Australia just released its lineup for Window 2 of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, and it is certainly formidable. Just the same, it seems beatable, too, especially if Gilas Pilipinas can get its act together.
The Boomers trooping to the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena on March 1 will be:
- Mitch Creek – U-BT Cluj-Napoca (Romania)
- Reyne Smith – Cairns Taipans
- Sam Froling – Illawarra Hawks
- Isaac White – Adelaide 36ers
- Nick Kay – Shimane Susanoo (Japan)
- Tanner Krebs – Melbourne United
- Jacob Holt – Brisbane Bullets
- David Okwera – Perth Wildcats
- Elijah Pepper – Perth Wildcats
- Kody Stattmann – Cairns Taipans
- Jack White – Mersin MSK (Turkey)
- Tom Wilson – Melbourne United
Why This Boomers Lineup Is “Beatable”
Despite the return of longtime national team member Mitch Creek, this Australian squad looks less formidable and fearsome compared to the FIBA Asia Cup lineup that won gold back in August—at least on paper. That’s mainly because that team’s heavy hitters in that tournament—FIBA Asia Cup MVP Jaylin Galloway and ex-NBA players Xavier Cooks, Jack McVeigh, and Will Magnay—won’t be making the trip to Manila come March.
Cooks, Galloway, McVeigh, and Magnay, incidentally, were the biggest thorns for Gilas when Australia dismantled the Philippines in the FIBA Asia Cup, along with rising Australian guard Owen Foxwell. All five finished in double figures in that 84–60 wire-to-wire shellacking, with Foxwell, Galloway, and McVeigh going 9-for-18 from distance and Magnay going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field.
That fearsome five won’t be playing in the MOA Arena on March 1, along with five others from that same gold medal-winning squad in Saudi Arabia. Taking their place are three newcomers—Tanner Krebs, Jacob Holt, and Kody Stattmann—to the Australian national team; the slightly older duo of Creek and Nick Kay; and former Boomers Isaac White, Elijah Pepper, Tom Wilson, Sam Froling, and David Okwera. The only two players returning from that FIBA Asia Cup roster are Jack White and Reyne Smith.
This means that Australia is pretty much sending a completely different squad to Manila—and it will likely not have the same cohesion and chemistry as that well-oiled FIBA Asia Cup team that demolished Gilas handily. That Australian squad had the benefit of a longer training camp and more preparation, while this Boomers squad appear to have been formed only recently, with Kay and Creek coming in from overseas duties.
That being said, it doesn’t mean the Boomers aren’t packing some serious talent and firepower. And that means it will probably take a perfect game if Gilas Pilipinas is to pull off the mother of all upsets.
