Strong Group eyes repeat with stacked roster in Jones Cup

Sports

STRONG Group-Pilipinas will be parading a stacked lineup when it tries to defend its title in the 44th William Jones Cup set from July 12 to 20 at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City, Taiwan.

The defending champion recently tapped two reinforcements in Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters forward Javi Gomez de Liano and Ulaanbaatar Xac guard Ian Miller.

“These are excellent additions to our team,” said head coach Charles Tiu in a statement. “Javi and Ian bring high-level experience and versatility. They’ll really complement the core group we already have.”

The 26-year-old Gomez de Liano is entering his second season in the Korean Basketball League with Anyang. The 6-foot-5 swingman marked his debut season with averages of 8.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and shot 41.7% from three.

“Javi and I go way back. He played for me during the 2019 Dubai tournament with Mighty Sports, so it’s great to reunite with him,” Tiu added. “I know what he brings to the table—toughness, shooting, and professionalism.”

On the other hand, the high-scoring Miller is coming off a successful stint in the Basketball Champions League (BCL) Asia.

The 6-foot-3 American was named MVP of the BCL Asia-East division, averaging 17.9 points on 44.1% shooting, alongside 2.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists.

“He’s coming off an impressive run in BCL Asia, so we’re excited to bring that firepower to our backcourt,” said Tiu.

Aside from Gomez de Liano and Miller, Strong Group will also have Andre Roberson, Kiefer Ravena, Jason Brickman, Dave Ildefonso, Rhenz Abando, Angelo Kouame, Geo Chiu, DJ Fenner, Tajuan Agee, and Allen Liwag.

The squad will start its campaign on July 13 against Chinese-Taipei A, followed by matchups versus Japan’s Under-25 team, Qatar, Australia, Chinese-Taipei B, Malaysia, Bahrain, and UAE.(CCM)