Gilas Pilipinas will get an infusion of fresh blood in the coming fifth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers as newly naturalized Filipino Bennie Boatwright gets his baptism of fire with the national team, along with surprise new addition Rhenz Abando.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas released Gilas Pilipinas’ official 12-man roster on Wednesday morning, well ahead of the usual one-week window teams are given to submit their lineups. The most notable names on that roster are obviously Boatwright and Abando, with the former a much-awaited alternative to long-time naturalized player Justin Brownlee and the latter a fan favorite for the longest time.
Who Will Join Abando and Boatwright?
Joining Boatwright and Abando for the fifth window are Dwight Ramos, Kevin Quiambao, AJ Edu, Kai Sotto, Juan Gomez de Liaño, Scottie Thompson, Chris Newsome, CJ Perez, Mike Phillips, and Quentin Millora-Brown.
Sotto, Gomez de Liaño, Edu, Ramos, Quiambao, Thompson, Newsome, and Perez were all part of the Gilas Pilipinas squad that swept Jordan and Iran in the fourth window held in Manila in August, with Edu, Ramos, Quiambao, and Newsome having played in every window. Thompson and Newsome have played in three of the four, JGDL in two windows, and Phillips and QMB in one each.
Carl Tamayo, another Gilas Pilipinas mainstay, will miss the fifth window due to an ankle injury. Calvin Oftana also won’t be around as he begged off due to his wife giving birth at month’s end.
What’s Next for Gilas Pilipinas?
Gilas Pilipinas will next face Syria and Iran in the fifth window. Syria, toting a record of 2-6, will be first on November 27. Iran, with a record of 5-3 and still smarting from a 68-56 loss to the Philippines in the fourth window, will be next on November 29.
Ahead of the fifth window, Gilas Pilipinas sits fifth in Group E with an even 4-4 record after escaping Jordan and beating Iran in the fourth window held in Manila. The goal is to finish in the top three in Group E or be the best fourth-place finisher in either bracket. That means if the qualifiers ended today, the Philippines wouldn’t make it to the FIBA World Cup in Qatar next year.
