Japeth Aguilar will take on a larger role for the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team in the February window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.
According to Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone, the 37-year-old Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings big man will be included in the frontline rotation following the unexpected injury of prized center Kai Sotto.
“Well, that’s why we have Japeth. Japeth is there to replace any of the bigs that we have,” Cone said in an interview with the media following the Gin Kings’ 93-81 victory over the San Miguel Beermen on Sunday night.
“He’s eligible and has experience. And if you can tell me there’s another big out there that matches Japeth’s size and ability, then I’ll be happy to look at him,” added the winningest PBA mentor.
It was Aguilar who took over the center position for the national men’s basketball team during their Olympic Qualifying Tournament campaign in Latvia last year when Sotto went down with an injury.
Aside from Aguilar, Cone said that he is also considering Gin Kings forward Jamie Malonzo and De La Salle University Green Archers big man Mason Amos to play some center minutes.
The 7-foot-3 Sotto appeared to suffer a left knee injury during the Koshigaya Alphas’ 79-77 defeat to the Seahorses Mikawa in the Japan B.League Division 1 action on Sunday afternoon.
The Alphas have yet to issue an official update on the severity of the injury sustained by Sotto, who played a vital role in Gilas Pilipinas’ two victories in the November window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers last year.
The Philippine men’s basketball team will have two road games in the February window, against Chinese Taipei on the 20th and the mighty New Zealand on the 23rd.
The post Japeth Aguilar to play larger role for Gilas in FIBA qualifiers first appeared on Fastbreak.
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