Mason Amos raring to debut for Gilas Pilipinas before starting Ateneo career

MANILA, Philippines – Mason Amos has yet to play a UAAP game for Ateneo, but he is already on the verge of debuting for Gilas Pilipinas.

That fact is not lost on the 18-year-old big man as he aims to earn a roster spot for the Philippines’ home games against Lebanon and Jordan in the sixth and final window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers later this February.

“I wasn’t expecting to play for the men’s team before I would be able to suit up for Ateneo. It’s a blessing,” said Amos. “I never thought I would be able to suit up this early.”

“This is a big milestone and I’m excited.”

National team head coach Chot Reyes said Amos has a “real shot” of cracking the lineup due to the shortage of big men for the sixth window.

Kai Sotto, Japeth Aguilar, Carl Tamayo, Raymond Almazan, and Kelly Williams were named into the pool but will miss the games, either due to injuries or commitments outside the national team.

At 18 years old, though, Amos is as good as it could get for a player his age.

The former Gilas Youth standout finished second in scoring in the FIBA U18 Asian Championship in August last year, averaging 21.2 points to go with 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

But Amos has no illusions about his role if he ever makes the roster, saying he is a team player.

“I’m new. I’m one of the younger guys so just really being there for the vets during these games,” said the 6-foot-7 forward.

As Amos learns from the best in the country, he also hopes to familiarize himself with big crowds as he gears up for his stint with the Blue Eagles in UAAP Season 86 by seizing the chance of playing at the Philippine Arena.

The Filipinos will play the Lebanese and the Jordanians at the 55,000-seater venue on February 24 and 27, respectively.

“I’ve never played in an environment with more than 2,000 people,” Amos said.

“Being in the Philippine Arena, that’s a great place to start getting my confidence up, getting used to the atmosphere. Because UAAP is the exact same.” – Rappler.com

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Delfin Dioquino

Delfin Dioquino dreamt of being a PBA player, but he did not have the skills to make it. So he pursued the next best thing to being an athlete – to write about them. He took up journalism at the University of Santo Tomas and joined Rappler as soon as he graduated in 2017.