Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
Centro Escolar University big man Rodrigue Ebondo has been called up by the Democratic Republic of Congo for the 2017 Fiba African qualifiers.
The school announced the news on Thursday as they will allow the 6-foot-6 slotman to represent his country in the continental qualifiers set late in November.
With Ebondo reinforcing the crew, the Democratic Republic of Congo will face Egypt on November 24 and against Morocco on November 25 in the first leg of the home-and-away format for the first round of qualifiers to the 2019 Fiba World Cup.
The country is slotted in Group C, which also includes African powerhouse Angola.
Ranked 87th in the world and 14th in the continent, the Democratic Republic of Congo finished sixth in the recently concluded Afrobasket 2017.
Ebondo is set to leave for Congo on November 19 and will return to the Philippines immediately after the Morocco game.
His absence will leave a huge hole in the middle for the Scorpions, which are vying to retain their Universities and Colleges Basketball League (UCBL) title.
But coach Yong Garcia expressed his confidence with his team, saying that CEU is well equipped in contending and maintaining its status as a top squad in its mother league despite missing the services of Ebondo.