The Gilas Pilipinas is scheduled for a head-to-head game against team South Korea at 6:00 PM on June 16, 2021, live from Clark, Pampanga in the Philippines.
The Gilas squad dominates their bracket with a superb 3-0 slate considering that the current roster is composed of players from the amateur ranks. Tonight they will be tested by also upcoming youngsters coming from a familiar opponent in Asia, that’s the squad of South Korea.
The 7-foot-4 Kai Sotto will be in the spotlight in tonight’s ball game as he tandem with the Philippines’ naturalized player Ange Kouame. The Pinoy duo will try to slow down South Korean expected main man Ra Gun-ah.
The Gilas main front-court should imitate how Atlanta Hawks’ Clint Capela clamped down Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid in the current NBA Playoffs.
Gun-ah isn’t new to the Philippines style of basketball as he once suited up in the Philippines Basketball Association where he played with the Star Hotshots back in 2016. He was using his American name at that time as Ricardo Ratliffe.
“I played against (Kouame) in the Jones Cup, and I’ve been keeping eyes on him to see his development since 2018,” said the 6-foot-8 Ra. “He’s gotten a lot better. I’m looking forward to playing against him again.”
Another South Korean player that the national team needs to slow down is the 6-foot-7 Lee HyunJung who is a starter in Davidson at the US NCAA. Lee’s school produced the likes of Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry. He is one of their team’s starters and currently averaging 13.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists.
“Davidson has a good basketball program so I’m preparing for a better career after. And this is one of the great opportunities to show the things I can do in getting on to the next level,” Lee said.