MANILA – Gilas Pilipinas’ rocky Asia Cup campaign came at a heavy price, as the national squad plummeted three places to No. 37 in the latest FIBA men’s world rankings, released after the tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
From a pre-tournament rank of No. 34, the Filipinos sputtered to a 2-3 slate and finished only seventh overall, bowing out in the quarterfinals against eventual champion Australia. The slip underscored how costly their early stumbles were on the continental stage.
Gilas opened flat, dropping back-to-back games to Chinese Taipei and New Zealand before salvaging a lifeline against Iraq. The Nationals then squeezed past host Saudi Arabia in an overtime thriller to advance, only to be dismantled by the Aussies in the knockout round.
Despite the drop, the Philippines still clings to the seventh-best spot in the Asia-Pacific, trailing behind Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Iran, China, and Lebanon. Australia soared to No. 6 globally on the strength of its Asia Cup title — the lone Asian squad inside the Top 10.
Japan and New Zealand also absorbed ranking hits, with the Akatsuki Five sliding to No. 22 and the Tall Blacks to No. 25. Iran climbed to No. 26, while China jumped to No. 27 after its silver-medal finish. Lebanon improved to No. 30, seven rungs clear of the Philippines.
Jordan is breathing down Gilas’ neck at No. 38, while South Korea and Saudi Arabia lag far behind at Nos. 57 and 64, respectively. Two of Asia’s biggest movers were Guam, led by San Miguel guard Jericho Cruz, which vaulted seven spots to No. 81, and Chinese Taipei, which rose six places to No. 67.
Globally, the United States kept a firm grip on the top spot. Germany surged to No. 2 on the heels of its EuroBasket crown behind Franz Wagner and Dennis Schröder, shoving Serbia and NBA MVP Nikola Jokić to third. France and Canada completed the Top 5.
Rounding out the world’s Top 10 are Australia (6), Spain (7), Argentina (8), Lithuania (9), and Brazil (10)./PN
