MANILA, Philippines – The way Kai Sotto performed in the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers has Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone convinced that his young ward is capable of dominating the continent.

Cone gave Sotto rave reviews after the 7-foot-3 big man turned in a pair of double-double performances to help the Filipinos sweep the first window with back-to-back blowout victories over Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei.

“He is going to absolutely dominate Asia. I’ve always felt that. If you get him in the right spots, he can absolutely dominate Asia,” said Cone.

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Sotto, the youngest in the team at 21 years old, shone as he stepped up in the absence of injured big men June Mar Fajardo (calf) and AJ Edu (knee).

He finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks in an emphatic 106-53 home drubbing of visiting Chinese Taipei at the PhilSports Arena on Sunday, February 25.

It was an impressive follow-up to his 13-point, 15-rebound, 2-block outing in the Philippines’ 94-64 road rout of Hong Kong last February 22.

Cone said the goal is to aid Sotto – who plays professionally for the Yokohama B-Corsairs in the Japan B. League – in his bid to reach greater heights.

“For him, the next part is to get up to the European level and the NBA level. We’re hoping that we could help him get into that level,” said Cone.

“There may be a time where we might lose Kai, he may not be able to join windows because he might be in the NBA. And we’ll be very, very proud of that.”

A cornerstone of the program Cone has mapped out for the next four years, Sotto said his confidence is at “sky-high” knowing that the veteran mentor has huge plans for him.

That brimming confidence has translated into his fine play.

“Even if he does not tell me personally, I know that coach Tim has a lot of trust in me and I have a lot of trust in him as well,” said Sotto. – Rappler.com