Navarro airs confidence in Gilas cadet program

FORMER Ateneo Blue Eagle William Navarro expressed confidence the all-cadet national team could do well in the third window of International Basketball Federation (Fiba) Asia Cup Qualifiers the country is hosting in June most likely at the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in Pampanga.

“We can do it, we can beat them because we have a system in Gilas,” the 6-foot-4 Navarro told Businessmirror on Thursday.

The Philippines will be playing powerhouse South Korean and Indonesia in the qualifier.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) opted to utilize the cadet team—and no longer a Philippine Basketball Association selection— for the Asia Cup qualifier and even the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, Serbia, from June 29 to July 4.

“We also want to show what we got as young guns, as individuals and as a team,” Navarro said. “We just have to learn the system by practicing hard.”

Northport picked Navarro at No. 2 at the Special Gilas Draft last Sunday. Also selected were Jordan Heading at No. 1 (Terrafirma), Tzaddy Rangel (NLEX) at No. 3 and Jaydee Tungcab (TNT Tropang Giga) at No. 4.

“My focus for at the moment is Gilas,” Navarro said.

All Gilas draftees would have to serve the national colors first before being released to their respective PBA teams.

Navarro is now at the Inspire Sports Academy bubble in Calamba, Laguna, along with Heading, Rangel, Tungcab, Justine Baltazar, Carl Tamayo, RJ Abarientos, naturalized player Ange Kouame, Dave Ildefonso, Dwight Ramos and Troy Malilin, Josh Lazaro, Jason Credo, Chris Koon, Lebron Lopez, Kyle Ong, Geo Chui, Sj Belangel and Gian Mamuyac.

They are under the watchful eyes of SBP training director Tab Baldwin, Jong Uichico, Caloy Garcia, Alton Lister, Boyet Fernandez, Sandy Arespachochaga, Gabby Severino and Sandro Soriano.

They re-entered the bubble only last Monday.