MANILA, 11 January — The question on who would be snatched and who would be scratched among the aspirants in this year’s Rookie Draft in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) will have to be set aside for a while.
An even more persisting question that is confronting everyone in the basketball republic is: Who will be this year’s No. 1 rookie draft pick?
The answers to both questions will come simultaneously on Jan. 13 when the annual rookie draft gets underway at the Glorietta in Makati City — but only after the latter question is answered will the mystery of the whole thing be unearthed.
So again, who will be this year’s top pick, huh?
Will it be Rommel Adducul? Yancy de Ocampo? Ren-Ren Ritualo? Or an outsider?
OK, let’s leave it at that ñ a mystery.
Some 81 aspirants, including 19 foreign-bred Filipinos and dozens of virtually obscure names, have joined the draft, all setting their sights on one common goal: To be drafted and eventually play in the country’s premier professional league.
Among the big names who have signed up for the draft are coming from the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA), the PBA’s rival league, and the Philippine Basketball League (PBL), which has been traditionally the breeding ground of would-be PBA players.
Leading the candidates in the draft are Adducul from the MBA, and De Ocampo and Ritualo from the PBL making this year’s event as one of the most exciting in years.
The number of applicants is already a record in itself since the draft was instituted way back in 1985, surpassing the 57 total last year.
The applicants will be screened under the strict criteria set by the PBA, with the eligible players to be announced on Jan. 8, five days before the draft.
The list, however, is expected to be trimmed down once the league weeds out the "nuisance" applicants and Fil-foreign players who fail to secure citizenship papers from the Department of Justice. The deadline for Fil-foreign players to submit their DoJ certificates is also set on Jan. 8.
But more importantly, the depth of talents in this year’s batch could well go down as one of the most talent-laden since the 1988 exodus of Alvin Patrimonio, Jojo Lastimosa, Dindo Pumaren, Nelson Asaytono and Jerry Codinera from the then Philippine Amateur Basketball League (PABL).
The long list of draftees who have each carved their names in the amateur leagues would make this year’s draft a perfect hunting ground for the 10 PBA teams which are hoping to bolster their lineups in preparation for the 27th season starting next month.
Adducul, an ace 6-foot-6 slotman regarded as the best player to come out in the MBA, has finally entered his name among the aspirants making him as the top favorite to emerge as this year’s top rookie draft.
The 25-year-old Adducul, who reportedly received a 500,000-pesos-a-month salary in the MBA, has helped the LBC Batangas Blades win their first national title in the MBA. He is expected to be drafted by FedEx, who bought the Tanduay franchise.
His application form was filed by his agent-manager, Ed Ponceja. Adducul is currently vacationing with his sister in the US and prepared the form before he left.
Ponceja said Adducul’s release papers from his MBA team will be released before the draft.
Adducul’s contract with Manila was absorbed by Batangas after the MetroStars disbanded before the 2001 season. He still has a one-year contract with the team.
De Ocampo, a towering six-foot-nine slotman who has been instrumental in Welcoat Paints’ dominance in the PBL, leads the big men from the farm league and is a cinch as a first-round pick like teammate Ritualo.
The 22-year-old Ritualo, who played a crucial role in La Salle’s four-tile run in the UAAP, is a deadly clutch shooter.
De Ocampo was a stalwart of St. Francis of Assisi College, leading the Doves to the National Students title last year.
A big number of Fil-foreign players is also hoping to join the exodus of foreign-bred players into the PBA. Of the Fil-foreign players in the list, nine have not seen action in any local league.
Among the Fil-foreign players expected to be drafted in the first round are Chris Clay, hailed by many as the second coming of Eric Menk, Jeffrey Flowers and 6-foot-8 Rafi Reavies, a 24-year-old dunker who was born in New York City.
Another potential first-round choice is collegiate standout Mike Cortez, who is half-Filipino from De la Salle.
The six-foot-five Cortez led the Green Archers to their fourth straight title in the Universities Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) last year. He was unanimously adjudged as UAAP Rookie of the Year in 2000.
At this early, at least four teams — San Miguel, Pop Cola, Purefoods and Mobiline — have expressed interest in acquiring the six-foot-five player.
Other big names in the field include pure local talents Chris Calaguio and Chester Tolomia.
Calaguio is a streak shooter who played a key role in the country’s successful title-retention bid in the Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) last year.
Tolomia, last year’s MVP in the PBL, is an explosive all-around player and the youngest in the field at 21.
The others leaving the MBA are 6-2 Dexter Racho, 6-0 Clifton Claybrooks and 5-10 Rensy Bajar of the Nueva Ecija Patriots, 6-1 Richard Melencio of the Laguna Lakers, 6-3 Kalani Ferreira of the San Juan Knights, 6-4 John Alwyn Flores of the Socsargen Marlins, 6-2 Phillip Isaac Newton, 6-4 Christopher de Jesus of the Cebu Gems and 6-1 Sonny Boy Margate.
