GILAS Pilipinas U18 gets its feet wet, as it is set to play in the 19th Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup which starts this May 17.
The national youth team will be slotted in the UAAP Group, facing off against three-time champion University of the Philippines, reigning UAAP kings La Salle, perennial contenders University of Santo Tomas and National U, and the promising crews of Adamson and Ateneo.
University of the East opted to skip this year's preseason tilt.
"It's our immense honor to welcome our national team to the premier preseason league," said league chairman Virgil Villavicencio.
"This is our own little way of helping the Gilas Youth program prepare for battle, equipping them with valuable experience against tougher and more experienced opponents with the collegiate teams while also adding more spice to this year's competitions."
The Filoil Preseason is a full-fledged member of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), with Villavicencio a longtime part of the federation's braintrust.
Coached by Juno Sauler, Gilas Youth is parading some of the top young players in the country, among them being Chog Moral, Prince Carino, Shaun Lucido, Lian Basa, and Andwele Cabanero, as it completes this edition's 18-team field.
Philippines preps for SEABA
With this, the Philippines gets a much-needed workout before it embarks in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup SEABA Qualifiers in Krabi, Thailand.
If triumphant in the SEABA Qualifiers, Gilas Youth will shift its attention to the preparations for the 2026 FIBA U18 Asia Cup in Qatar come September.
This is the first time that a national team is joining the famed preseason tilt since 2018, when the Gilas Cadets of coach Jong Uichico paraded Kai Sotto, Carl Tamayo, Thirdy Ravena, Kobe Paras, and Robert Bolick.
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