Early Sunday afternoon, the Philippines was shaken by a concerning injury to 22-year-old center Kai Sotto during Koshigaya’s match against Mikawa in the 2024-25 B.League season at the Kariyashi Taiikukan Arena.
Sotto appeared to suffer a left knee injury at the 6:20 mark of the first quarter while attempting a post-up move against Seahorses’ Zach Auguste.
The young big man anguished in pain and remained on the floor for nearly three minutes before being stretchered off the court.
As of publication, no official update has been provided on the severity of Sotto’s injury, leaving the country anxious about his status for the upcoming February window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.
Gilas head coach Tim Cone responded to inquiries regarding the possible impact on the team, confirming that Japeth Aguilar would be ready to step in should Sotto be unable to play.
The national team will face Chinese-Taipei at home on February 20 before traveling to New Zealand for their next matchup on the 23rd.
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“Well, that’s why we have Japeth. Japeth is there to replace any of the bigs that we have. And if you can tell me there’s another big out there that matches Japeth’s size and ability, then I’ll be happy to look at him,” Cone said after Ginebra’s 93-81 victory over San Miguel on Sunday evening.
“He’s eligible and has experience. We also have Mason Amos to fortify us if we lose someone like Jamie (Malonzo), or if one of the other guards can’t play.”
Cone also addressed the question of expanding the Gilas pool should Sotto’s injury turn out to be more serious.
While the clamor for a larger pool of players has been growing, Cone reiterated that Gilas’s preparation time for the qualifiers is limited and, as a result, the roster will likely remain tight.
“I know there’s a real clamor for a bigger pool, but it’s just the way the windows are set up,” Cone explained.
“The preparation time is so limited. You really have to make the most of that time. We can’t afford to try and teach 18, 19, or 20 players and get them into rhythm. We need to keep the roster tight so we can maximize our preparation.”
He further emphasized that the way the qualifiers are structured, with brief windows for preparation, makes it difficult to consider expanding the pool.
“If we had two or three months, we could consider expanding the pool, but with the way things are now, and if you talk to any national team coach nowadays, they’ll tell you it’s the same everywhere. We’re not the only ones doing it this way,” Cone furthered.
Cone remains confident in his current pool, which has already helped Gilas secure a perfect 4-0 record in the Qualifiers and a spot in the continental meet set from August 5 to 17 in Saudi Arabia.
“We’re open to making adjustments, but right now, we’re sticking with this approach. We’re going with 14 players,” Cone said.
