PHI - Aguilar builds on successful Asian Championship

MANILA (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Japeth Aguilar had one of the signature plays of the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship for the Philippines.

Playing at home in front of a huge crowd in Manila, Aguilar put the finishing touches on an 80-70 triumph over Qatar with an alley-oop slam dunk off a long inbounds pass from Gabe Norwood.

The Pampanga-born, 2.08 forward ended up scoring his tournament high of 14 points in that win, while also giving the fans something to talk about for the rest of the tournament.

The play, in fact, won an online poll conducted on the FIBA Facebook Page as the best alley-oop of 2013.

More importantly for Aguilar and the Philippines is that the 10-point triumph came in the midst of a five-game winning winning streak that allowed the host nation of the Asian event to book a spot in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

The best of Aguilar on the international stage, his play so far this season with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings strongly suggests, is yet to come.

In the Philippines PBA League, Aguilar has been on a tear this season, averaging 19.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.92 blocks to help Barangay Ginebra establish themselves as the team to beat.

He is second in the PBA in scoring behind Talk N Text point guard Jayson Castro (20 ppg), an all-tournament selection at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship for the Philippines.

Aguilar, who played NCAA Division 1 basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, is seventh in rebounding, first in blocks (he has 47 on the season, with June Mar Fajardo's 26 a distant second) and first in average minutes per game (39).

The soon-to-be 27-year-old (his birthday is 25 January) has seven double-doubles in points and rebounds and very nearly came up with a couple of triple-doubles.

In a 97-95 victory over Talk N Text on 8 December, Aguilar had seven blocks to go with his 21 points and 12 rebounds.

In a 79-68 triumph at A21 seven days before Christmas, Aguilar had eight swats to go with his 22 points and 12 rebounds.

The Philippines are going to run into the toughest competition they have ever faced when they compete at the World Cup, which tips off 30 August, and Aguilar will no doubt have his hands full on both ends of the floor.

The chance to go up against the best is something that he and everyone else in the Philippines squad is very excited about.

The draw for the 24-team event will be held 3 February in Barcelona.

FIBA