Jordan Heading, Caelan Tiongson join Strong Group in Jones Cup

The Strong Group Athletics secured the commitment of Jordan Heading and Caelan Tiongson for the team's campaign in the upcoming Jones Cup in Taiwan.

The former Gilas Pilipinas player has also seen action with Strong Group back in the Dubai International Basketball Championship early this year.

In Dubai, the 6-foot-2 player had 10.3 points, 3.9 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game.

Now playing for West Adelaide Bearcats in NBL1 Central, Heading is posting averages of 19.14 points, 4.14 assists and 3.43 rebounds.

“Jordan was an automatic choice for me once I found out he'd be available to play,” Strong Group head coach Charles Tiu said about Heading.

“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.”

The 6-foot-4 Tiongson, meanwhile, played for Alab Pilipinas in the 2018-19 season of the ASEAN Basketball League before he headed to Taiwan to play for the Taoyuan Leopards in the T1 League from 2021-22.

In Taiwan, the 32-year old player averaged 13.5 points and 9.1 rebounds in 19 games played.

“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,” Tiu said about Tiongson.

“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.”

The team hopes to bring home the crown once again as the country last had it with Mighty Sports in 2019.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News