Tag: Gilas

Latvia crushes Georgia ahead of Gilas game

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Latvia’s Davis Bertans takes a 3-pointer against Georgia during the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, Latvia.–Photo from Fiba

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT in Riga, Latvia

MANILA, Philippines—Buoyed by the home crowd, Latvia got off to a dominant start in its last-chance bid to make the Paris Olympics.

The Latvians showed why they’re ranked sixth in the world by blowing out Georgia, 88-53, on opening night of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament at Arena Riga.

“We are very happy for the way we entered the tournament after long seasons for everybody,” said Latvia coach Luca Banchi, whose squad takes on Gilas Pilipinas next on Thursday, 12 a.m. (Manila time).

READ: Fiba OQT: Bahamas tops Finland, Slovenia falls to Croatia

“The guys responded very well, starting from the defensive approach, bringing energy and good rhythm. We kept a good level of intensity all throughout the game.”

Arturs Strautins had a perfect offensive game to lead Latvia with 18 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field including four triples and 4-of-4 from the free throw line.

Mareks Mejeris and Rolands Smits also gave the Latvians a lift with their all-around effort combining for 21 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

NBA veteran Davis Bertans, who plays for the Charlotte Hornets, added nine points for Latvia, which finished fifth in last year’s Fiba World Cup in Manila.

READ: Latvia’s Porzingis to have surgery, out of Fiba OQT and Paris Olympics

Latvia is expected to sweep Group A despite missing the services of NBA star Kristaps Porzingis, who recently underwent leg surgery to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon.

The Boston Celtics center suffered what was considered a rare injury in Game 2 of the NBA Finals last month.

Alexander Mamukelashlivi was the sole double-digit scorer for Georgia with 14 points and four rebounds.



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Gilas Pilipinas stuns world No. 6 Latvia to open Fiba OQT bid

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Justin Brownlee leads Gilas Pilipinas’ rout of host Latvia to open the Filipinos’ Fiba OQT campaign. –FIBA PHOTO

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT in Riga, Latvia

Gilas Pilipinas pounced on Latvia’s early shooting woes and played with steely nerves down the stretch to topple World No. 6 and host Latvia, 89-80, in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) on Thursday.

The No. 37-ranked Filipinos, overwhelming underdogs in the short meet at Arena Riga that will send a winner to the Paris Olympics, raced to an 8-0 start and built a sizable cushion that they never yielded until the final horn.

“I’m totally shocked to be sitting in front of you guys after winning this basketball game. This is not something we thought we were gonna do, I’ll be honest with you,” said Gilas coach Tim Cone after the Philippines beat a European team for the first time in 64 years.

“We wanted to come in and compete and really put on a good show. We got started early. We hit shots early. And thankfully Latvia missed shots.”

Naturalized ace Justin Brownlee delivered a near triple-double of 26 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, while young cornerstones Kai Sotto and Dwight Ramos tossed in 18 and 11 points, respectively, for a triumph that got Gilas’ campaign off to a rousing start.

READ: Tim Cone dismisses notion that Gilas not big, fast, strong enough

Barring a massive blowout at the hands of World No. 23 Georgia, the Philippines is on track to advance to the crossover knockout phase which could pit the Filipinos against Cameroon, Brazil or Montenegro.

Chris Newsome scored 10 points, including a couple of late baskets in the final period that kept the Latvians at bay with the results significantly shaking up the Group A race.

Gilas Pilipinas' Kai Sotto among the top performers against Latvia in the Fiba OQT.

Gilas Pilipinas’ Kai Sotto among the top performers against Latvia in the Fiba OQT. –FIBA BASKETBALL

The Latvians, having won 24 of their last 27 Fiba games, were projected to sweep the preliminaries, but struggled against a determined Gilas side and dropped to 1-1 in the OQT.

It also didn’t help the hosts that their outside shooting abandoned them just as the Filipinos hit theirs. Latvia was 10-for-42 while Gilas wound up 9-of-20 from deep.

“There were a couple of stretches, like Kai said, that we kind of lost our way a little bit but it seems like when Latvia was just about ready to make huge run at us, they would miss an open three-point shot,” Cone said.

“And that’s just one of those night for Latvia—they just won’t hit shots tonight.”

Rodions Kurucs and Rolands Smits joined hands for a last-ditch effort for the Latvians, but the Gilas cushion—which swelled to as big as 26 points—proved too big to overhaul.

