Quentin Millora-Brown to play for Gilas beginning in November qualifiers

September 30 ------ QUENTIN Millora-Brown is set to play for Gilas Pilipinas starting the November window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers. Gilas coach Tim Cone confirmed the development during the PBA Media Day.

Cone said the team is already in communication with Millora-Brown's camp for the preparations including sending videos of their offense so that he can already get accustomed with the triangle offense. "Yes, we assume he is, yes," said Cone, when asked if QMB will be playing in the November window.

Cone said Millora-Brown is currently in Japan, although he is unsure if the latter will be signing to play for a B.League team. “I know he is in Japan. We’ve been communicating with him," said Cone of the one-and-done center of the UP Maroons' UAAP champion team last season.

QMB has linked up with Cone's deputy coach to break him into the Gilas system through videos and other data. "He is working with Patrick (Partosa), our analytics guy, our video guy. We are sending videos back and forth, triangle stuff so that he can get a headstart," said Cone. "But I don’t know if he is actually playing with a team yet or he is under contract, but he is apparently excited about playing in November,” Cone added.

Gilas should get a big boost in terms of size and youth once the 25-year-old Millora-Brown joins Kai Sotto, AJ Edu and June Mar Fajardo in the Gilas frontline. The Nationals begin the FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers campaign on the road against Guam on November 28 before playing the reverse tie at home on December 1.

Cone said it is still too early to say who will be taken out of the Gilas roster with QMB now in it. The situation of Sotto, who is still recovering from an ACL tear, will also determine the composition of the roster come November. “It’s more of an addition at this point. It’s like, I hate this term, add to the pool. We haven’t removed anybody. We just added him in,” said Cone. “And also, Kai. If Kai comes back healthy, obviously he’d be another change to the 12 guys. Those are the decisions we will have to make but we don’t to make it now so there’s no reason for us to make it now,” said Cone. “We’d just add him in, and we’ll decide later who the Final 12 will be,” added Cone.

Source: spin.ph