Good as advertised, Gilas anchor says of new Fil-Am recruit

Gilas Pilipinas Women will be fielding a smaller squad in the Fiba (International Basketball Federation) Women’s Asia Cup in Sydney, Australia, next week, but the Nationals remain an optimistic lot, all thanks to the program’s latest recruit.

Vanessa de Jesus, a Filipino-American standout from Duke University, who owns a renowned men’s program in the US NCAA, will be backstopping a squad led by veterans Jack Danielle Animam, Afril Bernardino and Janine Pontejos.

And so far, the Blue Devils guard has nothing been short of impressive.

“She’s as good as advertised,” Animam said of De Jesus in a message to the Inquirer on Tuesday, just moments before Gilas figured in a tuneup game against Aussie club Keilor Thunder.

“And she’s nice all in all,” she went on, which should bode well for Gilas as far as chemistry is concerned.

Aside from playing alongside the program’s fixtures, De Jesus will also see action with newcomers Louna Ozar and Jhazmin Joson. Completing the squad are Chack Cabinbin, Mikka Cacho, Camille Clarin, Khate Castillo, Angel Surada and Ella Fajardo—all of whom played in the recent Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where the Filipinos secured the silver medal.

Whether De Jesus is enough to lift Gilas’ campaign remains to be seen. Fortunately, coach Pat Aquino and the rest of the Gilas Women’s brain trust will have a couple of chances to test just that this week in Melbourne, Australia.

Four spots

Aside from the Thunder, Gilas Women is scheduled to play the Casey Cavaliers on Thursday before traveling to Sydney for the continental showcase which dangles four spots for the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments to the Paris Summer Games next year.

The Philippines battles the towering hosts on June 26, 5:30 p.m. (Manila time), then the six-time champions Japanese, before rounding out its Group B campaign against the Taiwanese.

Meanwhile, Gilas Men wrapped up its short camp on Tuesday in Calamba, Laguna province, filled with optimism.

National coach Chot Reyes said that naturalized player Justin Brownlee is expected to join Gilas in its tour of Europe, where it will take on various national teams and pro clubs.

“Brownlee will have to undergo a nonbasketball medical procedure, so he will just meet us in Estonia,” he said in an Instagram entry also on Tuesday.

Reyes and his charges will leave for Estonia this Thursday and are scheduled to visit Lithuania on July 1 for its buildup geared toward the Fiba World Cup that the Philippines will be cohosting alongside Japan and Indonesia. INQ

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