Hrabak hot draft pick on Sunday

The mystery man in Sunday’s Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) draft is arriving from the US tomorrow with agent Rey Yncierto.

Michael Hrabak submitted his player information sheet to the PBA as early as last August. The sheet listed his height as 6-7 but it was altered to 6-6, fueling speculation that there may be an attempt to downplay his potentials.

Mobiline team manager Frankie Lim said Hrabak could be the draft’s sleeper. In basketball lingo, a sleeper is an unheralded player who turns out to be a star.

At least three teams reportedly offered to pay for Hrabak’s plane ticket to Manila. He is scheduled to attend the PBA draft at the Quad Glorietta in Makati on Sunday.

Hrabak, 21, played three years at Peoria High School in Arizona and two years at Central Arizona College. In his information sheet, Hrabak said he plays all positions.

Lawyer Baldomero Estenzo, who represented Hrabak in obtaining his Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmation, described the 215-pounder as "fundamentally sound – not fancy, a team player who’ll shoot if he’s open and pass if he’s not."

Estenzo told The STAR he saw a tape of Hrabak in a high school game where he hit six triples. "Hrabak’s body isn’t as big as Eric Menk’s but he plays like Danny Seigle – at least, he shoots like him," continued Estenzo, a lawyer from Mandaue. "He’s a good shot blocker and an all-around player. Simple lang siya."

Estenzo said he was asked by Yncierto, who now lives in Oxnard, California, to represent Hrabak in obtaining a Bureau of Immigration clearance and a DOJ confirmation. Estenzo and Yncierto are both from Cebu.

Hrabak was born in Angeles City. His mother Oona Lisa Pasana is from Cebu while his father Allen, an American, was formerly stationed at Clark Air Base as a serviceman.

Estenzo said Yncierto spotted Hrabak playing in a Fil-Am league in the US and invited him to apply for the PBA draft. Yncierto played 26 games in two seasons for Pepsi in the PBA and retired in 1991.

Shell team manager Bobby Villarosa said the Turbo Chargers are keeping Hrabak in mind for the draft’s No. 2 overall pick. Shell’s choice will depend on whom Red Bull selects, noted Villarosa.

Red Bull is choosing between Willie Miller and John Arigo as the No. 1 overall pick but if the scouting report on Hrabak indicates he’s as good as Yncierto claims, maybe the Thunder will go for the big man. The final decision is still up in the air.

What could influence the decision is Jimwell Torion’s condition. He is scheduled to go under the knife any day now to repair a dislocated shoulder. Depending on his recovery progress, Torion could sit out the entire All-Filipino Cup. Without Torion, the point guard position is wide open for Miller. Torion’s loss could also mean a contract extension for free agent Ogie Gumatay.

Another Fil-Am who could be a draft sleeper is 6-foot, 190-pound guard Kenny Evans of San Francisco State. Evans, 26, played for the Cebu Gems in the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) last season while he worked on his DOJ clearance. Evans’ mother Maria Arlinda Base is from Cebu and studied at the University of San Carlos. His father Leon is an auto mechanic from the Bahamas. Evans was born in Lompoc, Santa Barbara, California.

In 1996, Evans’ clutch-shooting led San Francisco State to a pair of wins in the Northern California Athletic Conference. He hit the winning shot to lift the Gators to a 79-78 overtime win over Sonoma State and buried a free throw with five seconds left to boost the varsity to a 69-68 decision over Cal State Chico. Evans was also the hero in the Gators’ 84-83 squeaker over the College of Notre Dame. He knocked in 9-of-15 shots, including 3-of-6 treys, and scored 24 points to pace San Francisco State.