Chance to prove worth

Undrafted players, comebacking veterans and rookie prospects are out to prove themselves in the ongoing PBA On Tour. The platform to perform on the big stage is laid out as PBA commissioner Willie Marcial opened the doors for hopefuls to display their wares and maybe, coaches will take notice. The PBA On Tour isn’t just a testing ground for players on the bubble but also an experimental vehicle for the league to analyze the viability of 11 proposed new rules.

Take the San Miguel Beer-Barangay Ginebra game at Ynares Antipolo last Sunday. Coach Jorge Gallent’s lineup lists six players trying to crack the roster. Leading the pack is 6-5 veteran Noy Baclao who was the league’s first overall draft pick in 2010. Baclao, 35, was recently released by Meralco and is battling to stay active. Others are 6-4 John Apacible, 6-3 Leo de Vera, 6-4 Chester Saldua, 6-2 Jason Opiso and 5-8 Marvin Lee. Ginebra’s newcomer cast is made up of 6-2 Kim Aurin, 5-11 Donald Gumaru, 6-3 Ralph Cu, 6-4 Ralph Salcedo, 5-11 Nico Ubalde and 5-10 JJ Espanola.

Apacible, 27, was NorthPort’s third round pick last year and had stops at Ateneo and UE in the UAAP. De Vera, 33, was Mahindra’s third round choice in 2015 and played briefly for the franchise. The Fil-Am was a two-sport athlete at San Sebastian and dabbled in volleyball. He’s a three-point shooter with legit size. Saldua, 29, was NLEX’ second round selection last year. Opiso, 29 and Lee, 26 were undrafted. Opiso played at CEU and wasn’t picked in last year’s draft. Lee gave up his last season of UAAP eligibility at UST to enter the 2019 draft but wasn’t chosen.

Aurin, 26, left Perpetual after eight games in the NCAA last campaign due to an unspecified protocol violation and worked his way to a spot on Ginebra’s 3x3 squad. He played on the Ginebra team that topped Leg Three of Season Two. Aurin never joined the draft and will surely apply for the coming event on Sept. 17. Gumaru, 30 and Salcedo, 32 were undrafted. Gumaru wasn’t picked in 2021 and Salcedo in 2018. Ubalde, 27, was Phoenix’ sixth round pick last year from the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines in Cagayan de Oro while Espanola, 28, is a Fil-Am who was Meralco’s third round choice last year. Cu has never joined the draft.

In last Sunday’s game, Aurin and Lee stood out. Aurin finished with 18 points, spiked by two triples, five rebounds and four assists while Lee made a case for himself with eight points and four boards. They took advantage of the opportunity to shine and the effort paid off.

Like Aurin and Cu, NLEX’ Dominic Fajardo, NorthPort’s Fran Yu and Converge’s Jolo Mendoza never entered the draft. Fajardo, 29, was a star at Bulacan State and the UCBL MVP in 2016. The stocky power forward. whose 5-11 frame is more suited for a point guard, has started twice in three games for NLEX and is averaging 12.3 points On Tour, not bad for a rookie prospect at his age. Yu, 24, is a 5-10 point guard who led Letran’s charge to three straight NCAA titles. Mendoza, 25, is a 5-9 deadshot from Ateneo and ended his UAAP career with co-graduates Gian Mamuyac and Tyler Tio, now both in the PBA. There are more On Tour players who’ve never joined the draft like TNT’s Clifford Jopia, Peter Alfaro, JV Gallego and Damie Cuntapay – all from San Beda, Phoenix’ Daniel Atienza and NorthPort’s Tom Olivario. Free agents trying to earn spots on different teams include Jonjon Gabriel, Tzaddy Rangel, Jebb Bulawan, Johnnel Bauzon, Wendell Comboy, Joseph Eriobu, Joseph Gabayni, Jeremiah Taladua and Shaq Alanes.