NONTHABURI (FIBA U18 Asian Championship 2018) - Fans of the Philippines will get excited for any competition that their countrymen take part in. It is something expected from a nation that is as rich in basketball culture as the Philippines. In this upcoming FIBA U18 Asian Championship 2018, Filipinos will have a reason to be even more thrilled as the towering front-court of 7ft 1in (2.16m) Kai Sotto and 6ft 11in (2.10m) AJ Edu are primed to team up for the first time.

Both players have garnered hype (and deservedly so) ever since a young age, but will only be getting their first chance to play alongside each other in the Thailand tourney early in August. Both have previously represented the Philippines in several competitions with Edu playing in the 2017 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup and Sotto most recently playing in the FIBA U17 World Cup 2018.

 16-year-old Sotto has been rapidly gaining widespread recognition with subsequent dominating performances in the FIBA U16 Asian Championship and the FIBA U17 World Cup. He was named among the best players of the Asian tournament after averaging 16.8 points, 13.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks for the 4^th placed Philippines. At the FIBA U17 World Cup in Argentina, Sotto kept on rolling with 16.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks which has drawn attention from basketball fans and experts from around the globe. Some sources have even reported that Sotto has drawn interest from NCAA Division 1 schools as well.

Should Sotto eventually decide to play in the NCAA, he might have a chance to run into AJ Edu, who has already committed to the University of Toledo. Unlike Sotto, who was born and developed in the Philippines, Edu’s rise in the basketball ranks has been a bit more winding and diverse. 

Edu shares Filipino and Nigerian roots, was born in Cyprus, and played most of his earlier basketball years in England. His basketball journey eventually landed him a spot in the Basketball Without Borders camp during the NBA All-Star Weekend earlier this year. 

"I never really imagined being in the U.S.," Edu told ESPN. "I was just playing basketball because I was tall. Just seeing how much basketball has done for me is amazing right now."

Ever since 2014, the crazed Filipino fanbase has been looking forward to see the 18-year-old Edu represent the country. He finally got a chance to put on the national team jersey in 2017, where he helped the Philippines to a 7^th place finish at the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup in China. Still, his goal has always been to represent the country in a 5x5 setup, which he’ll get a chance to do in Thailand. He’s determined to make sure that his FIBA debut will be memorable and has been taking online courses for his freshman year to make sure he can dedicate his efforts to basketball.

With Edu playing alongside Sotto, it’s not hard to see why Filipino fans are exceptionally excited to see their national team take court in the FIBA U18 Asian Championship.

"I'm looking forward to playing with Kai Sotto," Edu expressed. "I watched the tournament in Argentina. I think it can work out really well I believe. So I think they have the right idea to be excited."

FIBA