MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas is turning to an old reliable to beef up its roster plagued by injuries to its young stars.
National team head coach Tim Cone said Troy Rosario will join the squad in its buildup for the third and final window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers in February after Kai Sotto and Kevin Quiambao sustained injuries.
Set for a pair of road games against Chinese Taipei on February 20 and New Zealand on February 23, the Nationals plan to hold a training camp in Doha, Qatar.
“Troy Rosario has been confirmed to join us on our Doha trip,” Cone said on Wednesday, January 15.
A former national team mainstay, Rosario won three gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games and represented the country in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
He last donned the national colors when the Philippines shockingly settled for a SEA Games silver in Vietnam in 2022.
Although Cone has been hesitant about adding new players to the pool with the goal of preserving team chemistry and continuity, bringing in Rosario appears to be an optimal decision as the sweet-shooting forward also plays for the veteran mentor at Barangay Ginebra in the PBA.
Rosario will be the fifth Gin Kings players to make the pool, joining teammates Justin Brownlee, Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, and Jamie Malonzo.
A 6-foot-7 stalwart with a reliable stroke from long range, Rosario is expected to somehow offset the significant loss in size brought by the injuries to 7-foot-3 Sotto and 6-foot-7 Quiambao.
Sotto, according to his Japan B. League team Koshigaya Alphas, needs six months for a full recovery after sustaining a torn left anterior cruciate ligament in a game on January 5.
Meanwhile, Quiambao reportedly has to sit out at least a month after rupturing an ankle ligament in his Korean Basketball League debut for the Goyang Sono Skygunners on January 12. – Rappler.com