MATTHEW Aquino has been named to the national team training pool — of Japan.
The 6-foot-9 son of former PBA star Marlou, who holds a Japanese passport that makes him a local in the Japan B. League, was included in the 24-man pool released by the Japanese Basketball Association for the first window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers.
Aquino has only played one game for Shinshu, against the Akita Northern Happinets, scoring two points and grabbing two rebounds, with his other matches coming in the 97th Emperor’s Cup.
Aquino’s Braves teammate Yudai Okada, as well as Bobby Ray Parks Jr.’s teammates with the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins namely Tenketsu Harimoto, Yutaro Suda, and Takumi Saito are also members of the Akatsuki Five pool.
Familiar faces in Makoto Hiejima, Yuki Togashi, Shuto Ando, Avi Koki Schafer, and Kosuke Takeuchi lead the pool.
Completing the pool are Keita Imamura and Ryuichi Kishimoto (Ryukyu Golden Kings), Yuma Fujii (Kawasaki Brave Thunders), Shuta Hara (Chiba Jets), Leo Vendrame (SunRockers Shibuya), Yudai Nishida (SeaHorses Mikawa), Ryo Terashima (Hiroshima Dragonflies), Aki Chambers and Kengo Nomoto (Gunma Crane Thunders), Eliet Donley and Zack Moore (Osaka Evessa), Masaaki Morikawa (Yokohama B-Corsairs), and Takatoshi Furukawa (Akita Northern Happinets).
Fighting Eagles Nagoya’s Luke Evans will be Japan’s naturalized player for the first window, which will be the first under new coach Tom Hovasse.
Japan, bracketed in Group B, is set to clash with China in a pair of games this Nov. 27 and 28 at the Xebio Arena in Sendai to start their campaign in the Asian qualifiers.