Other draftees born outside of the Philippines are 6-1 forward William Villa of Hawaii, 5-11 point guard Jim Alapag of Los Angeles, California, 6-2 guard Francis Rauschmayer of Japan, 6-1 guard Tom Arceno of Oak Park, Illinois and 6-3 guard Leodito Yanogacic, Jr. of New Jersey.
Completing the list are 5-8 Joven Mampo, 5-6 Julius Caezar David, 5-7 Orlando Eparwa, 6-4 Fortunate Payne, 5-10 Kerwin Chua, 6-1 Francis Machica, 5-10 Marc Caguco, 6-0 Stephen Tampus, 6-0 Dennis Reyes,6-1 Albert de Guzman, 5-9 Allan Acosta, 6-4 Art Louie Agustin, 6-2 Richard Joseph dela Pena and 5-10 John Victorio.
Tall ceiling a factor
The availability of much-taller players in this year’s roster is being seen as a big factor on how each team would make their choices.
San Miguel Beer coach Jong Uichico, for one, predicts that the big guys will be the first to go followed by the small but talented players in the first round.
"The big men will surely be taken first, then the next tier will be those small but skillful players, depending on the needs of the teams," Uichico said.
"When these big guys are gone," said Uichico particularly referring to Adducul and De Ocampo, "and any of the draftees who are 6-foot-6 or over."
"... then you may expect the smaller but outstanding draftees to be picked."
Uichico mentioned the names of Ritualo and Tolomia as among the "small but terrible" players he expects to figure prominently in the first round.
"Ritualo is a pure shooter while Tolomia is more of the athletic type, but I think there will be a number of teams that will be keenly interested in their services," he said.
San Miguel, for its part, needs a player who could add more height to its lineup, ìsomeone who is 6-foot-7 or taller."
Uichico refused to imply that his ballclub is "groping" despite its tall ceiling, but, clearly, the team had experienced some hard times in the past going up against teams with at least one "stratospheric" player.
For instance, the multititled Beermen lost in the finals of the Commissioner’s Cup and Governor’s Cup, respectively, to Red Bull and Sta. Lucia Realty, both boasting of imposing frontlines.
But Uichico said his team’s chances of snatching the player it needs in the draft is bleak considering the fact that the Beermen will be drafting 10th and last.
The Beermen owe Pop Cola their draft pick in a trade that sent Nelson Asaytono to the Panthers in exchange for Nic Belasco and Dwight Lago last year.
MBA bound to grow
MBA Commissioner Butch Antonio took in stride the exodus of its certified stars into the PBA, stressing they do not intend to suppress their players.
"We are not stopping them if they want to transfer. Anyway, we have a big pool where we could develop more stars," he said.
Antonio said the MBA is also bound to grow in the 2002 season with at least three teams intending to make a comeback. .
Interestingly, the MBA and the National Broadcasting Network (NBN) had just forged a one-year pact last week that made the government channel its new television home in the league’s fifth season.
MBA concurrent president and chairman Santi Araneta of LBC Batangas made the announcement after meeting with NBN-4 top brass Mia Concio, Bobby Arias and Jose Isabelo.
"It’s already a done deal," said Araneta, whose Blades topped the 2001 MBA season. "MBA games during weekends starting April will be aired live on NBN-4."
Under the contract, NBN-4 will televise MBA matches every Saturday from 6 to 11 p.m. and during Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Araneta said NBN-4 is still studying the inclusion of weekday games on its regular schedule.
League director for business and marketing Ramon Tuason, for his part, said NBN’s partnership with the MBA is a welcome development for them at a time when former broadcasting ally ABS-CBN has decided not to extend its contract after four seasons.
"We’re happy with NBN-4 as the MBA’s new partner and we’re looking forward to working with them this year," Tuason said.
Tuason said that the 37-week contract, the MBA and NBN-4 have signed would officially start in April and is subject to an extension. "The contract will last 37 weeks starting in April and extendable," said Tuason. "But marketing campaigns and the promotion of the MBA will definitely start in February so as to heighten awareness."
Tuason said the even if NBN-4 opts to air weekday games, the league is looking at producing it locally through regional channels of the participating teams.
To date, the league’s current roster includes LBC Batangas, Negros, Cebuana Lhuillier, a TPG-bankrolled Mindanao team, Pampanga and recently accepted Olongapo.
Other prospective teams waiting in the wings are Rizal, Pasig, Taguig, Laoag and Pangasinan.
