Cone laments AJ Edu injury leaves Gilas without premier 'big-man defender'

Cone laments AJ Edu injury leaves Gilas without premier 'big-man defender'

PHILIPPINE men's basketball coach Tim Cone lamented not having one of the team's top interior defenders around for the coming Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Latvia.

Gilas Pilipinas will be going to the July 2-7 campaign minus young big man AJ Edu, who has encountered setbacks in his recovery from a torn meniscus he suffered while playing for the Toyoma Grouses in the Japant B.League.

The loss of the 6-foot-10 former Gilas youth standout deprived the national team of one premier defender in a frontcourt which will now be manned by June Mar Fajardo, reserve center Japeth Aguilar, and Kai Sotto.

READ Howard, Cousins unlikely to play for Taiwan Mustangs in Gilas tune-up

"Needless to say, he's a big loss," said Cone of Edu on the eve of Gilas Pilipinas' departure for Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna for a three-day, closed-door training camp .

"He's a great big man defender, so we'll have to look elsewhere to fill that void."

Edu is the second player the national team lost to injury after Barangay Ginebra's Jamie Malonzo went down with a calf injury during the PBA Philippine Cup.

While Malonzo managed to play for Gilas in the opening round of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers, Edu was not able to suit up for the team during the February campaign.

The 24-year-old Edu, a product of the University of Toledo, last played for the national team during last year's FIBA World Cup where he showed his promise as one of the young stalwarts at Gilas.

Gilas Pilipinas

PHOTO: Jerome Ascano

He unfortunately missed out on Gilas' campaign in the Hangzhou Asian Games after going straight to Japan to play in the B.League.

In as much as he wanted to have Edu in the team, Cone said dealing with injuries are always part and parcel of an athletes' career.

"Injuries are part of it We'll move on," said the Gilas coach