Abando, Abarrientos, Lucero, Rosario Added to Gilas Pilipinas Pool

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

With only a month remaining before the FIBA Asia Cup kicks off, the Gilas Pilipinas men’s national basketball team has made several adjustments to its preparations, including significant player additions to its initial playing pool.

Among the names that were added to the roster are Rhenz Abando, RJ Abarrientos, Zavier Lucero, and Troy Rosario, but national team head coach Tim Cone is yet to confirm whether the four stars will make the cut on their way to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from August 5 to 17, 2025.

Abando, a former member of Gilas Pilipinas who was part of the official roster during their FIBA World Cup campaign, is currently free of service but remains committed to the Strong Group Athletics for the upcoming William Jones Cup.

The high-flying swingman will be available after their title defense in Jones Cup, as the international tournament will end mid-July. He can rejoin the Gilas training once again after their stint in Taiwan concludes.

Meanwhile, Abarrientos, who is playing for Cone at the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, has already on their targeted list for a long time but a conflict of schedule in the PBA prevented them from directly acquiring his ball handling prowess.

Abarrientos is no stranger to the Gilas system, as he was a part of the miracle squad that took down Korea twice several years ago, under the tutelage of head coach Tab Baldwin.

Perhaps the neophyte among the four is Lucero, who will participate in his first-ever Gilas call-up since exiting the UP Fighting Maroons to play for the Magnolia Hotshots Chicken Timplados.

A perfect spot fill-up for the international game, Lucero possesses length, athleticism, quickness, and a soft touch for a big man.

Approaching his third year in the PBA, Lucero has already proved his worth and is currently making strides under the SMC-backed Magnolia team.

Lastly, Rosario, who has spent several times rendering his services to Gilas during his pre-injury days, will have the chance to reunite with the national team if he is chosen to represent the country in the huge tourney.

“We’ll see what happens as we move forward. But they’re here, and they’re part of the long list that we have, just in case something happens,” said Cone.