MIKE PHILLIPS — UAAP

DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY’s (DLSU) Mike Phillips is more than willing to throw his hat to the Gilas Pilipinas sweepstakes for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) in Thailand this December as the UAAP looks to finish the 88th Season earlier than usual.

Mr. Phillips, unarguably the best big man in Philippine basketball collegiate today with D-League MVP and Mythical Team awards, said he’s raring to don national colors once again given a free schedule pending the UAAP adjustment.

“If it’s God’s will for me to have an opportunity to try out and be part of the national team again, of course I’d really love to. Playing for the national team is one thing I can’t put into words,” Mr. Phillips told The STAR ahead of the UAAP Season 88 opener this Saturday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila.

“It’s such an amazing feeling. I’m still on a high from my last SEA Games with my gold medal on display at home, I still talk to my teammates so I appreciate that many people are really helping push for that dream.”

Mr. Phillips was part of the Gilas “Redeem Team” in the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, where the squad reclaimed the gold medal after a rare silver-medal finish in the 31st edition in Hanoi, Vietnam.

He’s one of only three collegiate players alongside Jerom Lastimosa and Mason Amos in the pro-backed squad bannered by Gilas naturalized player and resident Barangay Ginebra import Justin Brownlee.

With the UAAP moving heavens and Earth to adjust its schedule, Mr. Phillips could be in line for a Gilas anew as the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) craves for help from outside the PBA and the overseas leagues that’s already aligned their schedule to FIBA calendar and not the SEA Games.

“UAAP executive Atty. Rebo (Saguisag) and I recently met with the SBP Executive Director Erika Dy on ways to maybe finish the UAAP basketball tournament early so that UAAP players can participate in the SEA Games. There will be a decision soon,” said UAAP Season 88 Vice-President Mark Molina of Far Eastern University (FEU).

As of now, the UAAP is expected to finish its Round 1 of action in the middle of October but schedule changes once more venues clear up after the ongoing FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship is anticipated, especially in the rushed second round.

If agreed upon by both parties, the UAAP — which ran until Dec. 15 last season — could finish the centerpiece basketball season, including the women’s division for the Gilas squad of coach and program director Pat Aquino, by the end of November.

The SEA Games is set in set on Dec. 9 to 20 with Gilas having seven players in commitment so far led by Brownlee along with Ray Parks, Matthew Wright, Ange Kouame, Remy Martin, Dave Ildefonso, No. 7 PBA rookie pick Jason Brickman and Veejay Pre, who’s serving a one-year residency in University of the Philippines after transfer from FEU. — John Bryan Ulanday