2012 PBA Rookie Draft "Who's the Leading Candidate?"

          Petron Blaze or Alaska Milk will decide who. The two teams fight for the top draft rights in a lottery held at halftime of Game One of the PBA Governors Cup best-of-seven finale between Rain or Shine and B-Meg Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

          Officially, it’s Air21 versus Alaska but Air21’s first-round draft rights have been dealt to Petron in a past transaction. Junmar Fajardo could easily be the top choice in the coming PBA Rookie Draft but the Cebuano behemoth is not in a hurry to apply for the pool, apparently waiting for the result of the lottery. Fajardo, a key player of the San Miguel Beer team in the Asean Basketball League, and other eligible amateur players have until Aug. 3 to apply for the 2012 PBA Rookie Draft set Aug. 19 at Robinson’s Midtown Ermita.

      The draft order has been finalized at the end of the semifinal round of the season-ending Governors Cup Wednesday. It’s either Air21 (Petron) or Alaska Milk that is one and two, then they’re followed by Barako Bull (rights also traded to Petron), Meralco, Petron (to Barako), Powerade (to Ginebra), Rain or Shine, Barangay Ginebra, B-Meg and Talk n Text (Powerade). Air21 (or Petron) will have the edge of having two cards as against Alaska's one on the draw.

         Among good talents who have applied for the draft are Chris Ellis, Cliff Hodge, Aldrech Ramos, Vic Manuel, Dave Marcelo, Alex Mallari, Charles Keith Jensen, Jewel Ponferada, Kelly Berry Nabong, Lester Alvarez. Ramos is a former Smart Gilas pool member who last played for the Harbour Centre AirAsia team in the ABL while the rest are PBA D-League stars. As of Friday, a total of 43 players have made themselves available for the coming draft. Also in the list are Adamson’s Janus Lozada and Paul Gonzalgo, UE’s Paul Christian Zamar and Raphael Carlo Reyes, San Sebastian’s Raymond Maconocido and Marvin Agacer, UST’s June Yusi Dizon and Danilo Pribhdas Jr., Letran’s Jaypee Belencion, Arellano’s Andrian Celada, UP’s Virgilio Serios Jr., AMA’s Robby Zablan, PSBA’s Ricky Maurillo, PATTS’ Jayve Ferreria, and Mapua’s Mark Anthony Acosta, Allan Mangahas, Erwin Cornejo and Mark Sarangay. Fil-foreign applicants include Ellis, Hodge, Mallari, Jensen, Nabong, Karl Matthew Dehesa, Thomas Elliot Tan, Virgil Buensuceso, Mark Aguilar Jeffries and Alfred Jordan Mandani.

       The most awaited name, however, is Fajardo. Tipped to be the next important big man in Philippine basketball, the 6-foot-9 player plays college ball with University of Cebu and has had his exposure in international play in his stint with the San Miguel Beermen in the most recent ABL season. Being a Beerman, Fajardo may well be hoping to stay with the SMC Group in the PBA. Fajardo landing at Petron is big possibility.

UPDATE!!! <July 30, 21012>

         Days before the application deadline for the PBA draft, top talents are throwing their hats into the ring. Junemar Fajardo, a mobile 6-foot-10 center who spent the past season with the San Miguel Beermen in the ASEAN Basketball League, is the latest big name to join the draft.

         The former University of Cebu slotman joins a crack list of homegrown talents that include San Sebastian stars Calvin Abueva and Ronald Pascual former SMART-Gilas standouts JR Cawaling and Aldrech Ramos from FEU.

          Earlier, top Filipino-American prospects also joined the prospects’ list, including Cliff Hodge and Chris Ellis of NLEX and Alex Mallari and Keith Jensen of Big Chill.

        Petron, which is also owned by the same San Miguel Corporation that bankrolls the Beermen, owns the No. 1 pick after a previous trade with Air 21, and will use it on Fajardo. SMC executive Noli Eala calls the choice of Fajardo a “no-brainer”. 

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