FOR the first time in five years, there will be no Thirdy Ravena in the Japan B.League.
But despite the pioneer’s departure from the Land of the Rising Sun, the Philippine delegation remains strong with 10 players suiting up across the two divisions of the Japanese professional league when it tips off this weekend.
From that, eight are still under the Asian Players Quota.
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Kai Sotto leads the charge as he gets a fresh start with the newly promoted Koshigaya Alphas. It’s a much-needed reboot for the Gilas Pilipinas center who spent the better part of the past two seasons with the Yokohama B-Corsairs and Hiroshima Dragonflies.
Kiefer Ravena also opens a new chapter to his career as he joins Yokohama for this season as he teams up with former B.League champion Josh Scott and seven-year NBA veteran Gary Clark. He spent the last three seasons with the Shiga Lakes, helping it to the B2 crown last year.
It’s the same case for Ray Parks who moved from Nagoya Diamond Dolphins to now with the Osaka Evessa, where he’ll be side by side with former national player Joji Takeuchi.
Matthew Wright also changed addresses in the offseason as he left the Kyoto Hannaryz for Kawasaki Brave Thunders, where he’ll be alongside veteran Ryusei Shinoyama and five-year NBA pro Alize Johnson.
And AJ Edu will now play for the Nagasaki Velca where he’ll learn from ex-Akatsuki Five member Yudai Baba after an injury-riddled campaign with the Toyama Grouses.
Dwight Ramos is the only one who stayed put as he’ll act as a captain for Levanga Hokkaido in his third season.
Over in B2, Roosevelt Adams remains with the Yamagata Wyverns for the second straight season after the team came close to a promotion.
Geo Chiu is the lone new face for the Pinoys abroad as he signed with the Ehime Orange Vikings.
Aside from those, there are also players with Pinoy lineage playing in the B.League.
Born in Japan, Matthew Aquino is considered as a local and has linked up with the Gunma Crane Thunders to remain in B1. There, he will be teammates with Fiba World Cup champion and German national team member Johannes Thiemann, as well as Naoto Tsuji and Allen Hachimura.
Fil-Am guard Kihei Clark, on the other hand, will be one of the foreign imports for Kumamoto Volters as he’ll be teammates with Thai-American swingman Tyler Lamb.
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Pinoys, however, are not the rave in the B.League this 2024-25 season.
Yuta Watanabe, who played six seasons in the NBA with Memphis, Toronto, Brooklyn, and Phoenix, returns home to Japan as he plays for the Chiba Jets together with Yuki Togashi.
David Nwaba, who played six years in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago, Cleveland, Brooklyn, and Houston, has agreed to play for the San-En NeoPhoenix, while Jake Layman, who suited up for Portland and Minnesota in six years, has joined SeaHorses Mikawa.
The B.League has also restructured its conference allocations.
The Eastern Conference will have the Utsunomiya Brex, Chiba Jets, Gunma Crane Thunders, Akita Northern Happinets, Sendai 89ers, Levanga Hokkaido, and the reallocated Koshigaya Alphas and Ibaraki Robots.
Meanwhile, the Central Conference have added perennial contender Alvark Tokyo and last year’s East leaders Nagoya Diamond Dolphins together with San-En NeoPhoenix, SeaHorses Mikawa, SunRockers Shibuya, Kawasaki Brave Thunders, Fighting Eagles Nagoya, Yokohama B-Corsairs.
The Western Conference will be composed of defending champion Hiroshima Dragonflies, runner-up Ryukyu Golden Kings, Shimane Susanoo Magic, Saga Ballooners, Nagasaki Velca, Osaka Evessa, Kyoto Hannaryz, and B2 champs Shiga Lakes.
For B2, the Eastern Conference will be comprised of newly relegated teams Shinshu Brave Warriors and Toyama Grouses, as well as last year’s B2 semifinalists Altiri Chiba and Yamagata Wyverns, Aomori Wat’s, Fukushima Firebonds, and B3 champion Fukui Blowinds; while the Western Conference will have Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka, Kumamoto Volters, Veltex Shizuoka, Kobe Storks, Bambitious Nara, Ehime Orange Vikings, and B3 promotee Kagoshima Rebnise.
Iwate Big Bulls and Niigata Albirex BB were relegated to the third division.
As the case last season, the top two teams from each conference earn automatic qualification, with the next best teams clinching wildcard spots to complete the eight-team playoff picture.
The two worst teams in B1 will be relegated to B2, to be replaced with the B2 finalists next season.
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