 |
| Ange Kouame is returning to Gilas. EASL (file photo) |
MANILA--Ange Kouame has been added to the Gilas Pilipinas pool for the November window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers as announced by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas on Monday night.
The call-up to Meralco's naturalized player quota for the EASL ups the number of the national team members in consideration for a two-game home stand on Nov. 21 and 24 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay to 15.
As already called up before, Justin Brownlee, AJ Edu, June Mar Fajardo, Jamie Malonzo, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, CJ Perez, Kevin Quiambao, Dwight Ramos, Kai Sotto, Carl Tamayo, Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, and Mason Amos make up the rest of the Gilas pool.
Just like the previous setup, Aguilar and Amos will serve as injury replacements if in case someone from the Gilas pool's "Main 12" is ruled out.
Gilas head coach Tim Cone, concurrently the Ginebra mentor in the PBA, already ruled out Malonzo as he continues to recover from a calf injury he suffered last August in a Philippine Cup game against NorthPort, which means either Aguilar or Amos will make the cut when Gilas takes on New Zealand on Nov. 21 and Hong Kong on Nov. 24.
All eyes are also on the status of Sotto as he was hurt during last week's B.League action.
Sotto hurt his ankle on Wednesday night late in the third quarter of Koshigaya's home win against Edu's Nagasaki.
Sotto returned to the Alphas on Saturday and helped them beat his former team, the Yokohama B-Corsairs now starring former Gilas star Kiefer Ravena, but he suffered a concussion during that game and had to sit out in their rematch the day later won by the B-Corsairs.
Kouame's addition, though, means Brownlee gets his own backup, allowing him to rest in one of the two scheduled home games.
Rumors have floated around too on Brownlee's injury status as he was seen limping out of either the Ynares Center in Antipolo or the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City after the Gin Kings' games against Oftana's TNT Tropang Giga in the PBA Governors' Cup Finals, but both he and Cone insisted that they were just cases of cramps.
Gilas team manager Richard Del Rosario said that the national team will hold a training camp at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba City beginning Friday.
Follow him on X: @IvanSaldajeno
.jpg)
