Most significant takeaways so far at the SEABA Championship 2017

MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on my Mind) - The SEABA Championship 2017 has enthralled Manila, and the best is yet to come with undefeated teams Indonesia and Philippines facing off for the title tomorrow.

A lot of things have been seen and heard at these games, and I'll list down a number of things that people have been talking about since hostilities started last May 12.

Wuysang is still a baller at 38
Indonesia's Mario Wuysang is easily the oldest guy in the tournament, and yet he still finds a way to not only be relevant but be a game-changer, too. His three-point shooting enabled Indonesia to absolutely obliterate Singapore on Day 1, and he hit the game-winner against Thailand on Day 3. He is probably playing in one of the last tournaments for the national team, but, man, he can still ball with the best and youngest of Southeast Asia.

Don't look past Vietnam
The Vietnamese were given much of a chance to win any game outside of their matchup with Myanmar, but they defied the odds against Malaysia last night. I got to talk to Nguyen Van Hung after that game, and though they lost in overtime, he was upbeat about how the team fared and the development of basketball back home. Having coach Donte Lavar Hill around has enabled Vietnam to play a new style of basketball, and having their own professional league has given them an unprecedented opportunity to grow the game. Nearly beating Malaysia served as a sign that Vietnam cannot be overlooked in the foreseeable future.

Malaysia's young guns are pretty solid
Before the tournament started, people thought Malaysia would be a bit of a doormat because they left so many members of their core back home, but their young guns have given a very good account of themselves here. Upstarts like Ting Chun Hong, Choo Wei Hong and Heng Yee Tong among others have held their own against more experienced opponents, and this team is surely going to be one to watch not only in this year's Southeast Asian Games, but in the next few SEABA tournaments.

The Philippines may have a unicorn
Speaking of youngsters, let me take a bit of a detour to the SEABA U16 Championship that is happening at the same time the men's games are being played. Like their senior counterparts, the Philippines have practically dominated this competition, staying unbeaten after three assignments. What a lot of Filipino hoop nuts have been focusing on, though, is their "unicorn" (one of a kind/once in a generation) player named Kai Sotto. Sotto just turned 15 and is already 2.10m tall (and growing!). He has shown great footwork, finishing and skill despite his uncanny size, and he represents a bright future for Philippine basketball. Remember the name!

Delvin Goh could be special
Speaking of special talents, Singapore have one in young slotman Delvin Goh. At 2.02m, he isn't the tallest guy on the floor in every game, but he is the biggest Singapore can unleash. He has had some pretty impressive matches here, and he just unloaded a douvle-double on Malaysia a couple of days ago. What makes him special is he is just 22 years old, so the best is yet to come for him - and for Singapore!

Thailand and Indonesia are studs
Many of the games at this tournament have admittedly been blowouts, but Thailand and Indonesia have separated themselves from the middle of the pack squads. Both teams have brought a good balance of size, skill and experience to ensure that they will be heavily favored to finish on the podium, and the game between them on Day 3 was one of the tournament's most thrilling. The common thing between them? They both have thriving professional basketball leagues. That's a model that a lot of other ASEAN countries are set to follow, most notably Vietnam and, if plans don't fall through, Malaysia.

Only the Philippines can beat themselves
As good as Thailand and Indonesia have been, though, nobody has been able to touch the Philippines with a ten or thirty foot pole. Gilas Pilipinas are at full strength in this competition, and they have stamped their class on every opponent. They have beaten their foes by 66 points, and there isn't any probable chance their last two opponents (Vietnam and Indonesia) will be able to spring an upset. Coach Chot Reyes has made it clear that he wants the Philippines to have not just a statement game or two, but a statement tournament, and by all indications, that's where we're headed.

Enzo Flojo

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