MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas could not have asked for a bigger challenge for the opening game of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, Latvia when it takes on the host team on Wednesday, July 3 (Thursday, July 4, 12 am, Manila time). 

There are a number of reasons, all of which have merit, why Latvia is the oddsmakers’ favorite to grab the lone Olympic ticket up for grabs in Riga.

One of them is the man behind the bench whom Tim Cone will have to outwit, outthink, and outcoach – Italian tactician Luca Banchi.

Banchi was handed the coaching reins of Latvia in 2021 and led a country that…