Gilas Pilipinas counting on Kai Sotto’s return, but ‘no word’ yet from star big man

ALL SMILES. Justin Brownlee (32) and Kai Sotto (11) in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2024 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.

FIBA

It remains uncertain whether Kai Sotto, who has not suited up for Gilas Pilipinas in over a year, will return to action as the Philippines fights to keep its FIBA World Cup bid alive

AT A GLANCE

• Gilas Pilipinas is in urgent need of Kai Sotto for their FIBA World Cup aspirations but his return remains uncertain.
• The team has struggled without Sotto, losing nine of their last 13 games, and currently holds a 2-4 record in the Asian Qualifiers.
• Head coach Tim Cone acknowledges the team's manpower issues but remains determined to make the most of the available roster.

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MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas needs Kai Sotto now more than ever as its FIBA World Cup aspirations hinge on its upcoming games in the Asian Qualifiers.

But it remains uncertain whether the 7-foot-3 big man, who has not suited up for the national team in over a year, will return to action anytime soon.

“No word,” said head coach Tim Cone when asked about Sotto’s participation in the fourth window of the Asian Qualifiers, where the Philippines will host Jordan and Iran on August 28 and 30, respectively, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Sotto last donned the national colors in 2024, when he powered the Philippines to a superb 4-0 start in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers that included a breakthrough victory over New Zealand.

He suffered a knee injury in January 2025 and has not played for Gilas Pilipinas since then.

Without Sotto, the Nationals have lost nine of their last 13 games in FIBA play, with their only victories coming against teams ranked outside the world top 60: No. 65 Saudi Arabia, No. 77 Guam, and No. 81 Iraq.

Most of their losses came against world No. 7 Australia and No. 25 New Zealand, with No. 39 Philippines falling to the Boomers three times and the Tall Blacks four times over that stretch.

Ending the first round of the Asian Qualifiers with a 2-4 record, the Filipinos need to win as many games as possible against Iran, Jordan, and Syria in the second round to have a chance at earning a World Cup slot.

Iran and Jordan carry identical 5-1 records, while Syria is tied with Gilas Pilipinas at 2-4. 

That is where it gets more complicated. 

Already dealing with Sotto’s absence, the Nationals face more manpower issues as they also miss the big men Quentin Millora-Brown, who continues to recover from a back surgery, and Mike Phillips, who begged off from the fourth window to attend his brother’s wedding. 

“We certainly have our issues. It’s really on me to make sure we get all the best players and we haven’t been able to do that. I’ve been failing at my job because I just haven’t been able to get all the best players,” Cone said. 

That makes Sotto’s return all the more important for the team.

However, Cone said the 24-year-old Sotto is still pursuing an NCAA opportunity in the United States, which is a potential pathway to the NBA.

“Even for the Asian Games, no word. From my understanding, he’s still working on the NCAA, trying to get there to the NCAA,” said Cone. 

While the odds are stacked against them, Cone is determined to work with the resources at his disposal, confident that the core of Dwight Ramos, Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, Justin Brownlee, and AJ Edu is capable of getting the job done. 

“The margin of error is really dissipated for us. Like I’ve been saying, over the last few weeks, this is all-hands-on-deck kind of thing,” said Cone. 

“We’re going to put up a fight here,” he added. “We’d like a little bit more size but it is what it is.” – Rappler.com