THE proximity of this year’s annual PBA draft on May 15 should not pose a problem for amateur standouts, especially those still playing in the UAAP.
Pro league Commissioner Willie Marcial said a May 2 deadline is set for rookie hopefuls, including Fil-foreign players, to give them ample time to finish their stints in the collegiate ranks.
“Ang drafting ay sa May 15. Ang last day of filing ay sa May 2, including sa Fil-foreign players with valid Philippine passport, iyon ang hihingin natin,” Marcial told Malaya Business Insight yesterday. “Mag-a-apply ang mga iyan sa last four, five days dahil may UAAP pa. Iyong mga nasa collegiate leagues, hindi pa kaagad mag-a-apply iyan.
“Tatapusin muna nila. Kausap namin ang UAAP, iyon naman ipinakiusap nila na gawin naming second week ang draft para iyong ibang players maka-apply.”
The 97th NCAA basketball tournament is already in the middle of the single-round eliminations where the top two teams will gain outright Final Four berths with twice-to-beat advantages.
The third to sixth-ranked squads after the eliminations will clash in the play-in tourney to determine the other two semifinalists.
The 84th UAAP cage wars are in the second round of the elimination with the top four advancing to the Final Four. The top seed and No. 2 team will have win-once incentives.
A slew of amateur standouts has chosen greener pastures the past two years.
The likes of brothers Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, Bobby Ray Parks Jr, Kobe Paras, Dwight Ramos, Javi Gomez de Liaño, Kemark Cariño, and Matthew Aquino are proving their worth in the Japan B. League.
Jordan Heading and Jason Brickman are playing in Taiwan, while 7-foot-3 center Kai Sotto is plying his trade in the Australia’s National Basketball League.
It will be good for the league if those plying their trades overseas will return home and apply for the proceedings.
“Sana, pero hindi pa natin alam. Kasi iyong mga hindi nag-apply (in the past few years), hindi na natin alam kung saan sila nag-apply,” Marcial said. “Baka nasa ibang bansa na sila pero hindi natin alam.”
Among those likely to join the draft are Jeremiah Gray, who is recovering from an ACL injury, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, and Brickman.
