MANILA, Philippines -- The future remains rosy for Filipino center Kai Sotto, even though he was not selected in the NBA Rookie Draft in July.

This, according to Filipino-American guard Jordan Clarkson who witnessed first hand how the towering center played during the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers. Clarkson and Sotto headlined the Gilas Pilipinas team in their games against Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

Despite having limited preparation, the pair already showed great chemistry, linking up several times for highlight reel plays. In their 85-81 loss to Lebanon, Clarkson found Sotto with a full-court heave for a two-handed dunk.

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"For him, just stay with it. Not to get down, give up, or anything. I think he has a bright future," Clarkson said of the advice he would give to the young center.

"He's young. He's just learning, get in the weight room, get stronger, put some time in as he grows into the player he is," he added.

Sotto has plenty of good attributes: Clarkson noted that the 20-year-old has good hands and can space the floor, while also having a solid enough handle to bring the ball down the court. There is still room to grow for Sotto, who was still bumped off repeatedly by the bulkier Saudi Arabian bigs during their game on Monday night.

But the potential is undeniable, with Clarkson saying that "the sky's the limit" for the young center.

"He just gotta continue to put the work in, you know, keep making strides in his career path. I think he's what, 20-years-old. I didn't make it to the league until I was 21, 22 years old," Clarkson pointed out. "So he has time to go over."

"I think he's going to Australia right now to grow and play against pros at a young age, really learn the game," he added. "I'm proud of Kai, from when I first saw him coming out of high school or whatever and then seeing him now."

"He's taking steps in the right direction, so I'm happy for him and can't wait to see him continue to grow."

Sotto, who is set to return to Australia today to join the Adelaide 36ers for a second season, said it was a treat to play with Clarkson and learn from the Utah Jazz guard.

"It's just about being a pro, and we all know how good he is. He's at the highest level, he's an elite NBA player," said Sotto. "So lahat ng ginagawa niya para sa sa sarili niya, para sa team, para sa bayan, maraming matutunan."

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