READ: Tim Cone ‘not satisfied’ until Gilas reaches optimal FIBA OQT form

Kurucs had 18 points, Davis Bertans, Kristers Zoriks and Janis Strelnieks 10 each while Smits had 9 in the Latvian effort that left many in the home crowd in disbelief.

Gilas and Georgia tangle in 18 hours (8:30 p.m. Manila time) at the same venue.



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Gilas boys lose to USA by 96, bow out of Fiba U17 World Cup

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Gilas Pilipinas boys against Team USA in the 2024 Fiba U17 World Cup Round of 16. -FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas Boys absorbed another brutal defeat to bow out of the 2024 Fiba U17 World Cup Round of 16 in Istanbul, Turkey on Wednesday night (Manila time).

The Philippines suffered a disheartening 96-point loss at the hands of United States, 141-45, at Ahmet Comert Sports Hall, ending its hopes for a podium finish on the global stage.

This after finishing the group phase without a win capped off by a 98-53 defeat at the hands of Puerto Rico on Tuesday.

READ: Gilas boys get crushed by Lithuania in Fiba U17 World Cup opener

Like the Gilas boys’ previous games, the Filipinos went on a slow start that gave them an insurmountable disadvantage until the final buzzer.

Team USA, on the other hand, began the game with an electrifying 43-13 opening period.

Eight players from USA scored in double digits headlined by a 22-point outburst from Koa Peat. Cam Boozer scored 20 while Jalen Haralson, Caleb Holt and Chris Cenac added 16, 14 and 14 points, respectively.

Joaquin Ludovice finished with 15 points n the loss that relegated Gilas in the classification phase. while CJ Amos dropped 10 points.

The Gilas boys await the other teams in the classification round, giving them either two or three days of rest before going back in action.



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Ateneo farewell points Amos to La Salle; UP signs Gilas prospect

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Mason Amos is leaving Ateneo Blue Eagles after just one UAAP season with the team and is reported to be moving to La Salle. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Mason Amos traveled over 9,000 kilometers to get to Riga, in Latvia, from Manila for his national team career.

His college career took a shorter trip—just about 20 km—but that voyage looks headed to a destination farthest from the minds of basketball fans.

Amos, the Ateneo big man who has become some sort of a regular in the Gilas Pilipinas pool, announced he was leaving the Blue Eagles, with multiple reports tagging him in a transfer to the other end of Philippine basketball’s greatest and longest-running rivalry.

“To my teammates—with a heavy heart I would like to express that you guys have been a huge part of my life. I am thankful for everything that we were able to share. I have no regrets having fought by your side,” Amos wrote on his Instagram account. “I am thankful that you guys taught me lessons and that we were able to create memories I will cherish forever. I love you guys and that’ll never change.”

The shock announcement, which was made public late Monday night while Amos was with Gilas Pilipinas in Latvia for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, caught almost everyone by surprise especially since the stretch big was marked as a cornerstone for the Blue Eagles.

Instead, he will reportedly begin his residency at La Salle as the UAAP arms race continues at a frenzied pace.

The Citadel product

On Tuesday, University of the Philippines (UP) announced that it had secured the services of Gilas Pilipinas talent target Quentin Millora-Brown, who will suit up for the Maroons in Season 87.

The 6-foot-10 center from The Citadel in the US NCAA Division 1 averaged 11.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.5 blocks for the same school that produced former PBA guard Noy Castillo.

“We have been talking with Quentin for a time now. We’ve visited him a couple of times since 2019,” UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development director Bo Perasol said in a statement released to the media. “We are beyond happy and really excited to finally have him in the team for next season.”

Amos, the 6-foot-7 forward, averaged 8.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 16 games for the Blue Eagles in what now turned out to be his lone season in Katipunan.

Amos helped anchor Ateneo’s 7-7 (win-loss) record in Season 86, where the Blue Eagles were eliminated by Final Four foe UP.



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La Salle and Ateneo have yet to respond to requests for a comment on the transfer. INQ

Tim Cone dismisses notion that Gilas not big, fast, strong enough

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There will be plenty of questions and realities that Gilas Pilipinas will tackle in the few days left leading up to the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Latvia.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

There will be plenty of questions and realities that Gilas Pilipinas will tackle in the few days left leading up to the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Latvia.

Fortunately, the squad’s mental fortitude and size won’t be among those things.

Despite an 11-man crew and a lowly No. 37 ranking, national coach Tim Cone has been steadfast in his belief that the Filipinos are not going to be outmatched in Riga, where one of the four OQTs for the remaining berths in the Paris Summer Olympics will be contested.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT in Riga, Latvia

“They see the potential in themselves,” he previously told the Inquirer. “We are not going to be overwhelmed by anybody.

