Gilas Pilipinas Basketball

To say that the best is yet to come for Gilas Pilipinas cadet Dwight Ramos is a massive understatement.

Gilas head coach Tab Baldwin went to as far as straightforwardly saying the 22-year-old wing man can be an effective player for any professional league.

“This is a man that can play at a high level anywhere in the world,” Baldwin said after Gilas’ 82-77 repeat win over Korea on Sunday in the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers third window.

Ramos has been an absolute revelation for the Philippine squad since making his debut last year in Bahrain.

In the three games Ramos played in the third window, the 6-foot-4 forward averaged 15 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2 APG, and 2.3 SPG while shooting 50 percent from three.

Ramos has shown versatility on both ends of the floor, starring in a playmaking role while contributing with his outside shooting and defense.

Moving forward as the team is definitely going to include him in future tournaments, Ramos said he wants to be a better leader for the young Gilas side.

“I wanna be a better leader, be more vocal out there on the floor, gather my teammates,” the West Covina native said.

“I think I know a little bit about what Coach Tab wants from us. I just think I want to relay that message from Coach Tab to the players a little bit more smoothly,” he added.

A product of Cal State Fullerton, Ramos is eligible to play for the Ateneo Blue Eagles once the UAAP resumes. With the Gilas roster headed to Belgrade, Serbia soon for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, much more will be expected from Ramos, and he is willing to fast-track his progress and lead the team once more for national pride.

“I think that’s my biggest improvement for the game,” Ramos concluded.

Written by Levi Verora Jr.

Photos from FIBA