PBA Draft: Suerte hopes to be lucky

MANILA, Philippines — Despite a brief UAAP stint, UE gunner Rey Suerte hopes to be lucky enough to crack the pro league.

Suerte declared his intension to join the upcoming PBA Draft after ending his 82nd UAAP men’s basketball journey on a high note, sizzling with 25 points to tow the Red Warriors to a 79-77 win over National U. 

“Climbing up to the PBA is the next step for me. Hopefully, we get lucky,” said the Compostela Valley native who definitely boosted his stock despite a quick UAAP exit. 

A former University of Visayas stalwart, the 6-foot-3 Suerte took the league by storm with an impressive average of 17.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 14 games to overshadow UE’s lackluster 4-10 campaign. 

Suerte hopes that this UAAP scoring outburst along with his three CESAFI championships, two MVP plums and PBA D-League stint for Che’Lu would be good enough resume to go high in the draft expected to be bannered by the Ateneo pair of Thirdy Ravena and Isaac Go. 

Another one-and-done cager in La Salle’s Jamie Malonzo also expressed his interest to join the country’s pro-league but he still has to serve D-League residency to be eligible. 

The Fil-Am forward from Portland State U was one of the bright spots in the Green Archers’ tough Final Four miss as he normed 15.8 markers, 9.9 boards, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals including a 34-point eruption in their 89-63 win over Adamson. 

This year’s PBA Draft is set on Dec. 8 at the Robinson’s Place in Manila with the local players being given until Nov. 29 to throw in their applications. The deadline for Fil-foreign cagers has lapsed with nine players led by Roosevelt Adams, Sean Manganti and Troy Rike leading the way.