For the first time in three years, Rhenz Abando is back with the Philippine men’s national basketball team.
The high-flying 6-foot-2 winger has been named to the 12-man Gilas Pilipinas roster for the fifth window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
Abando will suit up for the Philippines for the first time since the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where he averaged 5.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.
He joins a formidable frontline that features newly naturalized Filipino Bennie Boatwright, alongside Kai Sotto, Quentin Millora-Brown, and Mike Phillips.
Boatwright will take the place of Justin Brownlee, who remains sidelined while recovering from multiple injuries.
Meanwhile, Millora-Brown and Phillips are set to team up for the first time in the national squad.
Rounding out the roster are holdovers AJ Edu, Juan Gomez de Liano, Chris Newsome, CJ Perez, Kevin Quiambao, Dwight Ramos, and Scottie Thompson.
Gilas will face Syria on November 27 before taking on Iran on November 29, with both games scheduled in Seremban, Malaysia.
The Philippines currently sits fifth in Group E with a 4-4 record.
