Chot, Thirdy have nothing but praises for Gilas youngster Kevin Quiambao

Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes and Thirdy Ravena have nothing but praises for young gun Kevin Quiambao.

In Gilas' game vs. India on Friday, Quiambao had a total of nine assists, the most for any player in the match.

Reyes said even before the tournament, they were already aware of Quiambao's skill.

"That's the strength of Kevin's game," Reyes said in a post-game conference. "It's a luxury for us to have a good passer in that position."

"You have to remember that a lot of players in this team were identified as early in 2017 when we came up with '23 for 23,'" said Reyes, referring to the list of 23 players initially considered for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

"Kevin Quiambao has always been on our radar. It was just a matter of activating and calling on available guys that we have," he said.

For Thirdy, having Quiambao as his teammate makes things easier for him on the court.

"[I] definitely love being with him on the court. It's not everyday that you come across such an intelligent and aggressive passer in Kevin," Ravena said.

"Being with a guy like him inside the court makes life so much easier. Distributing the ball from a big man's position is a little bit rare in our game nowadays."

Quiambao is a product of the National University high school basketball program and is expected to play for De La Salle University in the collegiate league.

—JMB, GMA News