There was a new face inside the Meralco Gym on Monday night when Gilas Pilipinas resumed its weekly practice.
Filipino-American Troy Rike attended his first session with the Cadets and no one was happier inside the gym than he was.
"It's good. It's a lot different here. But it's always been a dream of mine to play here and play with a bunch of talented players and experience the Gilas program," he gleefully said.
Standing at 6-foot-7, he is a big-bodied forward with range. He was active in his first crack at Gilas, going toe-to-toe with the likes of Kobe Paras, Thirdy Ravena, Ricci Rivero, and skyscraper Kai Sotto.
Rike, whose mom is Filipina, arrived Monday morning fresh from watching Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals live inside the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. After a long flight, he was in the Philippines by 8 a.m. Twelve hours later, he was already banging bodies against guys like Kenneth Tuffin and Prince Rivero.
"Not in the best condition I could've been," he chuckled, recalling the quick turn of events. "But it feels so good to get out here and practice a little bit."
Rike was part of the 23 for 2023 list that Gilas coach Chot Reyes and his staff selected last January. When the 22-year-old found out he made it into the pool, he was elated.
"It was an honor. Like I said, it's always been a dream of mine to represent the Philippines, to represent my country," he said when he first realized he was selected by Gilas. "I know I have a lot of work to do, but seeing that I kinda made that first step was really great. I was really happy to see that."
The stretch forward only had a limited time with his new Gilas teammates, but his first impressions were enough to convince him that there is high competition and talent.
"The level of play is really high. The guys here are really talented. You know, I played in a D-1 program, and there's no drop over here of great players," said Rike, who played for Wake Forest University, an NCAA Division 1 school.
Rike will look to make his debut on Thursday when the Cadets play against the EAC Generals in the 12th Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup presented by Chooks-to-Go.
"I think everyone knows we got a lot of talent over here, we just have to work together," he shared. "So if we keep practicing, we'll be fine as long as we share the ball and do everything. There's more than enough talent, size, athleticism here to get some wins."