“It has always been a size factor—that we’re not big enough, we’re not fast enough, we’re not strong enough to play on the international [stage],” he added. “But we are.”

Cone’s optimism stems from the squad’s composition, which boasts length and athleticism aside from smarts and versatility.

This edition of Gilas Pilipinas is easily one of the biggest ever assembled, with 6-foot-4 Dwight Ramos serving as a point guard, youngsters Carl Tamayo (6-8) and Mason Amos (6-7) taking turns at the wings, and 6-10 June Mar Fajardo and 7-3 beanpole Kai Sotto patrolling the middle.

READ: Tim Cone ‘not satisfied’ until Gilas Pilipinas reaches optimal OQT form

“They’re gonna be more physical than us, maybe, but they’re not gonna outsize us. And I think that always gives us a possibility [of winning],” he said of the field in Riga that is littered with higher-ranked foes.

The Philippines is set to battle world No. 6 Latvia and 23rd-ranked Georgia in a 20-hour span in Group A of the short meet that will send one winner to the glitzy French capital later this month.

Both early opponents will be backstopped by NBA-caliber talent. Davis Bertans of the Charlotte Hornets is set to reprise his role for the hosts, while Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs and Goga Bitadze form a ferocious frontline for the Crusaders.

Pulling through that tough stretch would send Gilas to the knockout stage where the Nationals could go up against Brazil, Montenegro, or Cameroon.

“For us, I think, to have any success in this thing is to get to the crossover,” Cone said in a separate interview. “We’ve got to go out and beat either Latvia or Georgia to really feel we’ve had success—and then we’ll see where we go from there.

“If we can beat one of those two teams, that means we can compete in the crossover, [and] you never know from there. And that’s going to be our kind feeling—just go there, and I keep saying, it’s not impossible,” he added.



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“If we can bring our best version of ourselves, we can beat anybody. Whether we can do that or not is the big question.”

UP Fighting Maroons signs Gilas prospect Millora-Brown

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UP-commit Quentin Millora-Brown with UP OASD Dir. Bo Perasol. –HANDOUT PHOTO

University of the Philippines isn’t taking its last two runner-up finishes sitting down.

The Maroons continued building up their talent cache, inking Gilas Pilipinas prospect Quentin Millora-Brown, who is not only trying to reconnect to a school he has roots in but also wants to link up with the national program.

“We have been talking with Quentin for a time now. We’ve visited him a couple of times since 2019. We are beyond happy and really excited to finally have him in the team for next season,” said UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development director Bo Perasol.

READ: Fil-Am Jacob Bayla boosts UP title bid in UAAP Season 87

The 6-foot-10 Filipino-American averaged 11.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game in the US NCAA Division I, where he last played for The Citadel—the school that produced former PBA gunner Noy Castillo.

“My grandfather studied in UP,” Millora-Brown, who is eligible for Season 87, said in a press release shared by the Maroons. “It’s his dream to see me don the Fighting Maroons jersey and play for his alma mater. Right now, I’m just really excited to meet everyone as we’ve been in touch even before the pandemic. [I am] looking forward to spending time with my new teammates ahead of the UAAP season.”

Millora-Brown, who is expected to arrive in the country this month, also wants to hook up with the national program, which has been eyeing him for quite some time.

“Of course, aside from playing for UP in the UAAP, I also want to represent the Philippines with Gilas,” he said.



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Gilas Pilipinas women set sights on Jones Cup after U18 success

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Gilas Pilipinas girls at the PSA Forum following their triumphant stint in the Fiba U18 Asia Cup.-PSA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The hard work continues for the successful Gilas women’s program following its masterful conquest of the Fiba U18 Asia Cup Division B in Shenzhen, China last week.

Program director Pat Aquino said the Gilas women (senior) take over when they see action in the Jones Cup in Taiwan set July 13 to 21 and the pre-qualifiers for the next Fiba World Cup set in Rwanda scheduled Aug 19 to 25.

“Then there’s the next SEA Games (2025). Kailangan makuha ulit natin ang gold sa SEA Games,” Aquino said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum Tuesday at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

READ: Gilas girls earn Division A promotion after whipping Lebanon

Aquino and head coach Julie Amos graced the forum along with members of the U18 team that swept Division B of the Asia Cup and earned a spot in Division A for 2026.

