Rachel Abrams, seen here driving against Rollers defenders during a fundraising tournament last month at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium, is one of the 12 players named to the CNMI Women’s National Team that will compete in the 8th Micronesian Games in Pohnpei later this month. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Jimmy Tudela, Christian Mizer, Ezra Caro, Jason Lampkin, Fred Litulumar, Leowell Cristobal, Bryle Alegre, Marvin Rabauliman, Jawn Joyner, and Preston Basa will make their first Micro Games appearance and will be joined by 2010 team holdovers Jack Lizama and Dan Barcinas.

On the women’s side, veteran Connie Camacho leads the returnees list, which also includes Lia Rangamar, Irish Pagarao, Ira Palero, Lilly Williams and Jamie Mendoza. Completing the team are Micro Games first timers Teresita Sablan, Rachel Abrams, Madeleine Alegre, Marie Javier, Antonette Labausa, and Michelle Kautz.

Both teams will be coached by Basketball Association of Northern Mariana Islands vice president Elias Rangamar, who will have Heartim Williams as his assistant for the men’s team and Basa for the women’s side.

Rangamar said that although only two players from the 2010 team are back for duty for the CNMI, the men’s squad is not lacking in experience, as some of them have already played for the Commonwealth in youth tournaments here and off island. Rabauliman played for the CNMI in the 2009 Oceania Basketball Tournament, while Tudela, Alegre, and Mizer suited up for the Commonwealth teams that participated in the Micronesian Basketball Tournament on Saipan and Guam in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Mizer is also playing in college in the U.S. mainland, while the rest are competing in various local leagues.

Early this year, the core of the team participated in the QQ caging and won the championship against JP World, which was bannered by former CNMI Men’s Nationals member and the high-scoring Freddie Pelisamen.

In the QQ caging, Rangamar’s wards worked on their motion offense, which was evidently missing in the CNMI’s last two campaigns in the Micro Games, as the Commonwealth bets relied on a run and gun game.

“Our offensive philosophy will feature a balanced offensive attack featuring half court sets and fast breaks. Our offense is not designed to create a shot for a particular player but to break down the defense until we get the best shot possible,” Rangamar said. “Our defense will feature mainly a half court man to man, but will instill zones or pressure defense if need to.”

The coach will employ the same strategy to the women’s team and will make the necessary adjustments as the tournament progresses.

“Our coaching staff along with our players will be watching games to do scouting on all the teams, using videos and notes so we can gauge the strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies of all the teams and formulate a game plan for each match,” Rangamar said.

The BANMI official added the absence of video footages of the participating teams make it hard for them to gauge their opponents, but judging from last Micro Games’ results, Guam remains the favorite.

“Guam is the benchmark but we can’t overlook the other teams,” said Rangamar, who has been facilitating the team’s training sessions since the start of the year.

“With the work we’ve put in the last several months, I am confident of coming back with medals for both squads. Both teams are young in terms of age but not lacking in experience. The focus of the team these last two weeks is on mastering our offensive and defensive schemes. I also hope that our players will have no major injuries coming into the tournament,” he added.

Both the men’s and women’s squads will leave Saipan for Pohpei on June 20, just in time for the 8pm opening ceremony of the Micro Games that will run until July 29.