Schedule, roster: Strong Group-Pilipinas out to reclaim Jones Cup glory

MANILA, Philippines – After a woeful seventh-place finish last year, the Philippines looks primed to elevate its game with a new roster in the 43rd William Jones Cup in Taipei from July 13 to 21.   

Strong Group-Pilipinas, the country’s new representative in the basketball club tournament, aims to reclaim the crown the Filipinos last won in 2019 under the banner of Mighty Sports.

“I really like what I’m seeing. We’ve got great balance, a lot of talent, [like our] wings,” said coach Charles Tiu as Strong Group takes a shot at the tournament after Rain or Shine’s campaign last year. 

“It’s a good problem to have, we have a lot of guys. I have to figure out how to use everybody… but it’s really nice, they’re all coachable, they all pick up fast.”

Tiu, who mentored another Strong Group roster to a silver-medal finish in the 33rd Dubai International Basketball Championship last January, looks to lean on another star-studded roster led by Kiefer Ravena, Jordan Heading, Rhenz Abando, RJ Abarrientos, and former San Miguel import Chris McCullough.

Key dates

The Philippines braces for a virtually daily, tough grind in the nine-team field. Here’s Strong Group’s schedule:

• July 13, Saturday, 1 pm – vs UAE
• July 14, Sunday, 1 pm – vs Australia’s BSBL Guardians
• July 15, Monday, 5 pm – vs Ukraine
• July 17, Wednesday, 5 pm – vs Malaysia
• July 18, Thursday, 1 pm – vs Future Sports USA 
• July 19, Friday, 1 pm – vs Japan U22
• July 20, Saturday, 5 pm – vs Chinese Taipei-White
• July 21, Sunday, 7 pm – vs Chinese Taipei-Blue

Tournament format

Just like previous editions, the Jones Cup pits teams in a single round-robin format, with the squad finishing with the best record claiming the championship. 

Last year, the USA squad represented by the University of California Irvine Anteaters completed an 8-0 sweep to bag the Jones Cup crown. 

In 2019, before the pandemic shelved three editions of the tournament, Mighty Sports also completed a perfect 8-0 run to rule the tournament.

Teams to beat

Representing a big obstacle for the Philippines is an all-new United States squad, the Future Sports USA, which will be led by former Strong Group import McKenzie Moore.

The 6-foot-6 Moore suited up for Strong Group in the Dubai International Basketball Championship earlier this year, where he reinforced the Charles Tiu-mentored squad, together with former NBA players Dwight Howard, Andray Blatche, and Andre Roberson.

This time, Moore will join forces with fellow American overseas imports such as Billy Preston and Marcus Elliott, as the United States shoots for a second straight gold-medal finish.

Another team posing a significant challenge for Strong Group’s hopes of a podium finish in the tournament is the United Arab Emirates, which the Filipinos will face in their opening assignment.

Bannered by the likes of Qais Alshabebi, Mohamed Albreiki, Hamid Abdullateef, and DeMarco Dickerson, UAE aims to get back at Strong Group after falling to the Philippine side, 82-66, in their Dubai International Basketball Championship matchup in January.

Chinese Taipei-Blue also looks to give Strong Group a run for its money as it aims for a first-place finish in this year’s Jones Cup after settling for silver in the 2023 edition.

Strong Group-Pilipinas roster

Seeking to bring the gold medal back to the Philippines, expect Strong Group to flex its depth in the tournament as the powerhouse squad features multiple overseas-based players and players with Gilas Pilipinas experience.

Look for Ravena and the PBA-bound Abarrientos to facilitate the Strong Group offense, dish out assists, and provide timely baskets for the star-studded cast.

Both Ravena and Abarrientos saw action in the Japan B. League last season, where the former powered his team to a B2 title.

Ravena is also one of two Strong Group players with FIBA World Cup experience, along with the high-flying Abando, as they were both part of the 12-man Gilas Pilipinas roster in the recent World Cup held in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, count on Heading and Filipino-American guard DJ Fenner to shoot the lights out from long distance for Strong Group.

Heading already made waves for Strong Group in the Dubai International Basketball Championship in January, where he averaged 11.1 points in eight outings.

The 6-foot-6 Fenner, on the other hand, averaged 15.7 points on 40.9% shooting from beyond the arc for the Heroes Den Bosch in the 2023-2024 FIBA Europe Cup.

Finally, look for McCullough to be the team’s go-to guy, who will carry Strong Group’s scoring cudgels in this year’s Jones Cup.

The three-year NBA veteran McCullough last played for the Formosa Dreamers in the 2023-2024 P. League+ season in Taiwan, where he averaged a monster double-double of 20 points and 12.8 rebounds in 26 regular season matches.

McCullough is also expected to anchor Strong Group’s defense, together with 6-foot-10 naturalized Filipino Ange Kouame and 6-foot-9 American import Tajuan Agee.

Here’s the complete roster:

• Kiefer Ravena
• RJ Abarrientos
• Rhenz Abando
• Ange Kouame
• Jordan Heading
• Chris McCullough
• DJ Fenner
• Tajuan Agee
• Dave Ildefonso
• Caelan Tiongson
• Geo Chiu
• Allen Liwag
• Titing Manalili
• Tony Ynot

– with a report from Eugero Vincent Liberato/Rappler.com