Balik Gilas Pilipinas bilang head coach si Chot Reyes.
Matapos ang mahaba-habang pagpupulong ng Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) Board kahapon, napagdesisyunan na isulong ang programa ng Philippine basketball team sa pangangasiwa ni Reyes.
Ibinalik naman si American coach Tab Baldwin – bigong madala ang Gilas sa pedestal ng tagumpay – bilang consultant.
“Back in the hotseat. God bless us,” pahayag ni Reyes sa kanyang Twitter @coachot kasama ang #LabanPilipinas #PUSO.
Goodbye PBA? John Amores, tinanggalan na ng professional license!
Sa panayam ng Sports TV5, opisyal na ipinahayag ni Reyes ang desisyon ng SBP.
"I thought I was done with it. But you can never be fully prepared in life for what it brings you and I think this is another thing that came my way. You cannot turn your back to flag and country," aniya.
Huling pinangasiwaan ni Reyes ang Gilas sa bigong kampanya sa 2014 Asian Games sa South Korea.
Bago ito, nagawa niyang gabayan ang Pilipinas sa pagbabalik sa FIBA World Cup sa Barcelona,Spain matapos masungkit ng Gilas Pilipinas ang silver medal sa 2013 FIBA-Asia men’s championship.
"But the most important really is in the end we ask ourselves 'how could we really turn our back to the call of flag and country?'" pahayag ni Reyes.
Ngunit, sa pagkakataong ito, walang PBA player na naglalaro sa isipan ni Reyes dahil nakatuon ang programa ng SBP sa 24-man Gilas pool na maagang binuo para makasabay sa bagong programa sa iskedyul ng FIBA.
Sa kasalukuyan, ang 12-man Gilas Cadet na isinabak ng SBP sa torneo sa abroad ay binubuo nina Kevin Ferrer, Mac Belo, Russel Escoto, Almond Vosotros, Mike Tolomia, Jio Jalalon, Arnold Van Opstal, Matthew Wright, RR Pogoy, Ed Daquioag, Von Pessumal at Carl Bryan Cruz.
Ilan dito ang inaasahang makikilahok sa PBA Rookie drafting sa Nobyembre.
"The best way to really put a program together and prepare for FIBA competition is to have a pool at your disposal. A pool that adresses the now at the same time, preparing for tomorrow," sambit ni Reyes.
“We have 12 essentially cadets and then 12 from the PBA coming in and there are no rules there. There's nothing saying we have to have 6-6 or 4-8," aniya.
"At any given tournament we field what we feel is the best 12."
