Welcoat nets 3 in dispersal draft

Welcoat Paints, Philippine Basketball Association's newest ballclub, has virtually completed its roster after netting three players from the dispersal draft.

The Dragons acquired big men Rob Wainwright and Gilbert Lao and guard Denver Lopez from the expansion pool held yesterday at the Ultra Auditorium.

Team manager Boy Lapid said the team to be coached by Leo Austria has now 10 players in its roster including free agents Jojo Tangkay, Froilan Baguion, Nino Gelig and Adonis Sta. Maria and rookies Jay Sagad, JayR Reyes and Junjun Cabatu whom they elevated directly to the pro ranks.

Lapid said they have already come to terms with Tangkay, Baguion, Gelig and Sta. Maria, who made good impressions in their recent tryouts.

He said Wainwright, Lao and Lopez also attended their tryouts.

"We're satisfied with what we've got in the dispersal draft. We talked about our plans for almost 12 hours at maganda naman ang kinalabasan," said Lapid after the exercise presided over by league commissioner Noli Eala and attended by representatives from all 10 ball clubs.

"We tried to get our former players who helped us won championships in the PBL. They were protected by their teams pero target pa rin namin in three to five years na makuha uli sila," Lapid added.

Rommel Adducul, Eddie Laure, Marc Pingris, James Yap, Don Allado, Nelbert Omolon and Renren Ritualo were among former Paint Masters they had hoped to get in the draft.

Other players chosen by Welcoat were Air21's Ranidel de Ocampo and Nino Canaleta, Barangay Ginebra's Eric Menk, Alaska Milk's Sonny Thoss, San Miguel's Dorian Pena, Red Bull's Enrico Villanueva and Larry Fonacier and Sta. Lucia's Alex Cabagnot.

All of them, however, were in the protected lists of their respective teams. "Happy na kami and I think we've already gotten a competitive team. Tingin ko lalaban na ito," said Lapid.

Welcoat starts its training Aug. 16 or four days before the 2006 Rookie Draft set at Market! Market in Taguig.

Under the dispersal draft rules, Welcoat was given four chances to pick a maximum of two players from each team. The Dragons picked from a "blind" list personally kept by the league commissioner. The teams were allowed to protect only 10 players from their rosters. Welcoat's first successful pick was Wainwright from Coca-Cola, Denver Lopez from San Miguel then Lao again from Coca-Cola in the second round. (PBA Media Bureau)