source: Josef T. Ramos - manilatimes.net

CHRIS Lutz, the talented Filipino-American guard from US NCAA Division I contending school Marshall University, is set to join the Smart Gilas Pilipinas squad in May.

The 6-foot-3 Lutz will fly to the Philippines after the NCAA tournament, where he is presently playing for the contending Thundering Herd, who are currently in the thick of things after posting 20 wins against seven losses with four games to go before the NCAA tournament proper.

“Smart Gilas is waiting for him but he’ll only join the team in April or right after the US NCAA,” said new Smart Gilas manager Frankie Lim, referring to Lutz, whose mother Luzviminda is a Filipina who pursued her nursing career in the US after receiving her college degree.

As a Marshall U senior, Lutz has been averaging a solid 8.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and an assist and steal in 27 games.

Smart Gilas is set to leave on March 12 to train in Sydney, Canberra and Perth in Australia and then to Serbia from March 26 to April Serbia without Lutz.

But Lutz can join the Nationals when they go to Las Vegas, Nevada from April 22 to 30.