ALLAN THE MAN

marcus douthit @DouthitMarcus I will donate 500 pesos every point and rebound I get in the sea games to Yolanda victims in tacloban !!!

When center Marcus Douthit limped off the court in the second period of Gilas Pilipinas’ semifinal game against South Korea never to return, it could’ve been the best thing that happened to the home team at the recent FIBA Asia Championship here.

Without Douthit in the middle, Korean coach Jae Hak Yoo took it as a signal to attack the interior. That was Yoo’s biggest mistake. The Koreans tried to exploit the mismatch at center with 6-8 Kim Joo Sung, 6-8 Eric Sandrin, 6-9 Lee Jong Hyun and 6-8 Kim Jong Kyu taking turns manning the slot. Left to play the five spot for Gilas was unlikely center Marc Pingris, who’s 6-5, with Ranidel de Ocampo, also 6-5, at the four position. Douthit could only watch helplessly from the bench, the pain throbbing in his swollen right shin like it was whacked by a sledgehammer.

Gilas Pilipinas may look for a new American player to naturalize for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup of basketball in Spain next year as Marcus Douthit’s contract with the national team will expire next month.

But a team official said that matter will be up for discussion maybe later in the year.

Antipolo Rep. Robbie Puno, author of the bill bestowing Filipino citizenship on Marcus Douthit, is batting for more naturalized players for inclusion in the long-term program of the Philippine national team, Gilas Pilipinas.

Puno delivered a privilege speech in Congress the day after Gilas Pilipinas completed its historic showing in the 27th FIBA Asia Championship, hailing his fellow congressmen for their contribution to the success of the Gilas campaign.

Smart Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes is happy about the progress of the squad as it completed the first half of its training tour in New Zealand just 18 days from the opening of the FIBA Asia Championship.

After three games in Napier, the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national team has a 2-1 record. It won back-to-back matches against club team Hawkes Bay Hawks before dropping a close result to an all-star selection from the National Basketball League on Sunday.

Naturalized center Marcus Douthit showed exactly why he’s such an important member of the SMART-Gilas national team as he dominated on the floor to help the Philippines defeat Lebanon, 78-68, in their Group A clash in the 4th FIBA Asia Cup in Tokyo, Japan.

Douthit posted 25 points, 21 rebounds and one crucial block on longtime Lebanon star Fadi El-Khatib with under a minute to play as SMART-Gilas notched its first win of the tournament.

Gilas trailed Lebanon after a very tight first half that saw neither team lead by more than five points. Behind El-Khatib, who had 15 points and six rebounds in the first two periods, and their own naturalized player Garnett Thompson, who had 13 and seven, the Lebanese held a slim three-point edge, 41-38, at the halftime break.

SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national coach Chot Reyes has named his lineup for the 2012 FIBA Asia Cup slated in Tokyo, Japan.

Ginebra San Miguel’s LA Tenorio, who won Most Valuable Player honors in SMART-Gilas’ title run in the 34th William Jones Cup, leads the lineup along with holdovers Gabe Norwood and Jeff Chan of Rain or Shine, Gary David of GlobalPort, Larry Fonacier and Ranidel De Ocampo of Talk ‘N Text, Enrico Villanueva of Barako Bull, Jay-R Reyes of Meralco, Sonny Thoss of Alaska, Filipino-American Matthew Rosser and naturalized center Marcus Douthit. Talk ‘N Text forward Jared Dillinger will be the only new addition to the team, with Meralco guard Sol Mercado being rendered ineligible because of FIBA Asia rules concerning foreign-born citizens.