TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The rosters for Taiwan's Blue and White teams were unveiled Wednesday ahead of the 45th William Jones Cup, which will tip off in New Taipei City on Aug. 14, per PTS.
The annual tournament will feature eight men's teams, including teams from the Philippines, South Korea, Japan, the US, Jordan, and Malaysia. The Blue team features several players from the Asian Games squad along with emerging national team talent.
The White team will primarily serve as a developmental squad for next year's FISU World University Games while also featuring several experienced professionals. The most notable addition is professional guard Kao Kuo-hao (高國豪), who will wear the national team jersey for the first time in eight years.
"To be honest, I'm very happy. It's truly an honor, and it's been a long time since I've been back," Kao said. "When I first received the jersey, I was excited because I hadn't worn it in such a long time."
Kao said not being selected for the national team over the past eight years had been disappointing, making his return especially meaningful regardless of whether he was assigned to the Blue or White squad.
His inclusion on the White team came at the recommendation of the coaching staff. The White team will be led by National Chengchi University Griffins head coach Chen Tzu-wei (陳子威), who also recruited three overseas-based players.
The three overseas players selected for the White team are Lin Yen-feng (林彥峰), Huang Chun-ting (黃鈞廷), and Cha Yu-cheng (車侑城). Lin will not be able to play because of eligibility issues and requirements from his university coach, which will keep him in the US. Cha must also complete FIBA's eligibility review to represent Taiwan as a domestic player.
The basketball association's deputy secretary-general, Chang Cheng-chung (張承中), said many veteran players recently completed the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers and must soon begin preparing for the Asian Games, leading to their absence from Jones Cup competition. "The players are actually quite tired," Chang said. "I respect their wishes. Some of them need to recover from injuries and rest," per LTN.
Chang said the White team's selection criteria emphasize player development and simulating a prospective World University Games roster. "It's more like a U25 national team, with players capable of competing in the Universiade forming the core," he said.
Yu Ai-che (游艾喆), a point guard who plays in Japan's B.League, will play for the Blue team. He said the team hopes both Taiwan squads can advance deep into the tournament. "We hope that both teams can advance together and compete for the semifinals or the championship," Yu said. "Our priority is to prepare ourselves well."
Blue team forward Tseng Hsiang-chun (曾祥鈞) said the roster features players with diverse backgrounds, providing an opportunity to build chemistry and gain valuable experience ahead of future international competitions.
