The inconsistent eligibility rules imposed by the Thai organizers, which stripped the national team of key players, unexpectedly worked in our favor—opening the door for an unlikely player who became the biggest X-factor in the tournament.
In his very first national team stint, the 22-year-old 6-foot-5 power forward Cedrick Manzano didn’t just answer the call but proved to be the difference-maker for Gilas.
The tournament didn’t begin smoothly for the Adamson star. He barely saw the floor against Malaysia and had trouble establishing any offensive rhythm against Indonesia’s towering frontcourt. But what he lacked in height, he more than made up for it with his defense, hustle and intensity.
While his contributions didn’t always appear in the stat sheet, his impact on the game was clear. Despite limited minutes against Vietnam, he still finished with a team-best +26 plus-minus, which meant that Gilas scored 26 more points than Vietnam with him on the floor. He also made his presence felt on defense against Indonesia, finishing the game with seven rebounds, including five offensive.
But his most standout performance came in the fourth quarter of the gold medal match against host nation Thailand. With JP Erram fouling out early after two consecutive fouls, Manzano stepped up to the challenge and changed the game. Guarding Ejesu, he effectively denied him the ball on offense and limited his impact on the boards with strong box out. He also made a crucial defensive play at the 7:30 mark, tapping the ball away from Ejesu and allowing his teammates to secure the rebound. Just 25 seconds later, he was able to secure an offensive rebound and then converted on a putback to extend the nationals’ lead to four points.
He immediately followed up on the other end, outpositioning Ejesu on another rebound and drawing a rare offensive foul for the team. At the 5:03 mark, he also made a good recovery on defense and forced a miss from Jakrawan that would have been an easy two points. He also won the tip, allowing Gilas to push the ball which turned into a crucial five-point swing after Malonzo knocked down a pull up three-pointer. Gilas led by 10 at that point, maintained control and held on for the win.
That performance proved he deserves not just a spot on Team C. But a place in the main lineup alongside Gilas’ top young frontcourt stars—Sotto, Edu, and Millora-Brown.
