17/10/2025
No Longer Undersized: A New Era for Gilas Begins
In all the years our national team has competed, never have we seen this kind of depth among our “bigs.” The closest comparison would be the June Mar era — when 9-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo anchored the paint alongside high-flyer Japeth Aguilar, with veterans like Kuya Marcus and Kuya Dray providing muscle and experience. Back then, the frontcourt was rounded out by undersized but relentless power forwards like Ranidel de Ocampo and Marc Pingris — and despite the size disadvantage, that group fought with unmatched grit and pride.
In today’s Gilas, we’re witnessing an unprecedented level of size and talent up front — it’s like having three June Mars in the lineup plus a towering 7'3" Kaiju. There’s no doubt that Kai Sotto, AJ Edu, Ange Kouame and the newly added Quentin Millora-Brown will serve as the anchors of our frontcourt for years to come.
Here is the list of the bigs that can be included in the Gilas Pilipinas pool: (Listed by height)
7'3" Kai Sotto - Koshigaya Alphas - 23yo
6'11" Ange Kouame - Free Agent - 27yo (Can possibly play as a local due to residency)
6'10" Onyeka Okongwu - Atlanta Hawks - 24yo* - (Rumored Naturalized Player option)
6'10" Bennie Boatwright - Taipei Fubon Braves - 29yo* (Possible Naturalized Player)
6'10" AJ Edu - Gunma Crane Thunders - 25yo
6'10" Quentin Millora-Brown - Macau Black Bears - 25yo
6'10" Geo Chiu - Terrafirma Dyip - 24yo
6'10" James Laput - Magnolia Hotshots - 29yo
6'9" Justine Baltazar - Converge FiberXers - 28yo
6'9" Kemark Cariño - Terrafirma Dyip - 27yo
6'8" Michael Phillips - La Salle Green Archers
6'7" Justin Arana - Converge FiberXers - 26yo
Who will you add or remove from this list?
