MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas will parade a mix of rising stars and battle-tested veterans in the FIBA World Cup after including Robert Bolick and CJ Perez in its final 12-man lineup released on Sunday, August 25. 

Joining the two PBA rookies are Andray Blatche, June Mar Fajardo, Paul Lee, Japeth Aguilar, and Gabe Norwood – all of whom saw action in the 2014 edition of the global hoops showdown in Spain. 

Playing in the World Cup for the first time are Kiefer Ravena, Raymond Almazan, Mark Barroca, Troy Rosario, and Roger Pogoy. 

Based on the measurements provided by the players, the average height of the final roster is estimated at 6-foot-4. 

Cut from the team were Matthew Wright and Poy Erram – who are both nursing their respective injuries – and Beau Belga.

“It was hard,” coach Yeng Guiao told reporters in Filipino when asked about the deliberation of the lineup. 

“We talked about it for days. Although, of course, there were circumstances that also played into the decision-making.” 

Bunched in Group D that will play in Foshan, China, the Philippines will begin its World Cup campaign against Italy on August 31 before facing Serbia and Angola on September 2 and 4, respectively. 

The top two teams will advance to the second round, while the bottom two squads will be relegated to the classification stage. – Rappler.com