Type “gilas vs korea” into a search bar today and you will find a whole country refreshing for updates. Gilas Pilipinas is in Suwon, South Korea, taking on the Korean national team in the opener of a two-game warm-up series, the last real on-court work before the Nationals fly to Japan to defend the men’s basketball gold they captured in Hangzhou two years ago.
This is not a ceremonial friendly. It is a legitimate scouting test against a Korea side that will also be at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, and for a freshly rebuilt, all-Filipino Gilas, these minutes matter more than the scoreboard.
Two tune-ups in Suwon before Japan
The Korea Basketball Association lined up the series, hosted by Hana Bank at the Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena. The first game is Friday in Korea, the second on Sunday, after which the squad flies straight to Japan ahead of the Asian Games, whose men’s basketball tournament opens in mid-September.
| Game | Date | Time (Korea / Manila) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gilas Pilipinas vs South Korea | Sept 4 | 7 p.m. / 6 p.m. | Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena |
| South Korea vs Gilas Pilipinas | Sept 6 | 2 p.m. / 1 p.m. | Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena |
An all-Filipino Gilas, with one big question mark
Coach Tim Cone arrived with an all-Filipino, 11-man group on this Korea leg. Of the crew that closed the last qualifying window, only RJ Abarrientos, Justin Arana and Justine Baltazar carried over, joined by Robert Bolick, Adrian Nocum, Zavier Lucero, Sedrick Barefield, Jerrick Ahanmisi and Don Trollano. It is a noticeably smaller, faster and younger look than the team that swept Iran to finish the fourth World Cup qualifying window.
The biggest open question is naturalized forward Justin Brownlee. Cone has reserved a roster spot for Brownlee, but his return is not yet confirmed as he recovers from leg, hamstring and knee problems, while Kai Sotto is not part of the Asian Games campaign. This is the same group that has leaned into an uptempo, guard-led system as it begins defense of the crown.
A reunion with Rhenz Abando in Korea
Gilas also ran into a familiar face on the trip. Former Gilas swingman Rhenz Abando is in Korea as a KBL import for Anyang JKJ, and Rain or Shine guard Adrian Nocum posted a photo of the Nationals dining with Abando alongside Arana, Baltazar, Abarrientos and Trollano. The reunion sparked chatter among fans about a possible late addition in Brownlee’s place, but Inquirer reported no such move has been confirmed. For now it is simply two old NCAA rivals catching up; Abando last suited up for Gilas at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
The road back to the gold
Whatever happens in Suwon, the real target is Japan. Gilas opens group play against Bahrain on September 11, then takes on Kazakhstan and China before the knockout rounds that will decide whether it keeps the crown it won in Hangzhou. These two nights against South Korea are where the answers start.