The development was welcome news for the Gilas program after its senior team, the Gilas women, previously made it to Division A as well as the U16 team in the Asia Cup.

“This is the future of our women’s basketball. Tingin ko wala na akong problema for the next years or so. We should continue the program for the 16-under and 18-under with the help of SBP (Sahahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas) president Al Panlilio and executive director Erika Dy,” added Aquino.

However, Amos, a former key player for the national team, said all but one of the members of this U18 team will no longer be eligible for 2026.

“Isa na lang ang matititra (Tiffany Reyes) so I hope the SBP continues to help us,” she said during the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Smart/PLDT, and ArenaPLus, the Philippines’ 24/7 sports app.

READ: Tough draw for Gilas women in Fiba World PreQualifiers

“But we have a good problem because more players are asking how they can join the team. It’s just a matter of identifying the talents that will fit the program,” Amos said.

Moving up to Division A for the U18 team was not a complete surprise, according to Aquino.

“We were expecting it. I knew the girls can do it. And it’s a mark for us now around Asia that we can play against the level of China, Japan and Korea,” he said of the campaign in Shenzhen where the Gilas girls went undefeated including a convincing win over Lebanon in the final.

Among the players who graced the forum were team captain Ava Fajardo, Naomi Panganiban, Margarette Duenas, Sophia Canindo, Gabby Ramos, Reyes, Alyssa Rodriguez, Alicia Villanueva and Audrey Lapasaran, Ashlyn Abong, Jolzyne Impreso, and Venice Quinte. With them was former champion coach Ryan Gregorio, special assistant to the SBP president.

Aquino said it’s bittersweet that most of the U18 players that ruled the Shenzhen meet will no longer be eligible for the 2026 edition.

“I hope that someday they can all represent the senior team,” he said.



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“And hopefully we’ll find new faces na magpapatuloy sa ating mga programa. Pero mas malaki na yung pool natin. Lumalaki ng lumalaki,” Aquino added.

Tim Cone ‘not satisfied’ until Gilas Pilipinas reaches optimal OQT form

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Gilas Pilipinas’ Justin Brownlee during a game against Chinese Taipei in the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Gilas Pilipinas’ schedule the past week has been nothing short of frantic, traveling across the Middle East, Europe, and then deep into the Baltics—taking narrow tuneup losses flush on the chin in between.

And yet, the Nationals went straight to practice right after they arrived in Latvia on Sunday (early Monday morning in Manila), putting aside exhaustion and a 10-hour road trip as it continued to prime and plot for the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga.

“This is not supposed to be a fun trip. It’s supposed to be the hardest thing that we will ever do in our basketball lives,” national coach Tim Cone told the Inquirer. “It’s been hectic for us.”

“Hopefully, now that we’re here in Riga, things will normalize for us in the next couple of days and we can catch our breath and focus on the tournament,” he added.

The Filipinos will have at least about three full days to acclimatize in the Latvian capital. By then, the 11-man crew led by Justin Brownlee, June Mar Fajardo and Dwight Ramos will be going through the proverbial eye of the needle once more on July 4.

Gilas Pilipinas will battle host and World No. 6 Latvia and, after just 20 hours, will return to action against No. 23-ranked Georgia in the group phase of one of the four OQTs that will complete the field in the Summer Olympic Games in Paris set later this month.

Punishing schedule

The schedule may seem punishing on paper, but Cone and his charges can draw much from their last seven grueling days, where they traveled to Turkiye and Poland for its test games.

Using that experience, Gilas can also manufacture optimism for the tall tasks against the Latvians and Georgians who will be fielding NBA players in the short meet.

The Philippines, despite having only 11 players, went 1-2 in their test games, winning against club team Taiwan Mustangs (74-64) at home, and then fading late against World No. 24 Turkiye in Istanbul (84-73) and No. 15 Poland in Sosnowiec (82-80).

“I’ve been pleased with our progress in the games. We’re proving to ourselves that we can play with these guys,” Cone said of the Europeans.

“But we can’t be satisfied with ‘getting close,’” he added. “We need to get over the hump and that means more attention to detail.”

Long a student of the game, Cone knows that Gilas can still unlock another dimension of its game just before the OQT tips off.



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“The guys are pushing and I love it. But we still need more.” INQ

Gilas Pilipinas boys lose big anew in Fiba U17 World Cup

On: By: admin


Photo from Fiba

MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas Boys still can’t catch a break in the Fiba U17 World Cup.

