MATTHEW Aquino will get another shot in proving his worth for the Japanese national team as he was enlisted in the 12-man roster for the Australia game on Sunday.
Matthew Aquino in Japan lineup
The Fil-Japanese center has made the cut anew as coach Tom Hovasse put premium on height for the Akatsuki Five in their duel against the Boomers in the 2023 Fiba World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Joining Aquino in the roster are former Meralco import Seiya Ando and veterans Yuki Togashi, and Kosuke Takeuchi.
Naturalized center Luke Evans will also be joined by Daichi Taniguchi and the debuting Kengo Nemoto up front.
Completing the roster are Takuma Sato, Yudai Nishida, Ryo Terashima, Isaiah Murphy, and Keita Imamura as they play Australia at Okinawa Arena.
Avi Koki Schafer, Takatoshi Furukawa, and Takumi Saito will sit out this game for the Akatsuki Five.
Aquino tabulated two points and one rebound in his three minutes and 53 seconds of play in Japan's 76-71 win over Chinese Taipei on Saturday to earn its first win in Group D.
It will be a tough challenge for Japan, holding a 1-2 card, as they face the reigning Olympic bronze medalist Australia which is coming off a 98-61 beatdown of the Taiwanese on Friday.
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