JAPETH Aguilar won’t be joining Gilas Pilipinas in its training camp and friendlies in Doha, Qatar as part of its preparation for the coming FIBA Asia Cup.
Coach Tim Cone said the veteran big man will miss the team’s Feb. 13-18 trip in the West Asian country, but is set to join the final leg of the Asia Cup qualifiers to be held in Chinese Taipei and New Zealand, respectively.
“Japeth won’t be able to join us in Doha. He’s the only guy that we’ll be missing,” said the national team coach of the long-time Gilas stalwart.
“He has a family issue that he has to deal with. But he’ll be with us in Taiwan.”
Taking the place of the 38-year-old center as one of the Gilas alternates – the other being Mason Amos – is Barangay Ginebra teammate Troy Rosario.
“He’s basically taken Japeth’s place in the alternate,” said Cone of Rosario, who was added in the Gilas mix following the ACL injury suffered by young big man Kai Sotto.
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While Rosario, 33, is going to Doha, Cone said the team will decide whether he’ll be part of the national team or not once just before it leaves for Chinese Taipei on Feb. 19.
“We’ve added Troy. Right now while we’re going to Doha, he is an alternate,” said Cone. “But we’ll decide before we go to Taiwan whether he will be on the actual 12 or still continue to be an alternate.”
With the exception of the 7-foot-3 Sotto, who just underwent surgery for his ACL injury and is expected to be out for a year, Gilas will parade the same team that played at the start of the Asia Cup qualifiers last year.
“It’s going to be the same group,” said Cone.
The team is composed of June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Scottie Thompson, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, Dwight Ramos, Carl Tamayo, Kevin Quiambao, AJ Edu, Amos, naturalized player Justine Brownlee, and the comebacking Jamie Malonzo.