12 PBA players in as SBP names 24-man Gilas pool for August window

Twelve more PBA players have been added to the Gilas Pilipinas pool for the fourth window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers set later this month, the SBP announced on Tuesday night.

They are Ginebra's Scottie Thompson, Arvin Tolentino, and Japeth Aguilar; San Miguel's June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez; Meralco's Chris Newsome, Allein Maliksi, and Raymond Almazan; Magnolia's Jio Jalalon and Ian Sangalang; NorthPort's Robert Bolick; and Terrafirma's Roosevelt Adams.

They will join the initial eight-man pool that included Utah Jazz star Jordan Clarkson, Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, Dwight Ramos, Bobby Ray Parks Jr., Carl Tamayo, Francis Lopez, and Kevin Quiambao.

Filipino wunderkind Kai Sotto will likewise reinforce the team while three other PBA cagers—Jaime Malonzo, Kevin Alas, and Calvin Oftana—have been recently added to the pool.

Gilas, currently standing fourth in Group E with a 2-2 card, had already hit the ground running for the window with the nationals conducting their first training session on Monday at the Meralco Gym in Pasig City.

They have tough tasks ahead as they will battle Lebanon on August 25 in Beirut before taking on Saudi Arabia on the 29th at the Mall of Asia Arena. — BM, GMA News