Who’ll be first in line?

At least six players are under consideration to be the first overall pick in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) draft on Jan. 16 at the Glorietta in Makati. That’s how top-heavy and deep the pool is.

If Shell decides to use its pick, the Turbochargers will definitely go for a center–the hole in the roster they’re trying to fill. The choice will boil down to 6-7 Ranidel de Ocampo, 6-7 Ervin Sotto or 6-8 Joachim Thoss.

But there’s a possibility that if Shell arranges a swap for a marquee center and gives up its first pick, the choice could be a pure shooter like 6-2 James Yap, a power forward like 6-5 Rich Alvarez or a point guard like 6-1 Denver Lopez–depending on what the trading team’s looking for.

Purefoods could use Yap for sure. Alvarez would fit in FedEx’ mix particularly as nothing is certain on a timetable for Jerry Codiñera’s return. And Lopez can’t be ignored–he’s the first and only full-blooded Filipino to ever play for a US NCAA Division I school.

There are 49 applicants in the draft and not too many are nuisance candidates. They’ll display their wares at the rookie camp, conducted by Norman Black, on Sunday at the Quezon Memorial Circle.

Last year, American John Moran supervised the rookie camp like a Marine drillmaster. Black probably won’t be as loud in screaming orders but he’ll make sure the rookies get the chance to show what they’ve got. As for Moran, he’ll be an interested spectator in the stands–that is, if he arrives on time from a scouting trip in the US. Moran is likely to coach Shell in the coming Fiesta Cup.

Lopez could be the nugget in the draft. His mother Dinna named him after the late singer John Denver but he’ll probably like to think the Denver Nuggets had something to do with it. If he’s as golden as a nugget, Lopez will shine brightly in the PBA. This early, Lopez has been christened a moniker–the Nugget.

Jimmy Alapag never played for a D-I school. So if you compare credentials alone, Lopez should be a better player than Alapag. Besides, he’s taller and heftier. The drawback is Lopez hardly saw action at Fullerton State. In fact, he quit the varsity in the middle of this season after playing sparingly in four of the Titans’ first nine games. Lopez never averaged more than two points a game in 2 1/2 years as a Fullerton State backup guard. But the fact remains that Lopez made the team. That’s a feat in itself.

Three years ago, when Lopez redshirted at Fullerton State coming from California State at Dominguez Hills, Sports Illustrated writer Alex Wolff sent an email about him. He said a Filipino was about to play for a D-I school. So the word was out on Lopez even before he suited up for the Titans.

Lopez, 23, would be perfect for a team in search of a playmaker. Red Bull could be a good home considering Jimwell Torion is under suspension, Willie Miller is gone and Cyrus Baguio is untested. Barangay Ginebra is another possibility if Lopez doesn’t mind sharing chores with Bal David and Aris Dimaunahan or playing alongside Mark Caguioa and Jay-Jay Helterbrand. Sta. Lucia Realty is an option, too, since Paolo Mendoza is more of an offguard than a quarterback.

But wait, Lopez’ agent Aida Javier of SCOPE insists there’s another point guard in the pool who’s just as talented. He’s Kim Valenzuela, a flashy 5-9 spitfire from Tanauan, Batangas. Like Lopez, Valenzuela honed his skills in Los Angeles. In a high school game, Valenzuela once scored 41 points and dished off 10 assists.

Scouts will no doubt keep an eye on Lopez and Valenzuela in Sunday’s camp.

Then there’s Theo Hawkins who’s built like a tank. The 6-4, 210-pound forward is from Los Angeles-based Filipino agent Chique de la Rosa’s stable. Hawkins, 25, could be the next Harvey Carey. He played at Valley High School and Cosumnes River College in Sacramento.

Hawkins, whose idol is Magic Johnson, is a Fil-Am. His father Theodore, 74, is from Arkansas and mother Myrna, 54, from Mexico, Pampanga. He was born in Olongapo. To prepare for the PBA, Hawkins played in US Fil-Am leagues–where he was voted best forward in Detroit and MVP in Sacramento–last year.

Another de la Rosa prospect is 6-1 Richard Michael whose father is Australian and mother is Filipina. He was stricken off the draft list last year because his citizenship papers were still in process. Now, Michael is cleared to play. Michael, 23, is hoping for a chance to prove he can compete in the PBA.

De la Rosa, who brought Alapag to the PBA, is also pushing for free agent Marc Caguco and draft candidate Julius Binuya. Caguco was in last year’s draft pool but wasn’t picked. He’s back to try out for a spot on any team that’s willing to take a chance on the 5-10 guard from Loyola High.

Binuya, who turns 30 on Jan. 24, is probably the oldest in the draft pool. The 6-5 forward played for San Beda College (he was the 1996 NCAA slam dunk runner-up) then saw action in the Philippine Basketball League (for Burger Machine, Chowking, Red Bull, and Hapee Toothpaste) and the Metropolitan Basketball Association (Nueva Ecija). Last year, he suited up for Whiz Oil in the Danny Espiritu Cup.

This Sunday’s camp will be a sneak preview of what to expect in the Jan. 16 draft.