IN a few days, Gilas Pilipinas will begin its quest for redemption in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Nationals will be looking to improve on a forgettable performance from three years ago in Jakarta, where they failed to reach the quarterfinals and finished in ninth place -their worst since a similar finish in 2007 in Tokushima, Japan.
That Gilas team was still coached by Chot Reyes at a tumultuous time for the national squad after he re-assumed the Gilas job replacing Tab Baldwin. The team was also fresh from losing the Southeast Asian Games gold to Indonesia in Hanoi in May.
READ Chot steps down as Gilas coach at end of World Cup
Reyes brought a youth-laden team to Jakarta that had Poy Erram as its lone PBA player. Other members were Ray Parks, Thirdy Ravena, Kiefer Ravena, Rhenz Abando, SJ Belangel, William Navarro, Geo Chiu, RJ Abarrientos, and Francis Lopez.
Carl Tamayo and Kevin Quiambao are the only remnants from that Gilas team made up mostly of the cadets that Baldwin nurtured during his time in charge. Abarrientos was part of the present pool but didn't make the trip to Jeddah.
That team was also hounded by injuries with Dwight Ramos missing the tournament due to a shin injury and naturalized player Ange Kouame out due to a partial ACL tear.
Gilas started the tournament on the wrong foot as it was defeated by Wael Arakji-led Lebanon, 95-80. In the second quarter, Thirdy Ravena landed hard on the floor, causing a cut above his right eyebrow but ended up finishing the game. Belangel led the team in scoring with 17 points, followed by Parks with 15.
Gilas claimed its first, and it turned out only win of the tournament, after routing India, 101-59 in its second group-stage game. Navarro had 18 points, while Thirdy Ravena added 17 points despite the hard fall in the previous match.
The Nationals wrapped up the group stage with a blowout loss to New Zealand, 92-75. Kiefer Ravena had 17, Quiambao and Tamayo each had 14, but the Tall Blacks were just too much as Gilas was relegated to a play-in game for a quarterfinal berth.
However, the Philippines drew Japan, a team that had NBA player Yuta Watanabe at that time, in the play-in. Gilas, as expected, was booted out after a 102-81 Japan win behind the 15-point, nine-rebound effort of then Toronto Raptor Watanabe.
B.League imports Parks and Ravena couldn’t carry Gilas to victory and the Philippines settled for ninth place.
Incidentally, Lebanon finished second behind Australia in the tournament, while New Zealand took third place after a win over Jordan in the bronze-medal match.
READ: Cone explains change of heart on Gilas job
On the other hand, Reyes still held the reins in the 2023 Fiba World Cup which the Philippines co-hosted, this time with good friend Tim Cone by his side. That set off a transition that led to Cone taking over the job at the 2023 Asian Games.
Will this Gilas Pilipinas team fare better than the 2022 squad?
We will find out soon.
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