By REYNALD MAGALLON
Long awaited basketball dreams are finally coming true on Sunday, July 14.
A total of 69 aspirants are hoping and praying that their their names be called and finally get the chance to make the leap to the PBA during the Season 49 Rookie Draft at the Glorietta Makati.
Pampanga Giant Lanterns star and former Gilas Pilipinas player Justine Baltazar looked poised to top this year’s draft class along with former NBA G-League player Sedrick Barefield.
Ateneo standout Kai Ballungay, a versatile 6-foot-6 forward, is also projected to be picked early in the draft alongside premier guards RJ Abarrientos and Dave Ildefonso, both former Asian quota imports in the Korean Basketball League and Japan B. League.
Other notable names in the draft are Evan Nelle, Ben Phillips, CJ Cansino, Caelan Tiongson, Mark Nonoy, Jerom Lastimosa and suspended MPBL player Germy Mahinay.
Jonnel Policarpio also made a good case for himself after being hailed as the PBA Draft Combine Most Valuable Player.
Getting the chance to pick first in this year’s top heavy draft that featured some of the country’s homecoming talents is Converge followed by Blackwater at the second pick.
The third pick, originally owned by Terrafirma, is now at the hands of Barangay Ginebra after the two teams agreed to a pick swap as part of the trade centered around Christian Standhardinger and Stephen Holt.
Completing the Top 5 picks are Phoenix at the fourth and NorthPort at the fifth before NLEX takes its turn at the sixth pick. Rain or Shine, the only team with two picks in the first round, is selecting at the seventh and eighth while Magnolia picks at ninth.
Terrafirma then finally takes its turn to draft at the 10th before Meralco and San Miguel wrap things up in the first round proceedings with the 11th and 12th picks.
In the second round, both Rain or Shine and Converge have three picks each while Ginebra has two.
