SBP executive director Noli Eala named (L-R) Japeth Aguilar, Jared Dillinger, and Gabe Norwood as possible reinforcements to the Smart-Gilas RP basketball team which will compete in next year’s Asian Games and the 2011 FIBA-Asia championships.

Three PBA players are in the wish list of Smart-Gilas national team that will take over the responsibility of representing the country in international meets.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive-director Noli Eala said the team is not closing the door on professionals reinforcing the squad under Serbian coach Rajko Toroman.

“If the PBA is open to any involvement with the national team then it would have to be under the program and direction of the SBP. This includes our desire to have two or three pros with the core of the next national team being Smart-Gilas,” said Eala.

Eala rattled off the three names that Toroman wanted: Japeth Aguilar, Jared Dillinger and Gabe Norwood.

All three were members of the Powerade-Team Pilipinas that finished eighth in the recent FIBA-Asia championship in Tianjin, China.

Aguilar, a 6-10 son of former Northern Consolidated mainstay Peter Aguilar, played with Smart-Gilas during a stint in the United States.

The SBP offered Aguilar a three-year contract similar to what he would get from the PBA, but the 22-year-old former Ateneo Blue Eagle opted to make a jump to the PBA.

Dillinger, who plays for Talk ‘N Text, and Norwood, Rain or Shine’s stalwart, emerged as two of the team’s most consistent performers in Tianjin.

Eala, however, doubted if the PBA can lend the three players because of their own commitments with their respective teams.

“Yun nga ang sinasabi namin if the PBA be willing to lend, as they say they will, if they are committed to help the national team,” Eala said.

“Will the teams of the PBA allow this to happen, we don’t know.” PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios had earlier broached the possibility of the league continuing its commitment to form a national team.

“While we appreciate the PBA’s desire to help, I think it has already been answered, we already have a program in Smart-Gilas team,” said Eala. “We believe it is more comprehensive, more focused and obviously more responsive program than the recent team we had and we believe that this is the right direction to take.”

The PBA has been lending its top players to the Asian Games and FIBA-Asia since 1990 when the team coached by Robert Jaworski lost to China in the final of the Beijing Games.

Guiao strongly urged the PBA to continue with its commitment to send teams to international meets.

But Eala said the Smart-Gilas team, made up of amateur players led by Mark Barroca, Dylan Ababou and Chris Tiu, is a more suitable program.

“I think we have to be realistic about the suggestion of Yeng and the PBA, the mandate and business model of the PBA at this present time is not consistent with the demands and the needs for maintaining a national team program,” said Eala, a former PBA commissioner.

“It is not simple as saying that they have the best players in the league. They must consider first a paradigm shift in the way they play the game which includes officiating, coaching style and philosophy,” Eala added.