Tall odds in Tehran for Gilas U18

MANILA, Philippines — After the U16 team, Gilas Pilipinas U18 squad takes its turn to compete in the Asian meet.

A new crop of teen cagers, led by 6-foot-7 Filipino-Australian Mason Amos, will carry the fight in the 2022 FIBA U18 Asian Championship in Tehran, Iran on Aug. 21-28.

Amos has just committed to play for the Ateneo Blue Eagles starting next year. And another Eagle in Kyle Gamber is in the Phl U18 fold with La Salle’s Mur Alao and EJ Abadam, bannering the squad under the tutelage of coach Josh Reyes.

Reyes also mentored the Gilas U16 team that finished seventh in the Asian tilt in Doha, Qatar two months ago.

Completing Reyes’ wards are UPIS’ Kobe Demisana, La Salle-Greenhills’ Seven Gagate, Ethan Alian and Luis Pablo, La Salle’s LA Andres and Joshua Coronel, San Beda-Taytay’s James Nacua and Ramon Salvoro of Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu.

The team faces a tall order, though, in a bid to follow the success of the last Gilas U18 – led by Kai Sotto – that made the Final Four of the 2018 edition in Thailand.

They will be up against a bevy of strong counterparts in Tehran led by powerhouses Australia and China.