalization to be part of the Gilas Pilipinas team. He really fits the guy that we need - an athletic young big man that can adapt with the dribble drive offense that Coach Chot Reyes is running. This most probably be his acid test. If he performs well, there will be a big possibility that he will be naturalized.

He was welcomed in this post from Coach Chot Reyes' Twitter page:

Welcome to Manila @IsaiahAustin ! See you in a bit pic.twitter.com/PUyEbOXbiu

— Chot Reyes (@coachot) September 12, 2017

Welcome to the Philippines Isaiah!

2017 FIBA ASIA CHAMPIONS CUP : CHOOKS TO GO PILIPINAS WILL PLAY AS A WILDCARD

It looks like Thailand's Mono Vampire is not the only Southeast Asian team that will join the 2017 FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Chenzou, China on September 22 - 30, 2017.

After a successful partnership with Gilas Pilipinas in the Jones Cup, 2017 FIBA Asia Cup and the 2017 Southeast Asian Games; Chooks to Go is again partnering with SBP to send a team - Chooks to Go Pilipinas to this tournament as well.

It was first announced by Coach Chot Reyes in his Twitter page with this post:

Breaking: Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas joins @FIBAAsiaCC. Games will be shown @TV5manila & @Sports5PH

— Chot Reyes (@coachot) September 5, 2017

It was confirmed by this article posted in the official website of the 2017 FIBA Asia Champion's Cup. Apparently, the Japan team SunRockers Shibuya withdrew due to the conflicting schedule with the B.League. Thus, FIBA awarded the wildcard to the Philippines.

The Chooks To Go Pilipinas team will be coached by none other than Coach Chot Reyes and Coach Jong Uichico as his deputy. Confirmed part of the team are Gilas players Fil-German Christian Standhardinger, Kiefer Ravena and Rayray Parks. It is also reported that Reymar Jose, Kobe Paras (if allowed by his college team), Jeron Teng, UP Maroons Jett Manuel and Bright Akhuetie will also join the team.

It is also not clear if PBA will also be allowing the Gilas Cadets to join the team, as this is not a national team tournament.

The team will be in Group A with BC Astana of Kazakhstan, Mono Vampire of Thailand, Petrochimi of Iran and Sarreyet Ramallah of Palestine.

The last time Philippines joined the FIBA Champions Cup was in 2011 when Smart Gilas Pilipinas hosted the other teams in the tournament. The team ended in 4th place that year.

Good Luck Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas! #LabanPilipinas