JAYSON Castro and Carl Bryan Cruz won't be suiting up for Gilas Pilipinas in the opening window of the Fiba Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers starting on Thursday.
The two were not in the group of TNT players who joined the national team that is now inside the bubble for the Feb. 24 to 28 meet.
Team manager Butch Antonio confirmed the absence of the two previous Gilas mainstay in the 13-man team that will battle New Zealand and India in the first window at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Gilas Pilipinas has five TNT players and one from Northport on the roster.
South Korea has since withdrew from the competition as cases of COVID-19 depleted its roster.
As it is, only Poy Erram, Kelly Williams, Kib Montalbo, Gab Banal, Troy Rosario, and Roger Pogoy are the TNT players joining the Gilas team along with NorthPort guard Robert Bolick.
"Yes, we plan to use only those we brought with us here in the bubble," said Antonio.
Along with Pogoy, Rosario was among the last to enter the bubble on Monday as the big man still had to undergo therapy for the spinal shock he sustained during the Philippine Cup finals against Magnolia.
Castro returning for another tour of duty with Gilas was renewed after coach Chot Reyes named him as one of TNT players included in the initial 22-man pool of the national team for this coming window.
Cruz, who also played under Reyes in previous Gilas stint, was also in the list along with Ryan Reyes, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, Jjay Alejandro, Brian Heruela, and Glenn Khobuntin.
Ganuelas-Rosser also suited up for Gilas in the past.
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