D-League standouts head early list for PBA draft

MANILA, Philippines - NLEX guard Karl Matthew Dehesa and three fellow Fil-Am players from the Big Chill squad submitted their draft applications yesterday, becoming the first four to apply for the 2012 PBA Rookie Draft set Aug. 19.

Joining Dehesa in the early roster of entries are Keith Jensen, Alex Mallari and Elliot Tan. All four played college ball in the US before strutting their wares in the PBA D-League.

Deadline for Fil-foreign hopefuls is on July 6.

Dehesa, 25, is a 6-foot-3 guard from Waldorf College, Jensen, 24, is a 6-foot-4 forward from New York University, and Mallari, 25, is also 6-foot-4 playmaker for Lewis-Clark State.

Tan, a 5-foot-10 guard from Biola U, is a second-generation ball player being a son of former PBA player Alex Tan.

Where Fil-Am stars Cliff Hodge and Chris Ellis are heading remains a big question, though.

Chances are they will be tapped for the cadet pool of Smart Gilas Pilipinas. If not, they are likely to join the coming PBA draft.

Hodge and Ellis played key roles in NLEX’s back-to-back championships in the PBA D-League. They’ve donned the national jersey in the last SEA Games basketball competition in Jakarta.

July 6 is the deadline for submission of application and requirements for the Fil-foreign applicants and Aug. 3 for local- born hopefuls.

July 10 is the last day of issuance of preliminary list of prospective Fil-foreign draftees, July 11 to Aug. 2 is contestability period and Aug. 3 the last day of decision.

Rookie applicants go through biometrics on Aug. 15, and the next day comes the final list of candidates for the draft.

Meanwhile, Jojo Duncil is facing possible suspension for his flagrant foul on B-Meg’s Josh Urbiztondo Sunday night.

Duncil, who has been re-enlisted by Petron, was not playing when he committed the infraction. He tripped Urbiztondo when the B-Meg guard was trying to save the loose ball in front of the Petron bench. 

Duncil has been summoned to appear in the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City today.