After absorbing a demoralizing 107-48 loss to Lithuania on Saturday, Gilas swallowed another crushing defeat, this time at the hands of Spain.

Spain made easy work of the Gilas boys, 96-34, in Group A of the tournament at Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul, Turkey late Sunday night (Manila time).

Gilas boys get crushed by Lithuania in Fiba U17 World Cup 

The young Nationals never stood a chance after falling, 30-2, in the opening period.

Joaquin Ludovice was the only Gilas player to score in the first frame after making a layup at the 5:17 mark that came following Spain’s 16-0 start.

Gilas, which is missing its best player in Kieffer Alas due to a knee injury, just didn’t have enough firepower to make it a game against powerhouse Spain.

READ: Kieffer Alas out of Gilas boys lineup for Fiba U17 World Cup

Spain dominated the rebounding department, 71-22, and held the Philippines to only 22 percent shooting from the field.

Bonn Daja was the lone double-digit scorer for Gilas with 12 points. He also grabbed five rebounds.

Maximo Garcia-Plata led Spain with a near-triple-double effort, collecting 15 points, seven rebounds and nine assists while Ignacio Campoy posted 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Two more players hit double-digits for Spain with Guillermo Del Pino and Eric Del Castillo scoring 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Gilas looks to end its campaign on a positive note when it faces Puerto Rico on Tuesday.



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Gilas loses narrowly to world No. 15 Poland, showing that—despite some glitches—it is now armed well enough for OQT battle

On: By: admin


San Antonio mainstay in the NBA Jeremy Sochan (left) tries to dribble past Justin Brownlee in late second half action. —PHOTO COURTESY OF POLAND BASKETBALL FEDERATION

Gilas Pilipinas spent little time ruing another narrow loss in its preparations geared toward the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Latvia.

“Now the real fight begins,” national coach Tim Cone wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday noon (Manila time), swiftly putting behind an 82-80 loss at the hands of World No. 15 Poland which is also preparing its own OQT that will be held in Valencia, Spain.

The Nationals looked poised for a good outing at Sosnowiec Arena on early Sunday, thanks to a balanced attack led by Justin Brownlee, Dwight Ramos, June Mar Fajardo and Kai Sotto.

But miscues in the second period allowed the Poles to mount a fightback. The hosts held on and kept their poise in the final period, dousing Gilas’ spirited tries at a comeback and ultimately denying the Filipinos a chance at pocketing a morale-boosting win right before it plunges into the OQT in Riga.

Brownlee had 30 points to lead Gilas anew. He also starred in the loss to Turkey two nights ago. Ramos, meanwhile, added 16.

The Philippines actually enjoyed a nine-point edge in the first half before falling prey to disjointed play in the third period that had Cone fuming in one of the time-outs.

Cone being livid

“We’re not even trying anymore,” the seasoned mentor, livid, could be heard saying during the broadcast. “This isn’t about ‘Hey, yeah! Let’s go! Let’s go!’ That’s bulls**t. It’s about fu***ng doing your job, fellas!”

“We look like an Asian team right now. We look like a team who are playing Asia—and not European,” he added. “[I]f we’re gonna fu***ng play like sh**, we have no fu***ng chance. Get your head out your a** and let’s start playing!”

Gilas smoothened the gaps after that tongue-lashing, with Brownlee and Ramos joining hands in turning a 13-point hole to just a five-point deficit, 82-77, with 1:43 remaining.

The Nationals, however, couldn’t make the most out of the time left to complete a turnaround against the Jeremy Sochan-led Poles as Chris Newsome’s freebie and CJ Perez’ layup both came a little too late.

The Philippines thus settled for a 1-2 win-loss record in its preparatory games, the lone victory at the expense of club team Taiwan Mustangs. Capable

The Inquirer reached out to Cone just before the Philippine contingent left for Riga on Sunday, but the decorated mentor has yet to respond as of press time.

While moral victories don’t count for Cone and the rest of the Gilas brain trust, the gallant stand against Poland can still give the Nationals a good indication of their capabilities ahead of the tall task in Riga where World No. 6 Latvia and No. 23-ranked Georgia await.

The Philippines lost to Poland by just two points. And that should be an achievement in itself considering how the Poles handily beat New Zealand in an earlier friendly, where they won by 29 points.

While pulling off a stunner in Riga may be difficult, Cone has repeatedly said that it won’t be impossible.



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“I keep saying, it’s not impossible. It’s tough, sure. It’s always tough for us, but I feel we haven’t brought a team like this in OQT before,” he said. INQ