QUENTIN Millora-Brown will be bringing physicality to Gilas Pilipinas after his inclusion in the pool for the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Head coach Tim Cone said QMB brings a dimension to the national team with his 6-foot-10 stature that is unique to the other bigs of Gilas such as Kai Sotto, AJ Edu, and June Mar Fajardo.
READ QMB grateful to be taken under wings of June Mar, Japeth
“He is a physical type of player and I think that’s what we lack,” said Cone. “I think we need that physicality.”
Millora-Brown was included in the Gilas pool shortly after he was reclassified as a local following an appeal made by his camp. He is up for consideration for Gilas' Final 12 for the two games against Guam on November 28 and December 1.
Cone said Gilas needs someone that can body up on the opponent’s bigs around the basket, and he thinks that Millora-Brown fits the bill.
And with Kai Sotto still recovering from an ACL injury suffered during his stint in the Japan B.League, Cone said Millora-Brown fills the gap especially on the defensive side of the ball.
“AJ is really a good player. He has his own level of physicality but he is not a power guy. Japeth is not a power guy also obviously. Usually, our physical guys are guys like Carl (Tamayo) but he’s a little undersized for being a four or five-man guy in the international game.”
It will be recalled that during the FIBA Asia Cup 2025, Gilas to contain one of the bigs in the tournament in Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Alsuwailem, who lorded over the Philippines with 26 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks.
Gilas escaped with a win in overtime, 95-88, thanks to Justin Brownlee's heroics sent the game into overtime.
“So it’s nice to have a guy at 6-10 who is physical. June Mar, obviously, is the other big, physical presence that we have," said Cone.
"We are still missing Kai but just a guy that can play off on the weak side of the offense, and collect rebounds and give us extra opportunities, finish around the basket, and then be able to devote himself, be a committed defender to a big man who can score that we may need to put him on,” Cone said.
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