Mike Phillips is all set for his FIBA debut after being named to the Gilas Pilipinas team for Window 3 of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
The UAAP Season 88 Finals MVP out of La Salle is part of the 12-man lineup released by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas on Thursday, marking his return to the national team after the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.
Currently with the San Juan Knights, the 23-year-old was teammates with Justin Brownlee and Chris Newsome in bringing the gold back to the country. He’ll be running it back with them come the June 29-July 6 competitions.
(C) PSC-POC Media Group
Aside from Phillips, the latest lineup features a couple more returnees as the men’s team continues to be hounded by manpower problems.
With Calvin Oftana and Quentin Millora-Brown nursing injuries, and Kai Sotto out to pursue his plans to play in the NBA Summer League, head coach Tim Cone has called up Troy Rosario and Justine Baltazar for additional size up front.
This marks the two forwards’ national team comeback after a long while. Rosario last played for Gilas during the previous World Cup Qualifiers, while ‘Balti’ is suiting up for the first time since the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers.
Photo from FIBA.basketball
Both players, though, have been part of the present-day Gilas for months now as part of the compact pool that the coaches have put up.
Also out is guard CJ Perez, but the regulars still comprise the rest of the men’s team, spearheaded by naturalized winger Justin Brownlee.
RJ Abarrientos, AJ Edu, June Mar Fajardo, Kevin Quiambao, Dwight Ramos, Troy Rosario, Carl Tamayo, and Scottie Thompson complete the crew.
The Window 3 lineup was made public the morning after Brownlee and his Barangay Ginebra teammates ruled the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup by downing Oftana’s TNT, 88-76, in Game 7 of the Finals in Pasay.
Gilas will embark on trips overseas to finish their First Round campaign in the World Cup Qualifiers. Cone and his men will fly to Auckland to face the Tall Blacks on July 3, before heading to Perth to battle the Boomers on July 6.
The Filipino dribblers are presently carrying a 2-2 record in Group A, although they’re already qualified for the Second Round, which starts in August.
Since publishing, Gilas has brought in Juan Gomez de Liaño to replace Scottie Thompson. The 2026 Commissioner’s Cup Finals MVP has opted to sit out to recover from nagging injuries.
