SBP executive director Noli Eala said tryouts for the men’s team bound for the SEA Games in Indonesia in November will be in full swing as early as January and will be conducted by head coach Norman Black.

The Philippine-Smart Gilas team will be back in action also by next month as it gears up for the qualifying tournament in August for the 2012 London Olympics.

Eala said the SBP plans to hold a summit with the Philippine Basketball Associaiton to discuss ways of further strengthening the national team in the aftermath of its dismal sixth place finish in the recent Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

“We’re very bullish about 2011. We have the SBP program in place,” said Eala during yesterday’s session of the PSA Forum at Shakey’s UN Ave.

Black and his assistants Glen Capacio, Jamike Jarim and Sandy Arespacochaga will hold a tryout next month – strictly by invitation only – and hope to get the team ready for launching by February.

“We’re putting a whole-year game plan for our SEA Games team. It’s an all-collegiate, young men’s team where we will invite the best college players in the country including Junmar Fajardo,” said Eala.

The SBP is actually looking at a possible sweep of the basketball golds in the SEA Games with the women’s squad tipped to contend following its recent success in the South East Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) tournament.

“One of our priorities, too, next year is our women’s team. After our breakthrough win in the SEABA, our next target is to win the SEA Games gold which we haven’t done,” said Eala.

He added that plans are now afoot for a Smart Gilar-PBA meeting to discuss ways to improve the bid of the national squad in major international meets.

“But I’m always confident about the developmental program of the SBP,” said Eala. “I think we will be solid enough come August (for the FIBA-Asia meet).”