AFTER a great showing at the FIBA U16 Asian Championship, the Gilas Pilipinas Boys moved up two spots in the most recent FIBA World Ranking Boys, which was revealed early this month.
According to the FIBA world rankings released on December 1, the Philippine basketball team is now ranked 25th in the world.
Photo Courtesy: FIBA
In September, the Gilas Pilipinas Boys finished fourth in the FIBA U16 Asian Championship after losing 87-59 to the tall Chinese squad in their bronze-medal match in Qatar.
The Gilas Boys were led by Joaquin Ludovice’s 15 points, five rebounds and two assists against the Young Dragons. Meanwhile, Kieffer Alas contributed 13 points and five rebounds in the loss.
Ludovice and Alas are reliable members of the team, as they helped the Gilas Pilipinas Boys finish fourth in the FIBA U16 Asian Championship.
Both athletes are competing in the UAAP Juniors basketball tournament, exhibiting their talent and national team experience.
Photo Courtesy: UAAP Media Group
Ludovice represents the University of Santo Tomas, which is ranked fourth in the first-round elimination rankings with a 4-3 record. The Gilas Boys star averages 10.6 points, 2.0 assists and 1.4 rebounds per game.
Alas, on the other hand, has been a dominant force in the UAAP. The De La Salle Zobel fiery wingman averages 21.83 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.67 assists per game.
Photo Courtesy: UAAP Media Group
Alas now has the second most single-game points with 32 against University of the East, coupled with 15 rebounds and five assists.
The Philippine youth squad is ranked fourth in Asia, trailing No. 4 Australia, No. 20 Iran, and No. 24 China. However, they are ahead of No. 27 New Zealand and No. 30 Japan.
The United States remains the world’s best youth team with 817.7 points, ahead of Spain, France, Australia and Serbia, who round out the top five. Türkiye, Lithuania, Italy, Canada and Germany closely follow them.
With this in mind, the Gilas youth team’s future looks promising. They will compete in the FIBA U-17 World Cup in 2024 after winning their match in the Asian Championship against Japan.
