Fajardo, Brownlee headline Gilas 12-man roster against New Zealand
The Gilas Pilipinas announced on Wednesday night the 12-man roster that will compete in their Thursday encounter against New Zealand for the second window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Qualifiers.
Headlining the line-up is the eight-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo, together with the six-time champion Justin Brownlee, who will once again don the Philippine colors as the naturalized player.
Japan B.League's Kai Sotto who has given a go signal after undergoing concussion protocol will be suiting up against the Kiwis.
They will be joined by Ginebra's Scottie Thompson and Japeth Aguilar, and TNT stand out Calvin Oftana. The three will wear the Red, White, and Blue together after their six-game battle in the recently concluded Governors' Cup Finals.
Meralco's team captain Chris Newsome will be part of the 12-man team, alongside Fajardo's SMB teammate CJ Perez. The three will be together this time after their Philippine Cup encounter last season where Newsome was named Finals MVP.
Levanga Hokkaido's Filipino-import Dwight Ramos will also be part of the squad, together with the youngsters, UAAP Season 86 MVP Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, and Mason Amos to complete the list.
AJ Edu, Jamie Malonzo, and Ange Kouame are part of the 15-man pool, but injuries to the first two kept them out of the roster.
Meanwhile, Kouame is a naturalized player and can only take Brownlee’s spot in the team.
The same Final 12 will likely be utilized against the Hong Kong team on November 24.
At 7:30 p.m. tonight, Gilas begins their second window run against the Tall Blacks at the Mall of Asia Arena.
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