THAT young big man AJ Edu was left out in the final 12 of the Gilas Pilipinas roster for the second window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers didn’t come as a surprise.
While the 6-foot-10 Fil-Nigerian joined the national team in its four-day training camp at the Inspire Sports Academy, the knee injury he sustained in the B.League prior to coming over ruled him out of playing for coach Tim Cone for the very first time.
“He’s not yet fully recovered,” stressed Gilas team manager Richard Del Rosario on the eve of the Filipinos’ highly-anticipated showdown with the New Zealand Tall Blacks.
READ AJ Edu, Jamie Malonzo out of Gilas Pilipinas 12 vs. New Zealand
Initially, Cone and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) named a 15-man Gilas pool for this coming window of the Asia Cup that included naturalized big man Ange Kouame, Edu, and Jamie Malonzo.
But Kouame and Malonzo are certain to be crossed out of the 12-man roster for obvious reasons.
As per FIBA rules, only one naturalized player is allowed to be fielded by a team and Cone has said from the start that Brownlee will play against the Tall Blacks.
READ QMB confirms he's eligible and willing to play for Gilas
As for Malonzo, the explosive power forward hasn’t really played competitive ball since undergoing calf surgery last May and from the looks of it, doesn’t seem to be in playing shape.
That left the 24-year-old Edu as the only one who has a shot at cracking the Gilas lineup.
Unfortunately, the former Batang Gilas stalwart has not seen action too, since hurting his knee in Nagasaki Velca’s 71-68 loss to the Akita Northern Happinets on the final day of the B.League before going on a break for the FIBA window.
Edu didn’t play in the national team’s lone tune-up against the Meralco Bolts which it won, 96-82.
“He is still undergoing treatment and strengthening,” said Del Rosario of Edu’s situation.
The Gilas team manager described Edu’s condition as ‘day-to-day,’ meaning the big man out of University of Toledo can still play for Gilas in its next game against Hong Kong on Sunday.
Or won’t he?
With Edu out against the Tall Blacks, Mason Amos cracked the Gilas lineup along with Brownlee, June Mar Fajardo, Scottie Thompson, CJ Perez, Calvin Oftana, Chris Newsome, Dwight Ramos, Carl Tamayo, Kai Sotto, Kevin Quiambao, and Japeth Aguilar.
Amos and Aguilar were the two Gilas reserves previously named.
The 6-foot-9 Aguilar has since taken the spot of the 6-foot-8 Malonzo.
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