Gilas Coaching Staff for November Window: Confident and Competent

Gilas Pilipinas is set to depart for Bahrain on Sunday for the next window of the 2021 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia Cup qualifiers. Leading the Filipinos is Coach Jong Uichico who is set to return to national team duty as the head coach. And he won't be alone as Gilas Pilipinas Program Director Tab Baldwin and Assistant Coach Boyet Fernandez are also part of what Uichico called a "confident and competent" coaching staff. 

Bull By the Horn by Benny Benitez returned for its 18th episode on Saturday with Coach Jong Uichico able to join the discussion despite being in the middle of the preparation for the games that will be played from November 27 to 30 and one of the topics that have been briefly discussed was the composition of the coaching staff.

While Boyet Fernandez is no longer a stranger to Philippine basketball especially in the collegiate ranks, his inclusion in the coaching staff of the national team is something that surprised a few but for Uichico, he knows what he can expect from Fernandez. "I know that Boyet is a competent coach. I handled him during the 2002 Asian Games. I know him as a thinking player that's why he's a good coach because he was a thinking player during his time. Now, he's a very winning coach in San Beda and I'm sure that he will be a lot of help to this window as an assistant coach," 

Uichico also pointed out that Fernandez being a successful coach at the collegiate level is a plus point why Fernandez is included in the coaching staff. "The handling of younger players especially from the college ranks is different from handling PBA (Philippine Basketball Association( players. There are a lot of teachings involved when it comes to college players that you need to drill and drill and drill until they get it as a habit,"

On the inclusion of Program Director Tab Baldwin in the coaching staff, Uichico said, "The guidance that he (Baldwin) is giving to the program is big especially for the training bubble (in Laguna),"

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