Strong Group Pilipinas eyes Jones Cup three-peat with Boban Marjanovic

Strong Group Pilipinas will field a star-studded roster as it seeks a third straight title at the 2026 William Jones Cup this month.

The lineup will be led by former NBA center Boban Marjanovic, who will anchor the Philippine squad’s interior.

After his first few practice sessions with the team, head coach Charles Tiu praised the Serbian big man for his professionalism, intelligence, and impact on the team.

"He's been great, obviously, being around in the last couple of days. Great guy, fun teammate, but very professional also. [He] doesn't complain, just gets to work. Smart player. So, obviously, he's a big plus for us," Tiu said during an interview on Friday.

Marjanovic joins naturalized Filipino big man Malick Diouf, Puerto Rican forward Isaiah Piñeiro, American big man Tajuan Agee, Will Navarro, and two-time NCAA Most Valuable Player Allen Liwag.

Filipino-American guard Remy Martin will team up with Titing Manalili in the backcourt, while Dave Ildefonso, DJ Fenner, and Matthew Wright complete the group.

Despite the firepower, Tiu expects a tougher challenge this year, with Korea and Jordan bringing their national teams and UC Irvine providing a formidable college side.

"Well I think this year the tournament is much tougher. There's a Korean team, also you have the Jordan the national team, you see Irvine, the college team with the 7'9 dude. So interesting pool of teams ngayon."

Still, Tiu believes Strong Group Pilipinas is ready to defend its back-to-back crown.

"We should be up for the task and hopefully we can compete and represent the country well."

The 2026 William Jones Cup will be held in New Taipei City, Taiwan, starting August 13.

—JKC, GMA News