MANILA, Philippines — Francis Lopez delivered a stellar performance to power the Nagoya Fighting Eagles past the University of Santo Tomas, 92-91, and capture the 2026 Asiabasket NSAC World Invitational Tournament championship.
The former University of the Philippines (UP) standout poured in 22 points, seven rebounds, and three steals in the championship game, earning the Finals Most Valuable Player award.
Now in his second year with Nagoya, Lopez remains open to returning to the Gilas Pilipinas program and is simply waiting for another call-up.
“You know, I am just waiting, honestly, for the Gilas call-up. Whatever happens, I am always going to be ready for it. So I am just really waiting, honestly,” Lopez said.
The 6-foot-6 forward made his senior national team debut in 2021, scoring eight points and grabbing five rebounds in just nine minutes against Indonesia during the third window of the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
His most recent stint with Gilas came during the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers and FIBA Asia Cup.
Returning to the Philippines also gave Lopez a chance to relive the atmosphere of collegiate basketball, this time facing local UAAP teams.
“It feels like the UAAP again; you feel the drums and everything, like I do when I played in UP. It feels amazing,” he said.
Lopez and the Fighting Eagles now return to Japan as Nagoya prepares for the upcoming B.League season.
The former UP star admitted that adjusting to life in Japan was challenging during his first year, particularly being away from home and learning the language.
“Right now, I am used to it. In my first year, it was hard. I was all by myself, but I coped with it, so it’s all good. The language, I guess, is pretty hard; I am trying to get used to the Japanese language,” he said.
