Tigers make Casio top pick

AS expected, Powerade Tigers picked Smart Gilas guard JV Casio as the overall no.1 pick in the 37th Annual PBA Rookie Draft held yesterday at the Robinson’s Place in Manila.

All seven players of the Philippine national men’s team who joined the draft were picked in the first round.

The Gilas starting guard, who was earlier considered to be the hottest player among the 34 final applicants, was on the radar of coach Bo Perasol, who had been dying to have a reliable and young point guard who could defend and at the same time be a scoring threat.

University of the East scoring machine and former PBL MVP Paul Lee was picked by coach Yeng Guiao of Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters at No. 2.

Barako Bulls then made the first surprise as they traded the right to pick the third player for shooter Sunday Salvacion and Mick Penissi and the 8th pick.

In return, Petron got Dondon Hontiveros along with Carlo Sharma and it picked Gilas swingman Chris Lutz at no.3.

The move was very surprising since San Miguel (predecessor of Petron) traded Hontiveros, Dorian Peña, Paul Artadi and Danny Seigle for Barako Bulls’ (formerly Air21) rookies Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Rey Guevarra and Nonoy Baclao last March.

On its second pick in the first round, Powerade got another Gilas player, Marcio Lassiter, while newest team Shopinas chose Gilas point guard Mark Barroca at no.5. Alaska then picked Mac Baracael, Talk ‘N Text traded its right to choose the seventh pick to sister team Meralco Bolts, which picked Gilas power forward Jason Ballesteros.

Barako Bulls got PBA D-League MVP and M. Lhuillier Kwarata Padala-Cebu Niños player Allein Maliksi at No. 8, while Ginebra got former FEU Tamaraws bruiser Reil Cervantes at No. 9.

Barako Bulls returned to pick Gilas shooter Dylan Ababou at No. 9.

Shopinas then started the second round and picked former UP Maroons player Magi Sison; Talk ‘N Text got former San Sebastian College’s Pamboy Raymundo; Alaska Aces got Eric Salamat, US-based Cebuano Julius Pascualado and former University of the Visayas (UV) Lancer Ariel Mepaña.

Unfortunately, Mepaña’s UV teammate Mark Ababon was not among the lucky players who were picked in yesterday’s draft. Others who were picked in the second round where Brian Ilad (B-Meg), Gilber Bulawan (Meralco) James Martinez (Ginebra) , Kenneth Acibar (Barako), Paul Joseph Sorongan (Barako) and John Mark Agustin (Powerade).