Batang Gilas firms up coaching staff

Presenting your Batang Gilas coaching staff: Nico Dehaenen (College of St. Benilde), Jigs Mendoza (Barako Bull Energy), Michael Oliver, JB Sison (San Beda High School), MC Abolucion (Enderun College), and team manager, Andrew Teh.

Batang Gilas firms up coaching staff

by rick olivares

The coaching staff for Batang Gilas is already known. Joining head coach Michael Oliver are Nico Dehaenen of the College of St. Benilde, Jigs Mendoza who currently serves as an assistant with PBA club Barako Bull Energy), JB Sison of the multi-titled San Beda High School, and MC Abolucion of the Enderun College Titans. The team manager is Andrew Teh.

 Two more things need to be resolved – the final dates of the Seaba Under-16 competition and the players who will be invited to the pool from which the youth team will be formed.

“The selection of head coach Michael Oliver brings some continuity to the program,” said team manager Andrew Teh. “We have an idea of when the tournament will take place which is sometime in May. Now two more things need to be resolved: this TRO that was supposedly slapped on the league by Adamson regarding the forfeiture of its games in the UAAP juniors competition and for the season to get over with. Any delay hurts the preparation of the national team.”

Oliver has led FEU’s juniors squad to a UAAP title while Sison is the current tactician of the San Beda Red Cubs with a couple of NCAA juniors crowns to his name. He recently guided them to a Metro Manila Basketball League title which is the biggest high school tourney for the National Capital Region.

“Given our time frame for preparation until competition, we hope we can put up the best possible team for the tournament,” underscored Oliver who is in his second tour of duty with the youth squad.

“We’re at home and we have to put our best foot forward,” summed up Teh.