The undesirables

It’s not the end of the world for those players who weren't picked in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) draft at the Glorietta in Makati last Sunday.

PBA commissioner Noli Eala spared the 22 undrafted applicants the embarrassment of facing the TV cameras by keeping them inside a closed tent beside the stage where the proceedings took place.

Before the first pick was announced, the rookie hopefuls were assembled in the tent. Mike Cortez, the top overall draftee, said the atmosphere in the tent was extremely tense.

"We were all nervous," said Cortez. "Some of us didn’t get to sleep the night before, not knowing what to expect."

Not all of the 62 applicants showed up. Dusty Coloso, for instance, won't be in town until May because he's finishing his studies in New Jersey. Coloso, whose father Tim played in the PBA, was picked on the third round by Red Bull despite his late arrival. Two other US-based applicants, Leo Yanogacio and Francis Rauschmayer, were absent. Yanogacio sent word that he’ll only fly in if his agent can arrange tryouts. Rauschmayer arrives today to try his luck as a free agent. Both Yanogacio and Rauschmayer were ignored in the draft.

The 22 undrafted applicants are now considered free agents and may try out for any team of their choice. In that sense, they’re better off than those who were drafted. There are no ties that bind them to a team.

A free agent has the luxury of choosing which team he thinks he’ll fit in unlike a drafted player who’s tied down to the club that claimed his rights. A drafted player becomes a free agent if he’s released by the team that picked him. A team has five days within which to offer a contract to a drafted player. If no offer is made within five days, the player becomes a free agent.

If an undrafted applicant thinks he was unfairly snobbed, then he should prove those who ignored him wrong on the court. He should show up for a tryout and kick butt. That’s the only way to establish his worth as a prospect in the PBA. As the saying goes, you let your playing do the talking. It’s the challenge facing the 22 undrafted hopefuls.

Who were left out? Aside from Rauschmayer and Yanogacio, they were Richmond de los Cientos, Khomar Khansroff, Gabe Pagtama, Mark Caguco, Melvin Taguines, Aldrich Reyes, Rodel Manuel, Crispin Guinto, Michael Peteros, Carlos Sayon, Tom Arceno, Egay Echavez, Dennis Morante, Bong Salvador, Chris Corbin, Rendell de la Rea, Leo Villar, Francis Machica, Raymund Soto, and Edwin Pimentel.

Richard Michael, one of four Fil-foreigners scratched from the eligible list, attended the draft with his Filipina mother Delia Benitez of Albay. Michael, born in Makati to an Australian father and Filipina mother, is an Australian citizen. He failed to beat the deadline last Jan. 6 to submit a Department of Justice (DOJ) certificate confirming his Filipino citizenship.

"I’ll be up there next year," vowed Michael, pointing to the stage where the draftees were announced. Michael said he’s now working on his DOJ confirmation.

The other Fil-foreigners struck out for lack of proper citizenship documents were Cid White, Michael Tablan, and Christian Gavina. Ernani Epondulan withdrew voluntarily from the original list of 67 applicants, leaving 62 eligible for the draft.

Some of the so-called undesirables are definitely worth a second look. For instance, you couldn’t possibly ignore Echavez, Corbin, Taguines, Reyes, Caguco, or Guinto. At least, they deserve a shot.

Echavez withdrew from the PBA’s draft two years ago and has been a PBL fixture the last three seasons. He saw action on the national squad that won the gold in the 2001 Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur. Echavez, 25, was MVP in the Cebu league Mayor’s Cup in 1998.

Corbin, 27, is a 6-6, 229-pound center from the University of the East. If only for his ceiling, the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) veteran might find a spot on a PBA roster.

Taguines, 27, is a 6-3, 215-pound forward from Tarlac. He played for the national team, represented by the Laguna Lakers, in the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) tournament in Fukuoka in 1999. This past season, Taguines brought his sneakers to the Cebu league.

Reyes, 29, is an MBA and PBL veteran from Ateneo de Cagayan. The 5-10, 162-pound point guard is as solid as a rock and a straight shooter. He was MVP in the Cebu league last year.

Caguco, 26, was impressive in the pre-draft camp last Friday. He’s as tough as nails and a hard-nosed defender. Two years ago, Caguco was hired as a practice player by Shell. He played with Jimmy Alapag in the Pro-Am league in Long Beach last summer. Caguco was born in Naga City to full-blooded Filipino parents Dalmacio and Emma. He grew up in Los Angeles.

Guinto, 26, is a 6-6, 220-pound forward who once played for the Pampanga Dragons in the MBA. He was born in Hayward, California, to full-blooded Filipinos from Masantol, Pampanga. In the pre-draft camp, he showed flashes of brilliance under the basket. Guinto will never be a superstar in the mold of a Danny Ildefonso but could blossom into a role player like a Sonny Cabatu. With a little more polish and a few pounds off, Guinto could turn out to be a sleeper.

It wouldn’t be surprising if some of the 22 undesirables make it to the PBA in the end. All the undrafted applicants want is a chance.