The Gilas Pilipinas Boys team is now ready for the brighter lights and bigger stages as it takes on the best of the continent in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup in Amman, Jordan from Sept. 2 to 9.

High-flying guard and Toronto-bound Andy Gemao banner the Gilas Boys’ final roster in the tournament which offers spots to the FIBA U19 World Cup in Lausanne, Switzerland next year.

Gemao is joined by the core of the Gilas Boys team that swept the SEABA qualifiers to book its ticket to the continental meet, including backcourt running mate Joaqui Ludovice who saw action in the FIBA U17 World Cup in Turkey.

Joining the two are Jericho Santos, Earl Medina and Carl Manding, Wilhem Carbonilas, Marc Burgos, Drei Lorenzo, Charles Esteban, and Mark Esperanza.

Two new players are also named into the team to be coached by long-time mentor Josh Reyes. Louis Allen Perez and Johnkurl Figueroa are taking the spots of Stephen Hunter and Hans Castillejos from the SEABA team.

The world No. 25 Gilas Boys are drawn in Group D along with No. 27 New Zealand, host and No. 51 Jordan and fellow Southeast Asian team and No. 73 Indonesia.

The Filipinos are opening their campaign against their Indonesian rivals on Monday, Sept. 2, before taking on Jordan in the early morning of Wednesday, Sept. 4, and New Zealand in the late evening.

Gilas needs to finish atop of its group to get an outright spot to the quarterfinals while falling into the second and third spots mean the Filipinos will have to go through crossover play-in for the remaining slots in the Magic 8.

Finishing dead last in the group, meanwhile, means elimination.

The Nationals certainly have the momentum heading into the tournament after lording it over in the SEABA with a perfect 3-0 record. It mauled Malaysia, 97-71 and Thailand, 87-53, before capping the sweet sweep with an 87-64 victory over Indonesia.