Big man AJ Edu has been a Gilas Pilipinas constant ever since he made his seniors debut in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. However, he has largely played in the shadows of his more heralded frontcourt partner, Kai Sotto.
On Friday night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, Edu showed he is just as impactful as anyone in Gilas Pilipinas, tallying 9 points and 11 rebounds while bringing infectious energy and top‑notch defense in the nationals’ second round opener in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Tim Cone Lauds AJ Edu’s Defense
AJ Edu’s defensive effort certainly wasn’t lost on Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone, who credited the Fil‑Cypriot’s defense as a major factor in the nationals’ 82‑81 comeback win over Jordan.
“AJ was phenomenal,” Cone said. “He changed our pick‑and‑roll defense. We had to change our schemes from the first half because we weren’t getting up on our screens, and [Jalen] Harris was rising from screens. [Freddy] Ibrahim was rising from screens and getting shots. And AJ, with his defensive versatility, was able to jump out on screens and really kind of stop their offense in its tracks.”
Cone was referring to the blazing start of Jordan’s backcourt of Ibrahim and Harris. The two exploded for 29 points in the first half alone, with Ibrahim firing 15 on three triples and Harris adding 14 on a trio of treys. Crucially, both were pulling up almost uncontested on pick‑and‑rolls in Gilas Pilipinas’ usual dropback coverage.
AJ Edu Shows Hard
That dynamic mostly changed when Edu was on the floor. Rather than sag on pick‑and‑rolls, the 6‑foot‑10 big man showed hard on the ballhandler—whether it was Ibrahim, Harris, or even Abdullah Olajuwon—and trapped, taking away the pull‑up three and forcing a pass instead. For Cone, that defensive adjustment was pivotal.
“Without that, we wouldn’t have been able to get back into the game,” Cone said. “And that was one of the defensive big adjustments that happened because of what he was doing. And that really changed the tempo of the game.”
Indeed, it did. Harris and Ibrahim, shackled by Scottie Thompson and Dwight Ramos and often trapped by Edu on screens, scored just 12 points in the second half. Crucially, they made just one triple apiece as Edu helped take away the open pull‑up trey.
Of course, Gilas Pilipinas also needed a late‑game Cjay Perez takeover to pull out the win in the end. But AJ Edu certainly helped put the national team in a position to win with his defense.
