Francis Lopez is spreading his wings in Japan with Fighting Eagles Nagoya.
Now chasing his professional league dreams in Japan, Francis Lopez has found reliable shoulders to lean on through the Filipino stars that blazed the trail for young players like him.
Lopez bid farewell to University of the Philippines last June to sign with Fighting Eagles Nagoya in the Japan B.League for the 2025-26 season, and two stars have been instrumental in his adjustment period.
“My closest one is actually Dwight [Ramos], and we text everyday. I just ask him for some advice on how to deal with this, how to deal with that, since he’s been in the league for aroun four or five years already,” Lopez told a small group of reporters on the first day of the B.League Hope Asia Hoop Festival 2025 on Saturday at Bonifacio Global City.
“Kiefer [Ravena] as well, because he’s been in the league for quite some time. And I’m just asking him some advice on how to deal with some stuff, so that’s been [helping me] pretty well.”
Ramos and Ravena were among the two pioneering imports in the B.League, being signed by the Toyama Grouses and Shiga Lakestars, respectively, for the 2021-22 season. “St. Dwight” is now a co-captain with the Levanga Hokkaido, and is averaging career-highs of 13.2 points and 3.1 rebounds as Hokkaido holds a 14-4 record for the 2025-26 season.
Ravena, meanwhile, is in his second year with the Yokohama B-Corsairs, putting up 10.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists across the first 18 games of the ongoing season.
“We have 60 games, so they just say that you have to move on and you can’t stick and dwell on the last game,” Lopez said of the two stars’ advice. “Sometimes I have bad games so I tend to be down, and they just tell me that I have to move on.”
As a B.League rookie, Lopez is producing of 7.4 points and 3.5 rebounds, and has shown signs of his potential to thrive in Japan after finishing with 27 points and seven rebounds last November 2 against Utsunomiya Brex.
Although Nagoya sits at 11th with a 6-12 record, Lopez knows that they can turn things around after the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers break.
“So far my team is doing good right now. We just work everyday, try to understand each other’s game style and gameplay. We just try to get along everyday.”
Carrying the UP Fight
Even as he goes about his B.League rookie year, Francis Lopez has also kept tabs on the Fighting Maroons, who are in the midst of their title defense in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
After a 0-2 start to the season, State U has since turned things around, finishing with a 10-4 record to enter the Final Four as the second seed behind National University.
“Well, they started pretty bad in the first two games. I’ve known Coach Gold too well, and I’m sure he was stressed those first two games! But I’m sure that they’ve adjusted pretty well and I’m very happy for them that they got the twice to beat,” Lopez said of UP’s campaign.
MAROON PRIDE. ✊
— The Game Magazine (@thegamemagph) November 19, 2025
Former UP stars Francis Lopez and Quentin Millora-Brown are in attendance for today’s Battle of Katipunan here at the MOA Arena. #UAAPSeason88 pic.twitter.com/nZwQO56FUy
Lopez remains confident in UP’s chances at the back-to-back, especially under the leadership of the “Maroon 5”, and the impact of newcomers Rey Remogat and Francis Nnoruka.
“I’m just looking forward, and I think they’re gonna get it this season. So I’ll just continue to support them and I’m sending all my love to all the players out there.”
Banner images from the Japan B.League on Instagram.