Almost a year since Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) named him project director, Serbian coach Rajko Toroman is pleased with the progress made by the Smart-Gilas national team tasked to earn a seat in the 2012 London Olympics.

“I think we’re on the 4 (on the scale of 1 to 10),” Toroman said in an interview. “We need more work and we need some new big guys.”

“We’re working with guys like Junmar Fajardo, CJ Giles. If we can get these guys, follow the program, plus more international tournaments, that’s better for the team,” added Toroman, who signed a deal to handle the national team until 2012.

Also set to join the team is Chris Ryan Lutz, a 6-foot-4 Fil-Am who arrived over the weekend.

Described as a pure shooter by Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas executive director Noli Eala, the 24-year-old Lutz for Purdue University (an NCAA Division I school) before moving to Marshall College. He scored a career-high 37 points on 7-of-12 triples in Herds’ 89-86 overtime win over Tulane in the last NCAA season. He averaged 10.7 points, 2.4 rebounds as a Marshall junior.

Lutz and Giles are expected to provide the team a fighting chance to grab a slot in the London Games in 2012.

The tournaments lined up for Toroman and Smart-Gilas include the 2010 Asian Games and the 2011 FIBA-Asia Championship, the qualifying event to the 2012 London Olympics.

Despite the start of the college basketball season which prevents top players of Smart-Gilas from attending practice, the training sessions continue for others like Fil-Americans Chris Lotz and Shawn Anthony, as well as former NCAA MVP Jason Ballesteros.

“We’re trying to arrange with the different school leagues the possibility of having a once a week practice, just light practice,” Toroman said.

“The once-a-week practice session, according to Toroman, will help the team run through drills and plays to prepare them for their upcoming stint as guest team in the PBA.

The stint was approved by the PBA board of governors, marking the first time an outsider is allowed to play since the former National Consolidated Cement (NCC)-backed national team won the 1985 Reinforced Conference.

The 2009-10 PBA season opens October 11.

“It is very important (once-a-week training) so we can prepare for our PBA stint,” Toroman said. “After the collegiate leagues, we’ll resume our regular practice.”

“Aside from the 6-10 Fajardo, who currently plays at University of Cebu, Toroman is also keeping an eye on the progress of University of Visayas 6-foot-11 player Gregory Slaughter. Fajardo and Slaughter are training under PBA legend Mon Fernandez.

American CJ Giles, who played for the RP team during the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup, is close to signing a deal to be Smart-Gilas’ naturalized player.

The 6-foot-11 Giles is currently playing for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Summer League.

Aside from its PBA stint, the Smart-Gilas is scheduled to participate in the Harlem tournament in Amsterdam in December, a tournament in Dubai in January 2010, as well as several friendly games in Australia and Serbia.