John Franklin Kennedy Caacbay

Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/file

Gilas Pilipinas battles with New Zealand in the  FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers in Pasay City on November 21, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

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FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174057855076920241121-fiba-gilas-newzealand-MQD_1018-MD.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/file</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone is sticking with his current program and pool despite absorbing losses in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers and 2nd Doha International Cup.</p><p>Cone emphasized the need to stay with the current stack, although they are suffering from the absence of their star center, Kai Sotto, who sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in Koshigaya Alphas&#x27; game in the Japan B.League earlier this year.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2025/1/8/-might-be-the-darkest-day-of-my-career-kai-sotto-suffers-torn-acl-1526"><strong>READ: &#x27;Might be the darkest day of my career&#x27;: Kai Sotto suffers torn ACL<br/></strong></a></div><p>The men&#x27;s national basketball team had a recent tough stretch on the road, absorbing defeats at the hands of Chinese Taipei and New Zealand to conclude the qualifiers at 4-2.</p><p>Before the qualifying window, they went 1-2 in the Doha tournament. After asserting dominance against home country Qatar, Gilas lost to Egypt and Lebanon in the Doha pocket tourney.</p><p>&quot;At this point, no. We&#x27;re not going to add to the pool, we&#x27;re not going to subtract from the pool, unless there&#x27;s guys out there that don&#x27;t want to join us anymore,&quot; Cone told reporters after his PBA team, Barangay Ginebra, took the semis opener against NorthPort on Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2025/2/23/fiba-gilas-pilipinas-turned-back-by-new-zealand-ends-qualifiers-at-4-2-1225"><strong>READ: FIBA: Gilas Pilipinas turned back by New Zealand, ends qualifiers at 4-2</strong></a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2025/2/20/fiba-asia-cup-qualifiers-gilas-pilipinas-falls-short-vs-chinese-taipei-2108"><strong>READ: FIBA: Gilas Pilipinas falls short vs Chinese Taipei</strong></a></div><p>Cone bared that there could be logistical issues that might transpire in case they expand the Gilas pool.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s not easy to pull somebody out, you know, or add to the pool or get a bigger pool. You know, there&#x27;s finances involved, there&#x27;s budget, there&#x27;s extra travel time, more practice time,&quot; the PBA&#x27;s winningest coach said.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s not as simple as just saying, &#x27;okay, now we&#x27;re going to go to 15, 18 or 20 people.&#x27; It&#x27;s not that simple. And we came in with a program and we&#x27;re going to stick to that program as much as we can,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>"At this point, no. We're not going to add to the pool, we're not going to subtract from the pool," says Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone.</p>

"At this point, no. We're not going to add to the pool, we're not going to subtract from the pool," says Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone.

FIBA: Cone to stick with current Gilas program, pool even after losses

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FIBA: Cone to stick with current Gilas program, pool even after losses

Kennedy Caacbay,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 27, 2025 12:47 AM PHT

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