Now Reading: Tim Cone to stick with current pool of Gilas players for FIBA World Cup qualifiers
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Tim Cone to stick with current pool of Gilas players for FIBA World Cup qualifiers
Tim Cone to stick with current pool of Gilas players for FIBA World Cup qualifiers
Gilas Pilipinas struggled throughout the contest, shooting just 31% from the field, including 8-of-33 from beyond the arc. The Aussies also dominated the rebounding battle, pulling down 57 boards to the Philippines’ 36, showcasing their size and physicality on both ends of the court.
With the loss, the Philippines failed to reach the FIBA Asia Cup semifinals for the third consecutive edition, following earlier exits in 2017 and 2022. This follows the country’s back-to-back silver medal finishes in 2013 (Manila) and 2015 (Changsha, China).
Despite the setback, Gilas head coach Tim Cone confirmed in the post-match press conference that he is not keen on making too many changes and plans to stick with the current pool of players for the long haul.
“We’ve got to really digest this. We’ve got to look at the video, see what’s going on, and move forward,” Cone said.
Tim Cone after the L to AUS: “We put this team together for the long term in trying to get them to grow together and get better. If we’re just going to go ahead and change personnel, we’re back to 0 again. We’re going to use this & try to make some adjustments. The big missing… pic.twitter.com/GXuUi5nFN8
— Naveen Ganglani (@naveenganglani) August 13, 2025
“We put this team together for the long term, trying to help them grow together and improve. And if we’re just going to go ahead and change personnel, then we’re back to zero again. So we’ll use this FIBA Asia Cup campaign to make some adjustments,” he added.
Notably, Cone has stuck with the same group of players since officially taking over as Gilas head coach at the start of 2024.
Justin Brownlee, Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Kai Sotto, June Mar Fajardo, Scottie Thompson, Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, Chris Newsome, CJ Perez, Calvin Oftana, and Jamie Malonzo were named in the original 12-man pool for the FIBA Asia Cup, with Japeth Aguilar and Mason Amos listed as alternates.
The likes of Brownlee, Ramos, Sotto, Fajardo, Thompson, and a few others have been regular picks under Cone, who has consistently avoided making major roster overhauls during his tenure with Gilas.
Gilas and Cone now shift their focus to the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, with the Philippines drawn into Group A alongside basketball powerhouses Australia, New Zealand, and emerging contender Guam.
However, the American tactician has a couple of months to fine-tune his system before Gilas returns to action in November, when the Asian Qualifiers kick off. The Philippines will face Guam twice in the opening window.
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