Fil-fors stand out in runup to PBA draft

MANILA, Philippines - Fil-foreign hopefuls ran the show, completely outclassing the homegrown talents in the 2014 Gatorade PBA Draft Combine held at the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong the last two days.

Chris Banchero, Matt Ganuelas, Frank Bonifacio, Cody Tesoro and top draft prospect Stanley Pringle stood out in the skills tests conducted by coach Bong Ramos to provide PBA teams a glimpse of what the draft aspirants can do.

Banchero, from Seattle Pacific U, topped four of the five challenges with Ganuelas, from Cal Poly Pomona, beating all comers in one test in the two-day rookie camp attended by all but 10 of the record 95 draft applicants.

No-shows were boxing icon Manny Pacquiao (excused), Justine Matthew Alano, Keith Jasper Agovida, Arnold Adormeo, Jeremy Bartolo, Philip Coronel, Ritchie Gutierrez, Michael Juico, Flavio Liaz and Jonathan Semira. They can be delisted from the final draft list if they can’t provide valid reasons for their absence.

Banchero, officially measured at 5’11 1/4, emerged the best in maximum vertical leap (68.32 inches), lane agility (8.33 seconds), shuttle run (16.57 seconds) and three-fourth court sprint (2.91 seconds).

The former ABL Finals MVP with the San Miguel Beermen, doing the skills challenges Monday, also led the field in standing vertical leap (33.73) until Ganuelas (36.18), Allan Tria (34.29) and Pringle (33.87) did better yesterday.

Banchero beat Ganuelas by .32 inches in maximum leap with Pringle coming in third at 65.2, followed by Bonifacio at 64.31 and Tesoro at 63.5.

Nobody beat Banchero in the sprints.

Runners-up in the three-fourth court sprint were Bonifacio (3.00), Raymond Alcasabas (3.03), Pringle (3.06) and Quintin Haruela (3.09).

Juan Miguel Tiongson, Tesoro, George Sicat and Rocky Acidre came in second to fifth in shuttle run while Hazel Foja, Haruela, Ganuelas and Tesoro gave Banchero the toughest challenge in lane agility.

In this year’s pool that is deep in backcourt players, only a handful were measured at 6-foot-5 and above with TIP’s Jeff Morillo being the tallest at 6’6.3”.

Michael Joseph Gamboa of UP is the smallest at 5’6 ½, Kris Alas the heaviest at 118.4kgs. and Allan Tria the lightest at 58.6kgs.    

The draft is set Sunday at the Robinson’s Place Manila with Globalport eyeing Pringle as the top draft choice.

The complete first-round draft order is Globalport, Rain or Shine (from Meralco), Barako Bull, N-Lex, Alaska, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, San Mig Coffee (from Barako, acquired from Petron/San Miguel Beer), Barako Bull (from Talk ‘N’ Text), Rain Or Shine, Barako Bull (from San Mig Coffee), Kia Motors and Blackwater.

Talk ‘N’ Text, San Miguel Beer and Meralco will not pick in the first round unless they are able to trade for slots. Barako Bull has three first round choices and Rain or Shine, two.