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The 1st Overall Pick

by Jose Antonio A. Conde

PASIG CITY–Sorry for the late post. Anyway, here’s my post about the 2008 PBA Annual Draft. The Annual Draft is somewhat controversial because of the Fil-Ams such as Gabe Norwood and Solomon Mercado. The draft was happened on August 31, 2008 in Market! Market! in Bonifacio Global City.

The draft started up when the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters drafed 6-5 SF Gabe Norwood from George Mason University, next to the Painters is the Talk N’ Text Phone Pals wherein they drafted Jared Dillinger who incidentally played for the Liga Pilipinas team of the TnT Phone Pals, the Smart-Pampanga Buddies. Next is the San Miguel Beermen, they drafted Jason Castro from PCU and Singapore Slingers in the NBL wherein in his last game, he made a buzzer shot saying goodbyes, the rights now goes back to the TnT as they drafted long-time prospect Rob Reyes, Alaska Aces has the next draft pickand drafted Solomon Mercado who had a PBL experience with the Harbour Centre Batang Pier. Next pick is the Air21 Express wherein they drafted UE forward Mark Borboran. Purefoods later drafted PCU big man Beau Belga while Lipa-Batangas Barakos and UE player Bonbon Custodio was later drafted by the SMB Beermen. Red Bull later drafted Larry Rodriguez from PMI. Wrapping up the round are the Sta. Lucia Realtors wherein they drafted UE stalwart Kelvin Gregorio.

Second Round is up as the TnT Phone Pals started the round by drafting San Beda hotshot Pong Escobal, Coach Frankie Lim’s player who is also the team manager of the team—-he’s like Yousef Aljamal. Next team is Rain or Shine wherein they drafted 5-7 point guard Tyrone Tang out of DLSU, Tang’s teammate Pocholo Villanueva is later drafted by the Air21 Express after him. SLR later drafted AMA player Chito Jaime while Alaska took in 2007 NCAA MVP Kelvin Dela Pena from MIT. Purefoods is next, drafting Jonathan Fernandez out of NU Bulldogs. Red Bull has the next three picks by drafting players like Jeffei Chan of FEU and Fil-Am Mark Cuevas but their third straight pick was passed at the SLR goes next to wrap up the entire draft by drafting Christian Cabatu out of St. Benilde.

Draft day trades were held like the TnT-SMB whereas former 1st overall pick Anthony Washington and SMB’s 1st Rd. pick Jason Castro switched teams. Rain or Shine and Alaska also had an agreement by exchanging players with the likes of Solomon Mercado, Eddie Laure, and Joe DeVance.

There were also players who were undrafted with the likes of Kevin Dalafu, Patrick Cabahug, Jan Coching, Mark Yee, Nestor David, Leimar Navarro, Lawrence Bonus, Juan Luis Abad, Ian Tayag, Anthony Catigan, Dennis Concha, Rene Cunanan, Michael Dizon, Anthony Espiritu, Michael Gonzales, Ismael Juinio, Nizar Kiram, Ferdie Melocoton, Franklyn Nailon, Ricky Natividad, Angelus Raymundo, Unik Christian Reyes, Ryan Regaldo, Earn Saguindel, Eder Saldua, and Eian Yu. Apparently, they can still fill in to the teams’ respective roster up to October 1, three days before the 34th Season opening.

Hope these guys proved theirselves to be good rookies, believe in themselves, and that’s it!