Sixteen players have join the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team, which started training for the February window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.
They were led by Gilas draftees Isaac Go, Tzaddy Rangel and William Navarro, who reported for duty when practices resumed Saturday evening at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center in Quezon City.
Naturalized Filipino Angelo Kouame was around along with Carl Tamayo, Geo Chiu and Justine Baltazar.
Making up the backcourt are Matt and Mike Nieto, Rey Suerte, Allyn Bulanadi and Jaydee Tungcab, along with SJ Belangel, Jason Credo, and Dave Ildefonso.
Gilas coach Tab Baldwin is also getting the national squad ready for the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam and the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
In the FIBA qualifiers, Team Pilipinas was drawn in the same bracket with Korea, which is one of its toughest opponents in the international meet.
The squad missed RJ Abarrientos, a cager seeing action for Far Eastern University.
Baldwin accepted a new player, Ladis Lepalam, a 21-year-old, 6-foot-8 center playing out of College of Saint Benilde.
The college junior has played 11 games during the 95th season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
