June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar have been the cornerstones of the Gilas program over the past decade.
The two towers have combined for 142 FIBA caps, not to mention countless appearances in the Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games.
But as both veterans enter the twilight of their careers, this cycle has become their opportunity to pass the baton to the next generation.
Enter the next Gilas frontline: Kai Sotto, AJ Edu, and now, Quentin Millora-Brown.
Millora-Brown, the 6-foot-10 Filipino-American big man, is the latest addition to the Gilas frontline after securing his local status last August.
Having already attended two Gilas practices, the 25-year-old University of the Philippines standout is soaking in the experience of learning from Fajardo and Aguilar, who remain part of the pool.
“Obviously, June Mar and Japeth have so much knowledge. Just being around those guys and having them show me the ropes has been great,” he said after UP’s 79-75 win over Ateneo at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday.
“It’s been great. They’re so helpful. Any little bit of information they can pass on, they do.”
So far, Millora-Brown’s integration into the national team has gone smoothly during practices at the Blue Eagle Gym on Tuesday and at The Upper Deck earlier in the day.
Currently, he and fellow newcomer Juan Gomez de Liano are in the learning phase, gradually assimilating into Tim Cone’s system.
“It’s been awesome. Getting to know the guys, the system, and Coach Tim has been a lot of fun. We’re building it up little by little, so nothing too crazy. With Juan also being added to the pool, both of us are just trying to learn as much as we can right now. It’s been a lot of fun,” he shared.
“It’s been good. He’s been building it bit by bit, never giving too much at once. I feel like it’s been a really good process so far — the teaching, the learning, everything.”
Gilas still has a week before facing Guam on the road on November 28, followed by a home game against the same team on December 1 at the Blue Eagle Gym.
The team will also hold a training camp at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna from November 21-23. By then, Millora-Brown hopes to have fully grasped the system.
“We’re just building it up little by little — nothing too crazy. He understands it’s a process, and a lot of it is just playing. But you can’t play too much with guys coming off their seasons and having a lot of games already,” he said.
“So he’s been building it for us day by day, and he has a plan for how he wants it to work out over the next week as we prepare for Guam.”
#WATCH: IT’S BEEN AWESOME
Quentin Millora-Brown is slowly getting integrated into the Gilas scheme of things 🇵🇭🏀#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/BuAh1iiRT7
📹 @ErnestTuazon /Tiebreaker Times#LabanPilipinas pic.twitter.com/PFyK0XRjU7
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) November 19, 2025
