Jordan Heading and Caelan Tiongson are expected to boost Strong Group Athletics' title hopes in the upcoming 43rd William Jones Cup.
The Strong Group Athletics (SGA) has secured Jordan Heading and Caelan Tiongson for the upcoming 43rd William Jones Cup in Taiwan.
Heading earlier competed with SGA in the Dubai International Basketball Championship earlier this year. During the Dubai tournament, the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game.
Currently playing for the West Adelaide Bearcats in NBL1 Central, the former Gilas Pilipinas guard is averaging 19.14 points, 4.14 assists, and 3.43 rebounds per game.
“Jordan was an automatic choice for me once I found out he'd be available to play,” said Strong Group head coach Charles Tiu.
“We loved how he played for us in Dubai, and now he gets to go back to his original shooting guard spot to complement our point guards," he added.
[ALSO READ: Strong Group Athletics to represent Philippines in 2024 Jones Cup]
The 6-foot-4 Tiongson, meanwhile, previously played for Alab Pilipinas during the 2018-19 ASEAN Basketball League season before moving to Taiwan, where he joined the Taoyuan Leopards in the T1 League from 2021-22.
In Taiwan, the 32-year-old forward averaged 13.5 points and 9.1 rebounds over 19 games.
“I’ve been in touch with Caelan for a while, helping him figure out his next moves before joining the PBA Draft. We figured this would be a great opportunity for him to remind people how good he is,” said Tiu.
“He's a hard worker, tough and competitive, who is versatile and can play multiple positions, defend, and rebound very well. I think he will be a huge asset for our team," he added.
SGA will look to reclaim the championship for the Philippines. The country last won the Jones Cup via Mighty Sports back in 2019.