The only collegiate player on this version of Gilas Pilipinas is projected to be part of the program for a long time.
When Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone first announced the 12 players that would comprise the team that he would coach in the March window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, a few eyebrows were raised when a lone college player – La Salle’s Kevin Quiambao – made the roster.
But Quiambao’s body of work speaks for itself: UAAP Rookie of the Year, Finals MVP and the first local MVP in eight years. He is, without a doubt, the best amateur player in the country right now.
While Quiambao didn’t play heavy minutes during the recent FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT), on Monday Cone made it clear that the man known as “KQ” will be a regular fixture of the Gilas program in the years to come.
“He is, without a doubt, our future,” Cone said during a press briefing. “Within a year or two, he will be the veteran on this group. And some of the veterans that we have are going to get a little older and may not be available for the World Cup, and that’s just the way you build a team, right? I can’t guarantee that the 12 guys that we have now are going to be the same 12 four years from now.
“I can’t say that about Ginebra. The 12 guys or 15 guys that we have on Ginebra will be very unlikely to be the same 15 guys four years from now. But we want to try to keep the core as intact as possible.
“And Kevin represents that core, along with Carl (Tamayo). Kevin and Carl, they really represent that core of players that we want to grow in the system and become the future stars of the Gilas team. So they’re very, very important.
“So it would be devastating if suddenly Kevin or Carl were not playing with us in the next window and beyond.”
“The next window” that Cone was referring to is the November window of the Asia Cup qualifiers, where Gilas will host two home games against New Zealand and Hong Kong. There was some speculation about whether Quiambao would be available for the window considering the UAAP season would entering its homestretch around that time, but Cone quickly shot down any question about KQ’s availability.
“Well, as far as we know, and you might have newer news than we have, but as far as I know, we have a complete agreement with the UAAP, and it was already established before the first window that the UAAP would free up their players, would map their schedule so that they could play in the window. So I fully expect Kevin to be a part of it.
“We had a meeting with Al Panlilio and Erika Dy and all the stakeholders. I think a lot of you, some of the press were there, and there was a full agreement that the PBA and the UAAP and the NCAA who were there, also present, would make guys available.
“So unless you’ve gotten newer news than we have and they have changed their tune, which I don’t think they have, I think they would have informed us already. I fully expect Kevin to be there. Kevin’s an absolutely huge part of this program.”
The November games
It will be the first time that this iteration of Gilas will face New Zealand, which has had the Philippines’ number for a long time now.
Cone said the team will begin training again “five or seven days” before the Tall Blacks arrive. He is especially worried about them, and rightfully so. Gilas has lost its last three games against New Zealand by an average of 29.3 points. What’s more, the Tall Blacks recently beat Croatia in the OQT.
“New Zealand is really going to be a tough team for us in the FIBA Asia. And we’re looking forward to measuring up with them because they have handled us easily in the last few years playing against us. So we’re really looking forward to locking horns with them on an Asian level. And that should be a really, really good fight coming in when they come in.
“I obviously have watched New Zealand play because they’re entertaining and they’re one of the world’s top-ranked teams. They’re not a huge team in terms of a lot of seven-footers, but they are tall across the board.”
But one thing this version of Gilas has going for them is the continuity and camaraderie. Cone resistance to naming a large pool and sticking to his current 14-man pool is the main reason for this.
“I think they’re all excited to come back in November. Chris Newsome was talking to me after it was all done. The thing that he really enjoyed about this OQT trip was the camaraderie and the chemistry that went on with the team.
“He said it was just fantastic being with everybody and he felt everybody felt that way. So if that’s the case, you know, they’re going to be excited to come back in November and be with each other again.”
Banner Image from PBA Media Bureau.
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