Gilas youngsters gain stamp of approval from China's Anderson
MANILA, Philippines – After a 96-75 loss to the Philippines in the FIBA World Cup Saturday night, China’s naturalized player Kyle Anderson lauded Gilas Pilipinas’ young guns.
After the game, Anderson said he was most impressed by three players — Kai Sotto, Rhenz Abando and AJ Edu.
“The young kid, Sotto, played well. [Abando,] I think he played great. He turned the game around with his energy, defense and made good shots,” Anderson, whose Chinese name is Li Kaier, told reporters.
“[Edu] right here, played great. They played great, man. Hats off to those guys,” he added.
Anderson added that the entire Gilas team turned in a great performance.
The Philippines’ dominant win over China was their first victory in this year’s World Cup.
Anderson scored 17 points in the game, along with nine rebounds and five assists, to lead China.
For their part, Abando and Sotto recorded their tournament scoring highs in the game. The 25-year-old Abando scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting while defending Anderson at times.
The 21-year-old Sotto, meanwhile, had 12 points and six rebounds in 19 minutes of action.
Edu, on the other hand, scored his least points in the game, but he had 10 rebounds and three assists. He later said he relish playing against NBA players in the tournament such as Karl-Anthony Towns of the Dominican, Angola’s Bruno Fernando and Anderson.
“This is an amazing experience, an experience I will never forget, and I’m just grateful,” he said.
Edu finished the tournament as one of the most consistent Gilas players, averaging 8.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.
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