Franchise players wanted.
Season 48 of the PBA kicks off with a new record, as the PBA Draft welcomes 128 applicants, surpassing the previous mark set in the Season 46 draft, where a total of 97 applied. The league made the announcement through an article on its official website.
The draft marks the first official activity of the incoming season. It’s expected to bring in the hype as top amateur talents signified their intention to get into Asia’s oldest professional hoops league.
De La Salle Green Archer Deschon “Schonny” Winston, UP Fighting Maroons Ricci Rivero and Zav Lucero, and Letran Knight Brent Paraiso are just some of the top collegiate talents who submitted their applications before the September 10 deadline.
Winstons is a reliable scorer who got buckets for La Salle. He was also part of the Gilas Pilipinas pool during the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. Rivero is a two-time UAAP champion and a former Mythical Team member, who’s now reigniting his hoops career after his journeys overseas.
Like his former teammate Rivero, Lucero is also an awardee of UAAP’s Mythical Team. He captured the hearts of UP with big, clutch moments in the big stage. Paraiso, who also once played with Rivero before in La Salle, is a two-time NCAA champion who’s ready to show his wares in the pro ranks.
Former NBA G League and NBL player Stephen Holt is also among the headliners of this year’s batch. The 31-year-old is expected to be a top prospect due to his skillset and experience playing in the United States, Australia, Spain, and Slovenia, among others.
Brandon Bates, Keith Datu, Luis Villegas, Fran Yu, Henry Galinato, and Kemark Carino are some of the other notable names in the draft class.
Before the actual draft, the PBA applicants are facing a two-day Draft Combine that’s scheduled on September 12 to 13.
The PBA Draft is slated on September 16, where Terrafirma Dyip is set to select first. Blackwater Bossing holds the second pick. Rain or Shine Elastopainters will make the third and fourth selections.
NorthPort Batang Pier, Phoenix Super LPG Fuelmasters, NLEX Road Warriors, and Meralco Bolts have the fifth to eighth picks, respectively.
Converge FiberXers will select at the ninth and 10th slots, while NorthPort and Terrafirma will round out the first round.