THE two-day exhibition matches between the Smart-Gilas Pilipinas and the M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños is moved to March 5 and 6 still at the Cebu Coliseum.

From the original Feb. 26 and 27 date, the much anticipated game between the country’s representatives to the Asian Games in November, was moved a week later.
 
One of the reasons for the postponement is the pending arrival of coach Rajko Toroman who is still in the US to scout for a candidate for naturalization.

Replacement


Toroman and team manager Frankie Lim went in the US in search for a replacement of the problematic Jamal Sampson who was dumped by the SBP heirarchy after a mediocre performance at the Dubai International Basketball tournament late in January.

Toroman has made sure that he can now find a worthy pivot player who can help the Gilas in its campaign in international competition, especially in the country’s bid to earn a ticket to the London Olympics in 2012.

Slaughter

The coming of the Gilas is to give Cebuanos a closer look at the national team, which is composed mostly of collegiate players that include Cebu’s Gregg Slaughter who has improved a lot since he decided to leave the University of the Visayas Green Lancers to concentrate on his task in helping the team earn a slot to the London Olympics.

The Niños meanwhile had been boosting its rooster to make it bigger and quicker in its effort to duplicate its 82-76 win over the youthful Gilas in Feb. 28 last year.

SBP is aiming to bring the Gilas to the rest of the country, as part of its effort to bring the team closer to the Filipinos.