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RJ Abarrientos and Quentin Millora-Brown have officially earned their spots in the 12-man Gilas Pilipinas roster for this weekend’s opening window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, marking their first major international run under coach Tim Cone.
Both players impressed through a week-long training camp capped by a three-day lock-in at Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna, convincing Cone and the staff that they were ready for the big stage.
They join a powerhouse Gilas lineup featuring Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, Chris Newsome, Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, June Mar Fajardo, Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, CJ Perez, and naturalized star Justin Brownlee. Jamie Malonzo, Troy Rosario, and Juan Gomez de Liano were the final cuts from the original 18-man pool submitted to FIBA.
“These are the 12 we’re going to war with. We’re really proud to have them,” Cone said during the official roster reveal at The Upper Deck Sports Center in Ortigas.
All 12 players attended the sendoff hosted by ArenaPlus, Cignal, and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, alongside SBP executive director Erika Dy, Gilas program director Alfrancis Chua, PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, and Total Gamezone Xtreme president Jasper Vicencio.
Marcial said the PBA leadership met with Cone, Chua, and SBP president Ricky Vargas last week to reaffirm full league support for the national program. “The PBA is 100 percent behind Gilas and the SBP. We’re here for them,” he stressed.
Cone, meanwhile, underscored the urgency of the upcoming games against Guam, especially with Group A featuring regional heavyweights Australia and New Zealand.
“We’re not taking anything for granted. We’re putting our best foot forward on Friday,” he said.
Gilas departs for Guam on Tuesday night before facing the hosts at 5 p.m. Friday at the University of Guam Calvo Field House.