MANILA, Philippines – Justin Brownlee added another feather to his cap as he made the All-Star Five in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga, Latvia.
Powering Gilas Pilipinas to the semifinals, Brownlee earned his place in the elite squad also featuring Brazil’s Bruno Caboclo and Leo Meindl, Latvia’s Rihards Lomazs, and Cameroon’s Jeremiah Hill.
Caboclo won tournament MVP honors after helping Brazil punch its Paris Games ticket following a 94-69 victory over Latvia in the finale.
The OQT saw Brownlee put the Philippines on his back, ranking in the top three in points, rebounds, and assists in the entire tournament.
Brownlee topped the OQT in scoring with 23.0 points, finished tied at No. 1 in assists with 6.3 dimes, and placed third in rebounding with 8.3 boards as the Philippines fell two wins short of ending a 52-year Olympic absence.
Doing it all for the Nationals, Brownlee flirted with a triple-double in a giant 89-80 upset of world No. 6 Latvia in the group stage by putting up 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists.
He reprised his all-around role against world No. 23 Georgia, churning out 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in a close 96-94 loss that allowed the Philippines to advance to the final four.
Brownlee, though, saw their magical run come to an end after a 71-60 semifinal loss to Brazil, which contained him to 15 points with 8 rebounds and 2 assists.
Despite falling short of his goal for the team, Brownlee left an indelible mark, with teammate Kai Sotto calling him the “Michael Jordan of Philippine basketball.”
Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone also proclaimed that Brownlee “should be in the NBA.” – Rappler.com
