Matthew Aquino is part of Japan’s 15-man pool for the upcoming 2023 Asian Games.
The Asian Games takes place from September 10-25 in Hangzhou, China.
Despite the continental meet still seven months away, the Japan Basketball Association is already preparing for it, holding a training camp at the Ajinomoto National Training Center in Tokyo from February 7-February 10.
The 6-foot-9 Aquino, who is averaging 1.6 points and 1.5 rebounds in 14 games played for Shinshu, was also part of the Akatsuki Five’s pool for the first window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.
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Aquino did not make the final 12 for the window that saw Japan lose to China twice.
Three more Brave Warriors were asked to join the camp, namely Ko Kumagai, Reo Maeda, and Yuta Okada.
Completing the pool are FE Nagoya’s Luke Evans, Akita’s Ryuto Yasuoka, Hiroshima’s Ryo Terashima, Mikawa’s Avi Schafer, Hiroshima’s Isaiah Murphy, Shiga’s Koya Kawamata, Shibuya’s Yo Nishino, Mikawa’s Yudai Nishida, Daito Bunka University’s Shinji Takashima, and Tokai University’s Yuki Kawamura and Ren Kanechika.
Head coach Tom Hovasse will supervise the camp.
The JBA has yet to announce its pool for the second window of the World Cup Qualifiers. Japan faces Chinese-Taipei on the 26th and Australia on the 27th.
