Kelly Williams will be playing for the Philippine Men’s National Basketball Team for the first time in 11 years on Friday.
Williams will be part of Gilas Pilipinas’ 12-man lineup when they go up against India for day 2 of the Quezon City window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Williams, who just turned 40 years old last February 7, last suited up for the Philippines back in the 2011 FIBA Asia Cup.
Joining the 6-foot-6 big man out of Detroit, Michigan are fellow TNT players Roger Pogoy, Troy Rosario, Poy Erram, and Kib Montalbo. Also part of the Gilas XII is Northport’s Robert Bolick.
Pogoy is said to have recovered a calf strain that forced him out in the Tropang Giga’s last four games in the 2021-22 PBA Governors’ Cup.
Montalbo, meanwhile, will be making his debut.
Completing the Gilas team for the game that tips off at 6:00 PM are Angelo Kouame, Thirdy Ravena, Dwight Ramos, Juan Gomez de Liano, William Navarro, and Tzaddy Rangel.
Having Williams, Kouame, Navarro, Rosario, Erram, and Rangel will give Gilas a tall frontcourt to match up with India — a team that has an average height of 6-foot-6.
“Number one concern for us is size,” said Gilas head coach Chot Reyes regarding India. “Over the years, right before our eyes, we’ve seen India develop and grow into a legitimate basketball competitor. Their skills have tremendously improved.”
India lost to New Zealand, 101-46, on Thursday.
The Veselin Matić-coached squad will still field the same 12, namely Amritpal Singh, Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Muin Bek Hafeez, Princepal Singh, Pranav Prince, Aravind Annadurai, Manoj Belur Manjunatha, Palpreet Singh Brar, Rajeev Kumar, Arvind Kumar Muthu Krishnan, Prashant Singh Rawat, and Sahaij Pratap Singh Sekhon.
(C) Paul Ryan Tan/FIBA Asia
“I told our team, our players, that we have to be completely ready for a very tough game against India,” said Reyes.
“They are a tall team, they are well-coached, and they’ve been together for a long time.”
Cut from Gilas are Jaydee Tungcab, Gab Banal, and Lebron Lopez.
The lineup was submitted by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas on Thursday afternoon.
