Strong Group-Pilipinas recalled their championship core as they look to defend their William Jones Cup crown.
Kiefer Ravena will sit out the first two games of Strong Group-Pilipinas when they lock horns in the William Jones Cup next month.
The team announced this on Saturday, June 28, saying the Japan B.LEAGUE import has prior commitments.
That means Ravena will skip SGA’s game against Chinese-Taipei Blue and Japan’s Under-25 team as the Philippine squad aims to defend their crown in the July 12-20 tourney in New Taipei City, Taiwan.
“The big challenge is that we’ll be facing Taipei A in our very first game, and we haven’t played any tune-up games yet,” said head coach Charles Tiu.
“We’ll have to see how quickly the team can gel. Kiefer will also miss a couple of games, but we’re definitely looking to defend our crown.”
Ravena is among the returnees in the team’s title defense, with their championship core of Jason Brickman, Dave Ildefonso, Rhenz Abando, Angelo Kouame, Geo Chiu, and NCAA MVP Allen Liwag making their comeback.
Also rejoining the team are DJ Fenner and Tajuan Agee.
“Yeah, I’m excited to bring back some guys from our championship squad. This might be the first time we’re able to run it back with this many returning players,” said Tiu.
That’s not all. Former NBA veteran Andre Roberson, who last played for the team in the 2024 Dubai International Basketball Championships will also reinforce Tiu’s wards.
This only shows how badly the Strong Group wants to make the country proud again, said Strong Group president Jacob Lao.
“We’re going all out in defending the country’s William Jones Cup title. We’re glad to bring back the core of the team, and with their chemistry and experience, we’re confident in our chances,” said Lao.
“More than anything, we want to make the country proud again.”
The team takes on Taipei A on July 13.