Phillips, Baltazar rejoin Gilas for qualifier window

Mike Phillips and Justine Baltazar are set to wear the national colors anew after being named to Gilas Pilipinas’ 12-man roster for the third window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

The former De La Salle University standouts will join head coach Tim Cone’s squad as Gilas Pilipinas faces New Zealand on July 3 and Australia on July 6 in a pair of away games.

FIBA said the Philippines will first travel to Auckland to face the Tall Blacks before heading to Perth to take on the Boomers.

The third window runs from June 29 to July 7, according to FIBA’s qualification calendar.

The roster move marks the first time in years that Phillips and Baltazar will suit up for Gilas Pilipinas, with both expected to help cover for the absences of 7-foot-3 Kai Sotto and 6-foot-10 Quentin Millora-Brown.

FIBA reported that Phillips is in line for his FIBA debut, while Baltazar returns to the Gilas jersey for the first time since the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers.

Also making the roster are newly crowned PBA champions from Barangay Ginebra, namely Justin Brownlee, Scottie Thompson, RJ Abarrientos, and Troy Rosario.

FIBA said Rosario is also returning to national duty after last playing for the Philippines in the previous World Cup Qualifiers.

Rounding out the squad are AJ Edu, Chris Newsome, Kevin Quiambao, Dwight Ramos, Carl Tamayo, and June Mar Fajardo.

The official FIBA report lists Fajardo among the players completing the 12-man team.

Calvin Oftana, a Gilas Pilipinas mainstay, will skip this window as he focuses on recovering from lower leg injuries.

The roster changes come as Gilas Pilipinas tries to strengthen its frontcourt and maintain continuity in Cone’s system despite missing Sotto and Millora-Brown.

The Philippines is competing in the First Round of the Asian Qualifiers, where teams play home-and-away games across the first three windows before the top three teams in each group advance to the Second Round.

FIBA’s team profile lists the Philippines with a 2-2 win-loss record in First Round Group A entering the next set of games.