by Ivan Stewart Saldajeno/PNA
MANILA — The Philippine team will be part of Pot 6 in the main draw for the group stages of the FIBA World Cup, joining Canada, Montenegro, and South Korea.
The composition of the eight pots is based on the 32 participating teams’ current ranks in the latest FIBA rankings, the international basketball federation said in a news release issued Friday.
According to FIBA, the teams in Pots 6, 2, 3, and 7 will be designated to Groups B, D, F, and H.
On the other hand, host nation China will be part of Pot 1, along with defending champion USA, Spain, and France.
The four teams, along with those in Pots 4, 5, and 8, will be designated to Groups A, C, E, and G.
This basically means that Gilas and USA will not be grouped together immediately.
As already agreed prior to the Saturday night draw in Shenzhen, China will be part of Group A, while USA will be in Group E.
Based on rules, no two countries from the same continent will be part of the same group.
Thus Australia, which is in Pot 3, cannot be in the same group as Gilas, and so is New Zealand, which is part of Pot 7.
Using the New Zealand logic, Gilas will surely be grouped with an African country as three African nations, Nigeria, Senegal, and Angola, are also in Pot 7 like New Zealand.
