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The Philippines national basketball team earned an automatic berth into the 2023 World Cup as a host. This is the first time the Philippines will host the World Cup and the fourth time a country in Asia will.
The Gilas are making their third straight World Cup and sixth overall, earning a bronze medal in 1954. They went 0-5 in the 2019 event, losing four of their five games by at least 19 points.
The Phillippines went 6-4 during the Asia World Cup qualifiers. The Gilas fell to New Zealand twice and Lebanon and Jordan once. They set a team record in a FIBA World Cup Qualification game against Jordan on February 24 with 107 points, 17 three-pointers, and 31 assists.
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Overall, The Gilas averaged 80.3 points and allowed 76.8 points a game during the qualification period.
Philippines 2023 FIBA World Cup fixtures
The Philippines are ranked 40th in the FIBA rankings and were put in Pot 1 with the United States, Spain, and Australia. They were drawn into Group A with No. 41 Angola, No. 23 Dominican Republic, and No. 10 Italy.
Group A will play all their games in Manila. The Philippines open with the Dominican Republic on August 25, face Angola on August 27 and close against Italy on August 29.
The Gilas are 0-1 against the D.R., 0-3 versus Italy, and 0-1 versus Angola.
Before the Philippines put their sights on the World Cup, they will play four exhibition games at the China International Hoops Festival. They will take on Iran on August 3 and 7 and face Senegal on August 4 and 6.
Top Gila players to watch in the 2023 FIBA World Cup
The Philippines have announced a 21-player World Cup training camp roster. Among the players listed are three naturalized citizens Jordan Clarkson, Justin Brownlee, and Ange Kouame. The Gilas are only allowed one naturalized player on their 2023 FIBA World Cup roster.
Here are their players to watch:
Jordan Clarkson
Jordan Clarkson is arguably the favorite to win the naturalized spot, as he has NBA experience. During qualification, the 31-year-old guard turned in a couple of breathtaking performances for the Philippines.
He scored 27 points and seven assists against Lebanon and 23 points and six assists versus Saudi Arabia. Overall, Clarkson knocked down 14 of 31 shots and 7 of 17 from the 3-point line.
Justin Brownlee
Justin Brownlee played collegiately at St. Johns and spent time with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA D-League. The 35-year-old forward has been in the Philippines playing professionally since the beginning of the 2019 campaign.
He also played two games during the qualification stage, scoring 17 points against Lebanon. Brownlee also turned in a 41-point and 12-rebound performance versus Jordan.
Ange Kouame
Ange Kouame is a Cote d'Ivoire native who played collegiately in the Philippines from 2018-22. The 6-10 center earned the Association's Rookie of the Year, MVP (2021), and Finals MVP (2022).
During qualification, he played four games for the Gilas, averaging 4.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in less than 20 minutes.
Dwight Ramos
Ramos is a native Californian who played collegiately at Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Poly before heading to the Phillippines. He now plays professionally in Japan.
Ramos was the only Gila player in every qualification game, leading the team with 12.4 points. The 24-year-old guard didn't shoot the ball well but did grab six boards a game.
Scottie Thompson
Scottie Thompson is one of the best players on the roster. Thompson is an efficient shooter and was one of Gila's better rebounders despite standing just 6 feet 1 tall.
He averaged 6.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 62.5% from the field during World Cup Qualification.
Bobby Ray Parks Jr.
Bobby Parks played high school basketball in Tennessee and committed to playing for Georgia Tech in 2011 but decided to return to the Philippines instead. The 30-year-old guard became the first Filipino to play in the NBA Summer League and the second drafted in the D-League.
Parks, an experienced national team player, averaged 7.4 points in five World Cup qualifying contests.
Thirdy Ravena
Thirdy Ravena is a 6-foot-3 guard who played collegiately in the Philippines and professionally in Japan. He scored a combined 38 points in first-round games against Indonesia and New Zealand but struggled afterward. In five games, Ravena totaled 9.2 points on 48.6% shooting from the field.
Kai Sotto
Kai Sotto is a 7-foot-3 center who played for the G-League Ignite but joined the Adelaide 36ers (Australia) after going undrafted in 2021. The 21-year-old played two games for the Orlando Magic Summer League squad before injuring his back.
He totaled six points, six rebounds, and four blocks over 21 minutes. He currently plays in the Japanese B League.
