PBA Rookie Rankings: Pringle continues rise; Pascual breaks out

There’s a shakeup.

While the top players remain on their spots, it feels as if there’s a free-for-all to claw for the other spots. Otherwise, mainstays like Kia’s Alvin Padilla and Ginebra’s Rodney Brondial were booted out to make room for two guys that had career games to show.

Welcome to the Rookie Rankings, where I let you in on the neophytes worthy of your attention. As always, the scope of the list features the start of the 2014-15 PBA Philippine Cup up to the November 16 twinbill. Harold Arboleda finally debuted for the NLEX Road Warriors which puts our rookie count total to 31.

So who wowed the league with their bull-strong potentials?  

Game starts now!

10. Joshua Webb (Kia Sorento)

Last Week: New Entry

Stats: 7.0ppg • 3.3rpg • 0.8spg

Living up to his pedigree, Joshua Webb had a career game against the Alaska Aces by erupting for 13 points, six rebounds and 2 assists. While he’ll return to his ways in Kia’s loss to Barako Bull, he was still able to puncture through six points and five caroms.

9.  Karl Dehesa (Kia Sorento)

Last Week: 9

Stats: 5.8ppg • 2.8rpg • 2.6apg • 1.0spg

Karl Dehesa still leads the Sorento in minutes per game but with his current stat haul, this factoid might be a thing of the past. Dehesa only had two points, three rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes in their loss to Barako Bull, which is a low point considering he had five points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals in their defeat to the undefeated Aces.

8.  Anthony Semerad (Globalport Batang Pier)

Last Week: 7

Stats: 8.2ppg • 2.6rpg • 1.2apg

After a breakout performance last week, Anthony Semerad was able to get the minutes boom from Pido Jarencio. While the Batang Pier failed to notch a win over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, Semerad was still able to claim eight points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal in 34 minutes of action. I doubt if his minutes will be an every game thing given that GlobalPort has this “Yeng Guiao” rotation shtick and they have five rookies at their disposal.

7. Kevin Alas (Talk n Text Tropang Texters)

Last Week: 4

Stats: 9.0ppg • 2.3rog • 2.0apg

The problem with Kevin Alas is he is an exceptional hoopster playing with limitations. Such is the case when he plays in a backcourt rotation top-billed by Gilas members and pool members Jayson Castro, Jimmy Alapag, Ryan Reyes and Larry Fonacier. Against the Meralco Bolts, Alas only saw barely nine minutes and was just able to produce two points, two rebounds, three assists, and three turnovers.

6. – JP Erram (Blackwater Elite)

Last Week: 5

Stats: 7.0ppg • 6.2rog • 1.2apg • 1.7bpg

Blackwater coach Leo Isaac has a penchant to use “unwanted” PBA veterans but despite this, JP Erram is able to crack his rotation. Playing for a team that doesn’t have a player averaging in double figures, the former Ateneo big man was one of the bright spots in their game against the Alaska Aces where he pulled in nine points, seven rebounds, a steal and a block in almost 28 minutes.

5. – Jericho Cruz (Rain or Shine Elasto Painters)

Last Week: 6

Stats: 7.9ppg • 2.9rpg • 1.1apg • 1.1spg

The former Adamson Falcon is letting Yeng Guiao know that he needs to put him in a situation where he can co-exist with Paul Lee in terms of playing time. While this might not be the case in their win against GlobalPort where he just had four points, three rebounds, an assist and two steals in 21 minutes, Cruz had a career game offensively against the Meralco Bolts with 15 points, five rebounds and two dimes in 18 minutes.

4. – Jake Pascual (Barako Bull Energy Boosters)

Last week: Returning Entry

Stats: 7.0ppg • 6.0rpg • 1.6apg • 1.2spg

The San Beda Red Lion had a noteworthy showing against Barangay Ginebra at the start of the week. In 23 minutes, Jake Pascual came through with five points and seven rebounds before fouling out. Against Kia, Pascual figuratively destroyed his defenders. Pascual recorded his first PBA double-double as he finished the game with 22 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals in almost 32 minutes. Because of his career feats, he returned to the list in style.

3. Chris Banchero (Alaska Aces)

Last Week: 3

Stats: 7.3ppg • 2.8rpg • 2.0apg • 1.0spg

Alaska’s last two games had an average of 77 points. While that’s a pretty low number in terms of points, it goes to show the dominating flurry the Aces are showing this conference. It gives Chris Banchero little to show though – especially in competing against ABL nemesis Stanley Pringle. Against Kia, Banchero had seven points, four caroms, and two dimes in almost 16 minutes and against Blackwater, he had 18 minutes of exposure and he was able to just have six points and a steal.

2. Matt Ganuelas-Rosser/Talk n Text Tropang Texters

Last Week: 2

Stats: 9.0ppg • 6.8rpg • 2.8apg • 0.7spg • 1.0bpg

If Kevin Alas is suffering from playing time deficiency, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser is having a field day to demonstrate his talents. In some ways, Alas and Rosser resembles the talent haul Talk n Text got in the 2005 PBA Draft when they got Jay Washington and Macmac Cardona. In their match-up with the Meralco Bolts, Rosser came away with seven points, nine rebounds, two assists and a block in 33 minutes. Rosser was the only Tropang Texter in that game to register 30 minutes and more.

1. Stanley Pringle (Globalport Batang Pier)

Last Week: 1

Stats: 15.7ppg • 6.7rpg • 4.7apg • 2.0spg

GlobalPort had one match this week and they fought the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters until the very end. For his part, Stanley Pringle lit up the stat sheets. While he struggled beyond the arc, he was a rebound away from completing a double-double with 14 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in 36 minutes of action. With Terrence Romeo kept in a proverbial doghouse (three point in nine minutes), Pringle will blossom in this predicament. 

Almost making the list are Ginebra’s Rodney Brondial, Kia’s Alvin Padilla and Eder Saldua, San Miguel’s Ronald Pascual, and Kia’s Kyle Pascual. 

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