CHICAGO - With Kai Sotto out in the foreseeable future with a torn ACL and Japeth Aguilar dealing with "personal matters," Gilas Pilipinas can really use another big body in the line-up.
Should that help arrive, though, it won't be Quentin Millora-Brown.
According to sources at the Samahang Basketbol Ng Pilipinas (SBP), the former UP Fighting Maroon "will not be part of the Fiba February window."
Cone takes caution on Brownlee, Edu for Gilas training camp in Doha
Well, so much for the chatter about supposedly getting the best players available to represent our flag.
Long before he anchored UP's magical title run in Season 87 of the UAAP last December, the Fil-Am from Virginia had already expressed his desire to honor his heritage and slip his 6-foot-10, 265-lb frame into a red, white and blue jersey.
Not gonna happen.
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN.
Obviously, the exclusion from the upcoming Gilas skirmishes against Chinese-Taipei on February 20 and against extra large New Zealand three days later, crushed QMB's feelings.
"He's disappointed. We did everything possible because of how badly he wanted to play for his country, but it appears their work was not submitted in a timely fashion," Team QMB told me via text message on Thursday morning.
The logical inference is that QMB's requisite paperwork was not uploaded in the Fiba portal in time to for the big man's eligibility to play as a homegrown player to be considered.
Inadvertent or not, that put to naught the efforts of the 24-year old player's camp.
"Q's family compiled all the paperwork needed to qualify for the national team," Team QMB added.
All of that familial labor, the type where everyone pulled on one rope for a loved one, just got flushed down the drain.
PLAN B FOR QMB?
This is how QMB badly wanted to rep Gilas: He put on hold a generous offer to play in Spain. He figured that step in his career can wait until he fulfills his dream of repping the Philippines.
Although this setback doesn't mean he won't suit up for Gilas ever, precious time was wasted and a lot of feelings hurt.
The idea that Tim Cone chose players such as Troy Rosario ahead of QMB makes sense but it must also be noted that QMB has a high basketball IQ that was nurtured and nourished while playing for top programs in the US NCAA.
QMB will quickly learn any system, including the triangle or whatever basketball geometry there is,
His work ethic is also legendary. Just ask the folks over at UP who are still on Cloud 9 following their recent championship.
It's unclear what's next for QMB but the MPBL is out of the question even though he has a standing offer to play there for at least P800,000 a month.
Entering the PBA may be an option but the fact that even the top picks can make no more than P420,000 a month for at least two years is a major source of trepidation.
The story for now is that QMB wanted to be a Gilas soldier. sadly, it looks like he didn't even get a chance to prove his worth at boot camp.
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