PBA draft rationalized to 2 rounds

The coming Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) draft will be reduced to two rounds and as a result, 35 applicants will be given the chance to negotiate contracts as unrestricted free agents.

PBA commissioner Noli Eala suggested the change at the Board of Governors meeting the other day and it was approved.

There are 53 applicants to the draft on Aug. 14 at the Sta. Lucia Mall. Assuming all nine teams pick players in the first two rounds, 35 will automatically become free agents.

In the National Basketball Association (NBA), the draft was limited to two rounds starting the 1989 season and the cutback is still in force. The NBA draft featured as many as 20 rounds in 1973 then it was reduced to 10 rounds in 1974, seven rounds in 1985, three rounds in 1988 and finally, two in 1989.

"The capacity to draft fewer players doesn’t mean less scouting," wrote Chris Ekstrand in the NBA Encyclopaedia. "It means more scouting than ever."

Eala said the limitation will avoid embarrassment to players not chosen, make the TV treatment more interesting and allow unselected rookies to negotiate with any team as "fair game."

Restricting the draft to two rounds will also eliminate unduly prolonging the selection process and the incidence of pass-ups. With only two rounds, public interest will be kept high throughout the draft because of the suspense factor.

Last year, the PBA welcomed 46 applicants of whom 28 were picked in the draft, including eight after the second round. The draft extended to four rounds with Warren Ybanez as the last overall choice by Coca-Cola. Unsigned by the Tigers, Ybanez later played for Red Bull.

In 2003, the PBA draft went to six rounds with 40 players of 62 applicants chosen. Among the 20 players picked after the second round were Kalani Ferreria, Rob Johnson, Jenkins Mesina, Kahi Villa, Jec Chia and Stephen Padilla.

Eala said this year’s applicants will report to a two-day camp conducted by Norman Black. The first day will be primarily for scouts and coaches to assess the rookies as they are tested for strength and conditioning. It will be held at the Moro Lorenzo Gym in the Ateneo campus from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday. The second day will be for fans to watch the rookies outdo each other in drills and scrimmages at the Marikina Sports Center from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

"Coach Norman has studied the list of applicants very carefully and he thinks it’s not a bad pool at all with about 19 to 21 players ready to go pro and make an impact," said Eala.

The tallest among the applicants is 6-8 Don Yabut of Far Eastern University (FEU) and the shortest are 5-7 Al Vergara of St. Francis and 5-7 Dennis Rodriguez of Philippine Christian University (PCU) and Lyceum. The heaviest is 6-7, 228-pound Valentin Domingo of Manuel L. Quezon University and 13 others weigh at least 200. The lightest are 5-10, 140-pound Vincent Santos of the University of Assumption and 5-7 1/2, 140-pound Froilan Baguion of National University (NU).

The oldest applicants are 5-10 Ricky Ricafuente and 6-foot Heremias Sison who are both 29. The youngest is the University of the Philippines’ Artemio Almeda, 21.

The list includes 19 players who stand at least 6-5.

The 6-5 applicants are Jondan Salvador of St. Benilde, Ronald Capati of St. Benilde, Nino Canaleta of the University of the East, Reynaldo Mendoza of NU, Reymond Dula of Mapua, James Razon of FEU, Cyril Santiago of FEU and Letran, Ariel de Castro of NU, Al Magpayo of St. Benilde, Jose de Guzman of FEU and Melchor Latoreno of the University of Santo Tomas (UST).

The 6-6 applicants are Anthony Washington of Eckert College, Michael Holper of San Diego State, Alwin Espiritu of UST, Arden Guiyab of PCU and Paolo Bugia of Ateneo.

The 6-7 applicants are Domingo and Mark Kong of Adamson while the lone 6-8 applicant is Yabut.

Expected to go high in the draft are Washington, Mark Cardona of La Salle, Alex Cabagnot of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, Denok Miranda of FEU, Salvador, Cesar Catli of FEU, Yabut, Canaleta, Bugia, Larry Fonacier of Ateneo, Leo Najorda of San Sebastian, B. J. Manalo of La Salle, Gerard Jones of FEU, Neil Raneses of the University of the Visayas and Arjun Cordero of San Beda.