THE clock is ticking and the fate of three Fil-Am standouts seen as likely top picks in the PBA Draft is in peril.
Unless the league relaxes its ruling, playmaker Jason Brickman, big man Brandon Ganuelas Rosser, and guard Jeremiah Gray would likely be ineligible to join the Draft due to lack of pertinent papers required for Fil-foreigners, according to their agent Charlie Dy.
“Iyon lang naman ang ni-relaxed nila (PBA), they waived the D-League requirement pero for Fil-Ams, it’s the same. They still have to submit the BI recognition and the DOJ affirmation. Nag-submit kami ng application ni Brickman, Rosser, and Gray, and I got a message the other day saying that they’re not eligible until they submit those requirements,” Dy said last Saturday on Radyo5 92.3 News FM’s Power and Play program hosted by former PBA Commissioner Noli Eala.
“Actually, hindi na siya aabot (sa deadline) kasi with the pandemic they can’t even fly in. Hindi puwede (to follow iyong papers) so they have to wait for next year,” he added.
Brickman, Ganuelas Rosser, and Gray, who suited up and proved their worth for Alab Pilipinas in the ABL, have yet to secure a Department of Justice affirmation and Bureau of Immigration certification.
Rookie hopefuls have until Jan. 27 to submit their application and requirements.
Dy said the league ruling is likely to remain.
“If you go to the consular office, ang requirement lang sa consular office, if you are a natural-born Filipino because one of your parents is a Filipino, you just have to report your birth so you get a PSA birth certificate and at the same time you can apply for a Philippine passport,” Dy said.
“Ang sabi kasi ni Atty. Melvin (Mendoza, the PBA legal counsel), that’s not the requirement kasi ang rule ng PBA is the recognition and affirmation pa rin. Until the Board (of Governors) changes it, iyon pa rin ang masusunod.”
Alvin Pasaol, Leonard Santillan, Troy Rike, and Franky Johnson, all 3×3 stars, have formally applied for the Draft set on March 14 along with La Salle forward Tyrus Hill.
From the NCAA, gunner RK Ilagan of San Sebastian College, big men Larry Muyang and Ben Adamos of Letran and Perpetual Help, respectively, have said they will forego their final year and instead turn pro, while from the UAAP, Jerrick Ahanmisi of Adamson University has also expressed his interest to join the Draft.
If and when a special Gilas Pilipinas Draft takes place, among those likely to be part of next year’s pool are members of the Gilas squad in the Bahrain bubble that include Green Archers center Justine Baltazar, reigning NCAA MVP Calvin Oftana of San Beda University, University of the Philippines’ Javi Gomez de Liaño, and Ateneo’s Will Navarro. All have one more year left in their collegiate careers but have yet to decide whether to turn pro or stay.
Blue Eagle guard Dwight Ramos is set to play his rookie season in the 83rd UAAP basketball tournament, while the Fighting Maroons’ duo of Kobe Paras and Juan Gomez de Liaño are still eligible to play for two years.
Ateneo guard Dave Ildefonso and Red Lions’ big man Kemark Cariño also still have two years left in their eligibility.
Wingman Jaydee Tungcab has already played all his playing years for UP, making him the only sure player to be included in the special Draft pool if and when it pushes through.
Terrafirma owns the top pick overall anew, followed by NorthPort, Blackwater, NLEX, and Rain or Shine in the top five.
The Elite’s No. 3 selection will go to the Road Warriors as part of the complicated three-team trade that sent JP Erram from NLEX to TNT last February 2020.
