Gilas Pilipinas are all set with their final lineup against New Zealand in the second window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Juan Gomez de Liaño made the final cut for Gilas Pilipinas in the second window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
Gomez de Liaño will make his debut for Tim Cone as the Nationals square off against New Zealand on February 26, followed by another game against Australia on March 1.
JGDL’s Converge teammate Justine Baltazar, who just joined Cone’s program a week ago, didn’t make the final roster along with RJ Abarrientos and Troy Rosario.
Joining Gomez de Liaño on the final Gilas roster are Scottie Thompson, June Mar Fajardo, Dwight Ramos Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, AJ Edu, and Justin Brownlee.
Also in the lineup are Chris Newsome — who recently recovered from an MCL sprain he sustained in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup semifinals — Calvin Oftana, Cjay Perez, and Quentin Millora-Brown.
Gilas is staking its perfect 2-0 record in Group, following a sweep of Guam in the previous window.
Meanwhile, New Zealand is bringing in quite the lineup to Manila, fielding half of its roster from the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup led by Jordan Ngatai and Taylor Britt.
[RELATED: Jordan Ngatai, Taylor Britt lead New Zealand lineup vs Gilas in FIBA World Cup Qualifiers]
The Boomers, meanwhile, parade three newbies but bolstered the lineup for the February window with Mitch Creek, who last played in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
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Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.