Quentin Millora-Brown excited to team up with former UAAP rival Mike Phillips for Gilas Pilipinas

What was once a fierce collegiate rivalry may soon become a key partnership for the Philippine national team.

After battling each other in the trenches of the UAAP, Quentin Millora-Brown is now embracing the possibility of sharing the floor with former adversary Mike Phillips as Gilas Pilipinas continues to reshape its identity heading into the next window of international competition.

Millora-Brown anchored the interior for the University of the Philippines during UAAP Season 87, while Phillips served as the defensive engine for De La Salle University. Their matchup became one of the defining frontcourt duels of the season, culminating in a championship run for the Fighting Maroons.

Now, their paths are aligning under a different flag.

Phillips recently received clearance from FIBA to suit up as a local player for Gilas, opening the door for a potential reunion—this time as teammates—when the Philippines returns for Window 3 against familiar opponents New Zealand men’s national basketball team and Australia men’s national basketball team.

For Millora-Brown, the transition from rivalry to brotherhood feels natural.

“His energy is amazing. I think he’ll bring great effort to us — really strong defensive energy, a hard roller, and a great screener. There’s a lot to look forward to,” Millora-Brown told reporters after Sunday’s 66-93 loss to the Boomers at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

While the spotlight has largely focused on Gilas’ recent setbacks, the 6-foot-9 big man is quietly building consistency in his role. Across four international appearances, Millora-Brown has averaged 8.3 points on an efficient 61.9-percent shooting clip while pulling down eight rebounds per game—numbers that reflect his growing comfort in the system.

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Still, he believes his impact goes beyond scoring.

“I still need to feel the system. In the last three games, I’ve started figuring out where I fit, where I can score. Defensively, that’s always about energy, effort, and giving 100 percent,” Millora-Brown shared.

“For me, it’s also about helping our guys — finding ways to get Justin open, get him comfortable, and give our other shooters confidence. We never really found a confident flow throughout the game; they were taking us out of our spots more than we wanted.”

That mindset underscores a broader shift within Gilas Pilipinas, where roles are evolving and chemistry remains a work in progress. With established contributors like Justin Brownlee, Dwight Ramos, and CJ Perez carrying significant responsibilities, the arrival of Phillips could inject additional defensive intensity and rebounding presence.

Despite back-to-back losses in Window 2, the Philippines has already secured passage to the next round of qualifiers, giving the team valuable time to recalibrate. For Millora-Brown, the focus now shifts toward physicality, execution, and turning lessons into results when Gilas faces the same opponents again.

“Just breaking their physicality, getting downhill with our guards, relieving pressure, and finding ways to get passes down the elbow,” he said.

“That’s what we need to do to win in the next games.”

If Phillips officially joins the rotation, Gilas may soon feature a frontcourt built not on rivalry—but on reinforcement.

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