MATTHEW Aquino has been included in the 15-man Japan pool for the February window of the 2023 Fiba World Cup Asian qualifiers.
It is the second time the Shinshu Brave Warriors center and son of PBA great Marlou Aquino has been shortlisted in the Akatsuki Five pool. He was called up last November before being cut ahead of the Japan matches against China in Sendai.
Aquino will be part of a youthful crew which also features his Shinshu teammates Reo Maeda, Ko Kumagai, and Yudai Okada.
Leading the team is naturalized player Luke Evans (Fighting Eagles Nagoya), as well as holdovers Avi Koki Schafer (SeaHorses Mikawa) and Ryo Terashima (Hiroshima Dragonflies).
Matthew Aquino is in Japan's preliminary roster.
Completing the roster are Yudai Nishida (SeaHorses Mikawa), Ryuto Yasuoka (Akita Northern Happinets), Isaiah Murphy (Hiroshima Dragonflies), Yo Nishino (SunRockers Shibuya), and Hiroya Kawasanada (Shiga Lakestars).
Japan head coach Tom Hovasse also included three high school players in his lineup, namely Tokai University's Yuki Kawamura (Yokohama B-Corsairs) and Ren Kinchika, and Daito Bunka University's Shinji Takashima.
Japan will face Chinese Taipei on Feb. 26 and Australia on Feb. 27 at Okinawa Arena in their Group B games.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
