COLLEGE stars CJ Perez and Robert Bolick and club champion Ray Parks Jr. lead the cast of hopefuls for the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Rookie Draft that has drawn more aspirants this year.
The draft is set December 16 at the Robinsons Place Manila.
A total of 48 aspirants are on the list with University of the Philippines’s Paul Desiderio and Diego Dario belatedly filing their applications at the league’s offices in Libis, Quezon City, on Monday.
The PBA extended the deadline from December 3 to 10 to give way to the collegiate players who suited up for their respective teams in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.
The hopefuls will join the Draft Combine on December 12 and 13 at the Hoops Center in Mandaluyong City.
Perez is playing out of Lyceum of the Philippines University, which Bolick’s San Beda University beat in the National Collegiate Athletic Association finals.
Parks, on the other hand, is a former UAAP Most Valuable Player who played a key role in Alab Pilipinas’s victory in the Asean Basketball League.
Columbian Dyip owns the overall pick for the second straight season. The team chose Christian Standhardinger last year, but he was immediately released to San Miguel Beer in a controversial trade.
Among the big names in the draft are Bong Quinto of Letran, Abu Tratter of De La Salle, Michael Calisaan of San Sebastian and Jayjay Alejandro of National University.