PBL aspirants show wares in rookie camp

The Philippine Basketball League holds its Rookie Camp at The Arena in San Juan today with a total of 104 aspirants strutting their stuff and hoping to make a lasting impression that could earn them spots in the country’s premier amateur league.

UAAP stalwart Jervy Cruz of Santo Tomas and NCAA Mythical first team member Marvin Hayes of Jose Rizal lead the cast of collegiate standouts while Richard Cole of Cypress College and Amir Mazarei of University of Redlands spearhead the Fil-foreign roster in the camp in what appears to be the deepest and most talented batch in years. 

However, top rookie prospect Gabe Norwood, a 6-foot-5 former US NCAA Division I George Mason product who played for the RP squad that competed in Tokushima, Japan, will not be around to honor a previous commitment although he confirmed his availability for the PBL draft set Friday.

Others expected to skip today’s camp, to be supervised by Joey Guanio and Jig Mendoza, are the PBL hopefuls playing for their mother ballclubs in the ongoing collegiate leagues.

“We expect that majority of the applicants will be joining the camp but some players who still have some important games in the UAAP and NCAA are not required to attend,” said PBL executive director Butch Maniego.

Deputy commissioner Tommy Ong said the rookie camp is the start of what is expected to be a long journey for most aspirants who wish to play in the pro league someday.

 “If they pass this test, I’m sure they will be drafted. So they have to show their real worth,” said Ong.

The aspirants will do some drills that will test their endurance, toughness, quickness, shooting and defensive ability.

Nine players from UAAP finalist University of the East, including James Martinez, 6-foot-4 Hans Thiele and Mark Fampulne, have also signed up.

Budding stars like Woody Co of University of the Philippines, Leo Canuday of Adamson, Melchor Gile of UST, John Carlos Hermida of San Beda, Michael Kong of University of Perpetual, Hayes and Alfredo Cerilla of Far Eastern University are also joining the camp.

Other Fil-foreigners in the list are Allan Aguilar, Ryan Boado, Anthony Davis, Mishaal Luz, Raymond Montaniel, Paolo Obra and Bolden Roosevelt.

Hapee Toothpaste, out to redeem itself after a disappointing campaign last conference, will pick first in the drafting followed by San Miguel-Magnolia.