Quentin Millora-Brown has played only two games for Gilas Pilipinas — but already, he’s starting to look like the missing piece Tim Cone has been searching for.
Two outings into his national team career, the 25-year-old Fil-Am center is positioning himself as a steady, instant-impact presence for Cone and the Philippines’ campaign in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Speaking to the media after Gilas wrapped up a dominant 95–71 win over Guam to complete a Window 1 sweep, Cone said Millora-Brown has quickly filled a critical void. And it’s all the more important with Kai Sotto still rehabbing a torn ACL and longtime stalwart Japeth Aguilar officially retiring from national duty after 16 years.
Just a little over four weeks since joining the team’s World Cup buildup, Millora-Brown is still learning the nuances of the triangle offense. Yet Cone revealed that the bruising big man is merely “scratching the surface” of what he can bring alongside Sotto, AJ Edu, and June Mar Fajardo in the frontcourt.
“I agree with that. He’s just scratching the surface of his ability to help us. We’re still exploring his game, he’s exploring his game within the system, there’s a lot more levels for him to go,” said the Barangay Ginebra tactician.
“But the initial look is that he’s just what the doctor ordered.”
Through two games, the former University of the Philippines standout has shown tremendous promise as a long-term anchor for Gilas.
Against Guam, he posted six points and 10 rebounds in his debut, then followed up with nine points and nine boards — all while handling the physical matchups against Tai Wesley and Jonathan Galloway.
The 6-foot-9 big man also made his presence felt immediately on the glass.
In his first outing, he joined forces with Fajardo and Edu to haul down 61 rebounds in Gilas’ road win over Guam — the most in Asian qualifying tournament history.
“He’s a weakside big man, he’s a really strong defender — he guarded [Tai] Wesley really well and Galloway really well, and those guys are high-level players. He got to the offensive boards, he ran the floor, and he’s just a very, very active big and again, that’s exactly what the doctor ordered for us,” Cone added.
Millora-Brown’s role is expected to grow even more when Gilas enters a punishing two-game home stand in Window 2, hosting New Zealand on February 26 and three-peat FIBA Asia Cup champion Australia on March 1.
