IT looks like the young Smart Gilas-Pilipinas team could turn to a veteran marksman with plenty of international experience.

Air21 hotshot Dondon Hontiveros confirmed to the BusinessMirror that Gilas’s Serbian head coach Rajko Toroman has informally asked him if he is interested in joining the national team for the International Basketball Federation (Fiba)-Asia Men’s Championship in September in Wuhan, China.

“Marami silang pinagpipilian and coach Rajko told me na isa ako sa mga tinitingnan nila pero wala pang confirmation. Wala pa talagang official invitation from the Smart Gilas,” said Hontiveros.

“Pero personally, I’m really interested dahil iba talaga ang experience playing for the national team,” the Cebuano deadshot added.

The BusinessMirror learned that Gilas’s invitation to Hontiveros serves as a guarantee for the team to have a pure shooter in case James Yap is not released by B-MEG Derby Ace to the national team.

Yap is on Toroman’s so-called wish list along with nine other Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) players. The PBA gave Toroman until April 13 to name his top-five choices who will beef up his squad.

Also believed to be on the list are Talk ’N Text’s Ryan Reyes and San Miguel Beer’s Anthony Washington—although it is quite doubtful their mother teams would release them.

Toroman’s other choices include Asi Taulava, Kelly Williams, Jimmy Alapag and Arwind Santos.

Interestingly, Hontiveros is not on the list but is considered a second choice to Yap.

“Siguro may nakikita si coach Rajko sa akin na maitutulong ko sa team,” said Hontiveros, who was with the Norman Black-coached 2002 Busan Asian Games and the Chot Reyes-mentored 2007 Tokushima Fiba-Asia Championship squads.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, meanwhile, will inform the PBA on Monday if it intends to keep Gilas in the league’s third conference.

Joel Orellana, Business Mirror