MANILA, Philippines – With the UAAP and NCAA men’s basketball tournaments and the PBA Governors’ Cup playoffs in full-swing, Filipino basketball fans will be treated to more hoops action as the Japan B. League and the Korean Basketball League (KBL) tip off this October.
From having Thirdy Ravena as the lone Filipino Asian Quota import in the B. League back in 2020, a total of eight Filipino players are set to showcase their talents in the Land of the Rising Sun this season.
There are also eight Filipino players plying their trade in the KBL, as well as two more Pinoy hoop stars seeing action in Europe, namely Ravena and Gilas Pilipinas Women standout Jack Animam.
Here are the top Filipino basketball imports to watch overseas:
Kai Sotto
Following a stellar run with the Yokohama B-Corsairs in the 2023-2024 B. League season, all eyes will be on Kai Sotto as he looks to make an instant impact for his new B1 team Koshigaya Alphas this coming season.
The towering 7-foot-3 big man averaged 12.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks for the B-Corsairs last season, highlighted by a career-high 28-point performance back in March.
Now “completely healthy” after dealing with a back injury last year and a rib injury in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in July, Sotto is expected to be one of the go-to guys for Koshigaya, which earned a B1 promotion following a second-place finish in B2 last season.
Dwight Ramos
Coming off a career-year in the B. League, Ramos hopes to see his numbers translate into wins as he enters his third season with his B1 squad Levanga Hokkaido, and his fourth overall in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Last season, Ramos averaged a career-high 10.7 points, to go along with 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 steals for Hokkaido, which finished second to the last in the Eastern Conference with a 17-43 record.
Ramos has never tasted playoff action since entering the B. League in 2021 with the Toyama Grouses, and the 6-foot-4 do-it-all guard is eager to end that drought this year as Hokkaido’s new team captain.
Kiefer Ravena
After helping the Shiga Lakes capture the B2 title last season, Kiefer Ravena is back in B1 and is set to suit up for his new team Yokohama.
The older Ravena was instrumental in the Lakes’ championship run as he averaged 19 points, 3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.6 steals in seven playoff matches.
Now with Yokohama, Ravena is expected to fill the void left by former B-Corsairs star point guard Yuki Kawamura, who recently signed a contract with the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA.
Matthew Wright
Like Sotto and Ravena, Matthew Wright will be donning a different jersey in B1 this season as he is now set to reinforce the Kawasaki Brave Thunders.
Wright spent his first two seasons in the B. League with the Kyoto Hannaryz, where he posted 13.4 points in the 2022-2023 season and 13.1 markers last year.
Despite Wright’s solid numbers, the Hannaryz failed to advance to the playoffs in both seasons.
With Kawasaki, the 33-year-old former PBA star will get the opportunity to contribute in a winning environment as the Brave Thunders are one of the top contenders in the B. League.
Carl Tamayo
After seeing very limited minutes for B1 powerhouse Ryukyu Golden Kings in his stint in the B. League, Carl Tamayo is all set for a fresh start as he takes his talents to the KBL.
Tamayo — who is part of the 12-man Gilas Pilipinas pool along with Sotto and Ramos — signed with the Changwon LG Sakers back in June, replacing the team’s former Asian import and fellow Filipino player Justin Gutang.
In 23 games played for Ryukyu in the 2023-2024 B. League season, Tamayo averaged only 3.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 12.5 minutes of play.
The 6-foot-7, 23-year-old big man will now get the chance to showcase his wares and bring his championship experience to a Changwon side that reached the semifinals last KBL season.
Tamayo led the UP Fighting Maroons to a UAAP title in 2022 and also won a B. League championship with Ryukyu in the 2022-2023 season.
SJ Belangel
Back for another tour of duty in the KBL, SJ Belangel aims to sustain his steady play for the Daegu KOGAS Pegasus and continue his rise as one of the top point guards in the league.
Belangel put up 12.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game last season, a huge improvement from his averages of 7 markers, 1.9 boards, and 2 assists in his first year in the Land of the Morning Calm.
However, the former Ateneo floor general Belangel still hasn’t reached the playoffs in the KBL as Daegu finished second to the last in the 2022-2023 season, before ending up at seventh in the 2023-2024 season.
Ethan Alvano
After making history as the first non-Korean player to capture the domestic MVP in the 2023-2024 KBL season, Filipino-American guard Ethan Alvano is set to run it back with the Wonju DB Promy.
Alvano averaged 15.9 points, 3 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.5 steals in 54 regular season games played to tow Wonju to a league-leading 41-13 record last season.
Unfortunately, Alvano and the rest of Wonju fell to eventual KBL champion Busan KCC Egis in four games in the semifinals.
Javi Gomez de Liaño
Following a postseason appearance with the Terrafirma Dyip in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup, Javi Gomez de Liaño is once again reinforcing a team overseas, this time the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters in the KBL.
Gomez de Liaño already suited up as a Filipino Asian Quota import for B1 team Ibaraki Robots in the 2021-2022 B. League season, where he averaged just 3.2 points and 1.1 rebounds in 9.5 minutes per game.
Prior to signing with Anyang, Gomez de Liaño — who joins his brother Juan in the KBL — racked up 16.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game for Terrafirma in the recent Philippine Cup.
Thirdy Ravena
Known as the pioneer import who opened the doors for Filipino basketball players overseas, Thirdy Ravena is now seeing action for Dubai Basketball Club (Dubai BC) in the ABA League after a four-year run with B1 team San-En NeoPhoenix in the B. League.
In his final season with San-En, the three-time UAAP champion and Finals MVP from Ateneo averaged 12.6 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.
As of posting time, the 27-year-old Ravena hasn’t seen much action for the powerhouse Dubai BC, which currently enjoys a 2-0 record in the ABA League, where they go up against teams from Europe.
Jack Animam
After stints in Serbia, France, China, and Australia, Jack Animam’s decorated basketball journey continues as she is back in Europe, this time with Romanian Club FCC UAV Arad.
The FCC UAV Arad marks Animam’s sixth overseas professional team after previously reinforcing Radnicki Kragujevac in Serbia, Toulouse Metropole and USO Mondeville in France, Wuhan Shengfan in China, and Ringwood Hawks in Australia.
Back in August, the 6-foot-5, 25-year-old center Animam starred for Gilas Women in the FIBA Women’s World Cup 2026 Pre-Qualifying Tournament, where she averaged 13 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1.7 steals in three matches.
Other imports
Japan B. League
- AJ Edu – Nagasaki Velca (B1)
- Ray Parks – Osaka Evessa (B1)
- Geo Chiu – Ehime Orange Vikings (B2)
- Roosevelt Adams – Yamagata Wyverns (B2)
Korean Basketball League
- Juan Gomez de Liaño – Seoul SK Knights
- Miguel Oczon – Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus
- Justin Gutang – Seoul Samsung Thunders
- Calvin Espitola – Busan KCC Egis
– Rappler.com
