Gilas Pilipinas will face familiar foes at the FIBA Asia Cup 2025, scheduled on August 5 to 17 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia—but it will likely do so without two key players.
Kai Sotto has been officially ruled out of the tournament as he continues to recover from an ACL surgery he underwent last January.
The 7’3” center sustained the injury during a Japan B.League game between the Koshigaya Alphas and Seahorses Mikawa, when he collapsed to his knees mid-match.
Meanwhile, the availability of naturalized player Justin Brownlee remains uncertain.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas admitted that Brownlee received a “notice of an adverse analytical finding” following a doping test—reportedly for a substance commonly found in recreational drugs. As of now, FIBA has not issued a final ruling on his eligibility.
Brownlee last suited up for Gilas during the February window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers, where the team suffered back-to-back road losses against Chinese Taipei and New Zealand.
Gilas finished that round second in the group with a 4–2 record, although they had previously defeated both teams at home in earlier qualifiers to secure early qualification.
The Philippines is placed in Group D, alongside Chinese Taipei, New Zealand, and Iraq (world No. 92) in the preliminary round. The top team from each group will advance directly to the quarterfinals, while second and third-placed squads will battle in a crossover knockout phase to complete the final eight.
Elsewhere in the draw, defending champion Australia headlines Group A with South Korea, Lebanon, and Qatar — a group already being touted as the tournament’s “group of death.”
Group B features world No. 21 Japan, fresh from its Paris 2024 Olympics’ stint, along with three-time champion Iran, Syria, and Guam. Group C includes China, Jordan, India, and host Saudi Arabia.