Manila: Strong Group has tapped two reinforcements from the Asian basketball circuit to boost the country's title-retention bid in the 44th William Jones Cup next month. Filipino-Spanish Javi Gomez de Liano and American Ian Miller complete the roster of Strong Group-Pilipinas in the tournament scheduled from July 12 to 20 at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City, Taiwan.
According to Philippines News Agency, the inclusion of these skilled players is seen as a strategic move by head coach Charles Tiu to enhance the team's competitive edge. Tiu expressed confidence in the new additions, stating, "These are excellent additions to our team. Javi and Ian bring high-level experience and versatility. They'll really complement the core group we already have."
Gomez de Liano, who is 26 years old, is entering his second season with the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters in the Korean Basketball League. As a 6-foot-5 swingman, he has posted averages of 8.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and a 41.7 percent shooting accuracy from the three-point line. Tiu, who has previous experience coaching Gomez de Liano during the 2019 Dubai tournament with Mighty Sports, praised his toughness, shooting, and professionalism.
Meanwhile, the 6-foot-3 Miller was recently named MVP for leading Mongolia's Ulaanbaatar Xac Broncos to the title in the Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL)-East division last May. He averaged 17.9 points on 44.1 percent shooting, alongside 2.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists. Tiu noted, "He's coming off an impressive run in BCL Asia, so we're excited to bring that firepower to our backcourt."
Gomez de Liano and Miller will join the Strong Group lineup that includes Andre Roberson, Kiefer Ravena, Jason Brickman, Dave Ildefonso, Rhenz Abando, Angelo Kouame, Geo Chiu, DJ Fenner, Tajuan Agee, and Allen Liwag. The Strong Group Athletics is set to face Chinese-Taipei A on July 13, followed by matchups against Japan's Under-25 team, Qatar, Australia, Chinese-Taipei B, Malaysia, Bahrain, and UAE.
