Naturalized prospect Bennie Boatwright got a glimpse of what to expect in his future squad as he dropped by Gilas Pilipinas practice on Thursday at the Upper Deck Gym in Pasig City.

No less than newly-elected Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Ricky Vargas, Gilas Pilipinas program director Alfrancis Chua and head coach Tim Cone rolled out the red carpet for the 29-year-old American, wishing him well as he undergoes the tedious process of naturalization.

Together with fellow naturalization prospects Malick Diouf and Elizabeth Means, Boatwright faced members of the Justice Committee of the House of Representatives on Wednesday to tackle his application for naturalization.

SBP executive director Erika Dy told DAILY TRIBUNE that the deliberation went smoothly and all necessary documents have been submitted. Now, it’s up to the lawmakers to decide whether the three cagers deserve to be naturalized Filipinos, who will represent the country in major international tournaments.

Dy, whose older brother Rep. Mike Dy of Isabela stands as the principal author of the measures, hopes that the process will be done at least before the year ends to give Diouf and Means a chance to play in 3x3 tournaments that will pave the way for the country’s historic appearance in the Los Angeles Olympics.

Aside from Boatwright, also present during the Gilas training were Diouf and Means as well as Dy and Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Willie Marcial.

Cone said having Boatwright drop by Gilas training to meet his future teammates didn’t come as a surprise.

“He would attend practices in terms of just looking and watching,” Cone said in a recent statement, adding that having Boatwright as observer is a positive thing as the Nationals prepare for the first window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers against Guam on 28 November and 1 December.

“He’s going to come over and watch some of the practices. So, that would be a positive thing for us.”

If and when Boatwright becomes a naturalized Filipino, he will replace the 37-year-old Justin Brownlee while sparking a youth movement in the Gilas Pilipinas side that is looking to regain its status as among the best teams in the world.

Joining Boatwright as the future of Gilas squad are 23-year-old Kai Sotto, 24-year-old Carl Tamayo, 25-year-old AJ Edu, and 24-year-old Kevin Quiambao. Recently, the squad further injected some young blood after adding Juan Gomez de Liano and Quentin Millora-Brown, who are both 25 years old, into the pool.

Boatwright will also join 27-year-old Ange Kouame as reinforcement, but they couldn’t participate in international events at the same time.

He said being part of the national squad is such a blessing.

“I’m very excited for the opportunity. It’s such a blessing,” Boatwright said at the conclusion of House deliberation on Wednesday, adding that he remains in touch with Cone to keep him in the loop on the latest updates on the team.

“I keep in touch with Coach Tim and Coach Richard all the time. Just getting updates. And, of course, I’m going to support Gilas in the next upcoming games.”