Gilas star Dwight Ramos became the latest Filipino to make the leap to Japan’s B.League as it was announced on Friday morning that he would be playing for the Toyama Grouses.

This development means the versatile 6-foot-4 wingman will no longer be playing for Ateneo in the UAAP. The 23-year-old has had quite the impact on the men’s national basketball team, especially in the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers wherein he shone with averages of 13.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.0 steals per game as the Gilas went unbeaten in eight matches.

Ramos is heading to a Toyama squad that has lofty title aspirations after finishing fourth in the East District with a 43-16 win-loss record. They eventually got eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Ramos is the eight player to play in the B.League. After former Ateneo star Thirdy Ravena tried the waters in 2020, seven more Filipino standouts have signed on to play in Japan’s professional league headed by NLEX star Kiefer Ravena, former University of the Philippines standouts Juan and Javi Gomez de Liano and Kobe Paras, former TNT stud Bobby Ray Parks and former Gilas big man Kemark Cariño. (JNP)