Herndon a draft sleeper?

A sleeper is a term that’s used to describe a not-too-widely-known athlete with a huge upside, a player who succeeds when nobody thought he would. So that in the PBA draft on Oct. 29, someone like Fil-Am Robbie Herndon could be considered a sleeper.

While there’s excitement over Fil-German Christian Standhardinger’s decision to join the coming PBA draft, the 6-3 Herndon shouldn’t be overlooked as a blue-chipper who could make an immediate impact in the pros. He’s unravelled his wares in the PBA D-League so what he’s capable of doing isn’t a secret. Herndon might just be the surprise of the draft.

Not too many fans know that Herndon has a history of friendship with Sen. Manny Pacquiao with whom he has played pick-up games in Los Angeles and Manila. Herndon was introduced to Pacquiao by San Francisco-based Filipino lawyer Jason Aniel whose mother Boots used to manage Filipino fighters, including Luisito Espinosa.

Herndon, 24, played two NCAA Division II seasons with the San Francisco State varsity, averaging 5.8 points in 2011-12 and 6.5 points in 2012-13. He came to Manila in 2105 with Aniel to look over the basketball landscape and decided to live his dream of playing the pro game here. In the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup this season, he averaged 18.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals with Victoria Sports. In the recent Foundation Cup, Herndon made his mark as a scorer and rebounder with Wangs then Marinerong Pilipino. In 2016, Herndon caught the attention of local fans when he defeated veteran Willie Miller, 21-19, in the final of the Red Bull King of the Rock tournament in Intramuros.

A criminal justice major, Herndon traces his Filipino roots to his father Bobby who is 3/4 Filipino. Aniel said Herndon has what it takes to create waves in the PBA. Herndon describes himself as a physical player with smooth moves, too.

“I believe Robbie has a great chance to succeed in the PBA because he’s a legitimate scoring threat from the outside and he’s strong enough to mix it up with the big men under the basket,” said Aniel. “He’s tremendously competitive and unlike many Fil-foreigners trying to play in the PBA but weren’t born in the Philippines, Robbie has embraced the culture and enjoys life in the country. He was a standout scorer and rebounder during his two PBA D-League appearances. He was second in scoring this past conference.”

Aniel said he met Herndon during a basketball tournament in San Francisco in 2014. “He was in his last year at San Francisco State before he graduated and was planning a career in law enforcement,” said Aniel. “Robbie mentioned his father is Filipino and that he was once offered an opportunity to play with San Beda. Because Manny was in L. A. promoting his match with Chris Algieri, I invited Robbie to play in the open runs that Manny organizes when he’s in town. Robbie played well in those games and caught Manny’s eye. It was Manny who told me that Robbie could play in the PBA.”

Aniel said he later met with Herndon’s parents to talk about his future in basketball. “Robbie lived in Makati for a year in order to get adjusted to the lifestyle,” he said. “We set up everything necessary for Robbie to cover the PBA’s draft requirements. Now, he’s ready to go.”

Aniel said Herndon began playing when he was five. “From a young age, he was inspired by Kobe Bryant, his favorite player and a fellow shooting guard,” he went on. “Robbie was a standout athlete at St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School in Vallejo, California, about 30 miles northeast of San Francisco. He could’ve played with San Beda after high school but decided to compete in the US NCAA instead. He was a heavily recruited player and received an offer to play Division I in Utah, a school that plays in the Pacific 12 Conference. Robbie chose to play at San Francisco State on a basketball scholarship but stopped playing after two years because he felt it wasn’t the right fit.” A Fil-Am whom Herndon played against in college was Matt Ganuelas-Rosser.

After playing two conferences in the PBA D-League, Herndon said he’s sure the PBA is the “right fit” for him to develop as a basketball player. Aniel said whatever team drafts Herndon will get a hard-working quality player who’s determined, eager and hungry to win. Standhardinger won’t be available to join the PBA until his six-month ABL contract expires in March next year so until he’s in harness, Herndon might just be the Fil-foreigner to steal the thunder from everyone else in the pros.