There are 45 undrafted players in the 2023 PBA Draft (Season 48 for those keeping count) and ever since I have been checking out the NCAA, it sucks that these players weren’t taken.
Also, hopefully, these players get to see action in the PBA next season. I am talking about Terrafirma’s Damie Cuntapay, Kenneth Villapando, and Jeric Pido, Northport’s John Amores, NLEX’s Renzo Navarro, Meralco’s Jessie Sumoda, Magnolia’s Warren Bonifacio, and San Miguel’s Ichie Altamirano, who were part of NCAA’s Season 98. It’s bad enough that they picked in the fifth round and up but it’s even harder that most teams have more than six picks on their rookie camp.
Anyway, I am listing down the players I thought should have been drafted in the 2023 PBA Draft. While I know they are better off in rookie free agency especially when the picks were already in the fifth round, it would have been nice if they rented or bought a formal wear and walked in front of their peers on the stage.
ROMEL CALAHAT | SAN SEBASTIAN GOLDEN STAGS
San Sebastian is one of the hardest-hit teams in the 2023 PBA Draft. Larry Arpia was the first player picked for Baste at #49 and last season’s one-two veteran punch in Ichie Altamirano and Kenneth Villapando were numbers 57 and 58, respectively. Jessie Sumoda, the 54th pick of the 2023 PBA Draft, is going to play in NCAA Season 99 while vying for a Meralco roster spot. Romel Calahat is actually in the same predicament as Sumoda, except for the fact that he went home undrafted. What’s insane about this is that Calahat is going to be the main scoring option of San Sebastian this season. In Season 98, he averaged 11.5 points and 9.7 rebounds and was part of that year’s All-Defensive Team. I don’t know why he was left out of the draft but I guess with 124 applicants, a slip-up is bound to happen. Anyway, I hope this fuels him to have a revenge-type season with the Golden Stags. I know their team is not as deep as Letran, Benilde, and San Beda but certainly, he has to do this to piss on all the teams that snubbed him.
RAFAEL ARE | SAN SEBASTIAN GOLDEN STAGS
Here is another player that should have waited when the list wasn’t as high as it was. Are is in the same mold as Calahat – as they are both going to play in Season 99 as undrafted rookie free agents. With that said, the difference between him and Calahat is his lack of size (he has the same problem as Ryan Costelo). Rafael Are also averaged 4.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in Season 98. While he can bolster a rookie free agent campaign with an epic Season 99 stint, they also need to take the Golden Stags to a great predicament. This is an even harder thing to accomplish since San Sebastian lacks the talent depth as compared to other teams and the focus will probably be zeroed in on Romel Calahat. With that said, Are can be a good MPBL guy for the time being – as he is one of the mainstays of the Sarangani Marlins with averages of 10 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.2 steals in 18 games.
AMMAR COSARI | SAN SEBASTIAN GOLDEN STAGS
Again, Ammar Cosari is another ill-advised draft applicant from San Sebastian as he averaged just 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds during his final year. However, if he does well, there should be a place for him in the PBA. Over the years, we have seen the likes of former MBA players like Paul Guerrero and Paeng Santos have a couple of good years in the PBA. Cosari's edge is that he's a bonafide role player. Most college stars falter in the PBA because they can't transform their game from first option to utility guy. Cosari has a lot of things to work on. Aside from having a better outside shot, he needs to become a small forward because he is too small for the PBA frontline. Again, this might be a problem for him - because most MPBL teams have small frontcourts.
OMAR LARUPAY | LPU PIRATES
If you like Enoch Valdez’s game then there’s a chance that Omar Larupay’s game will also get you. The former LPU Pirate was one of the key factors as to why they barged into the NCAA 98 Final Four. He is also part of that season’s All-Defensive Team. While Larupay isn’t much of a scorer, he could have been a good role player for other teams. With that said, Valdez went #18 and Larupay was left undrafted. I guess maybe he could have worked on his offensive game first… but at this stage of his career, the best he can do is to strengthen his best skills and even as an undersized import stopper, he can still have a career in the PBA. Import stoppers, as well as defensive aces, are a thing in the PBA with unlikely-tenured vets like Jun Marzan and Jireh Ibanes making a living in that department despite their lack of offensive prowess.
LEAN MARTEL | PERPETUAL ALTAS
One of Perpetual's glue guys in Season 98, Lean Martel only averaged 2.9 points and 3.1 rebounds last season. He is also a part-time starter who is good for 12 minutes a game. While yeah, Kim Aurin disappeared from the lineup when he decided to join Ginebra's 3X3 squad in the middle of Season 98, the Altas were still loaded with scoring options like Jielo Razon and Rey Barcuma. It also didn't help that Perpetual drew significant contributions from Mark Denver Omega and Cedrick Abis. In some ways, this is why Martel and Jeff Egan didn't have the ideal end of their NCAA careers. With that said, there is a chance for Martel to transform into a good role player should PBA teams decide to take a chance on him.
SHANE MENINA | ARELLANO CHIEFS
Through the years, the Arellano Chiefs have developed a lot of feisty and speedy combo guards. Nard Pinto started it all in 2014 then over the years we have seen the likes of Jio Jalalon, Keith Agovida, Levi Hernandez, and Kent Salado getting to see action (or very significant action in the case of Jalalon) in the PBA. The problem with Menina is that most PBA teams are loaded with combo guards and it feels as if you need to get Fran Yu and Renzo Navarro first before you get Menina. It’s just my vibe but these three pretty much have the same gameplay with Yu having a championship to boast and Navarro being the main LPU point guard with Mac Guadana sliding to shooting guard when they are playing together. Yes, it didn’t help Menina that he is playing his final season with Axel Doromal leading the Chiefs in scoring. If there’s a good thing about Menina is that he is a rookie vet in the sense that he knows how to act like the boss in certain game-changing situations. In Season 98, he averaged 10 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists.
JIMBOY PASTURAN | BENILDE BLAZERS
Here is one of two Benilde Blazers who went home empty-handed in the draft. With that said, Pasturan was a key element in their NCAA 98 finals drive. Also, remember the time when John Amores went nuts and opened a can of whoop ass on the Benilde Blazers? Well, Pasturan was the fallen dude protected by JC Cullar. It’s insane that Amores and Cullar were drafted and he was the one who got the fist. And mind you, Pasturan was playing great in the ill-fated match. Anyway, before moving to Benilde, Pasturan strutted his wares for the Adamson Soaring Falcons. He found greater success in Benilde though and also, he’s currently playing for the MPBL’s Bacoor City Strikers. I guess Jimboy, could have postponed his pro aspirations since he’s just 25 years old – which is the average age of PBA draftees. He’s a 5’10 guard who needs to further develop his gameplay in the MPBL so he can have an outside chance to crack a random PBA roster. Also, he probably needs to go to an MPBL team with PBA aspirations.
AJ BENSON | BENILDE BLAZERS
I know AJ Benson has an awkward shooting style but I also know that he is one of the top dogs of NCAA S97 for the Benilde Blazers. I think he is also friends with Justin Gutang – a former CSB standout who just extended his Changwon LG Sakers contract for another year. Benson also had this flirty thing with Sanya Lopez, so he has this showbiz/mainstream thing in him as well. Benson is also playing well in the MPBL. However, sitting near the hard cam, players stood one by one and he’s just there. I think he’s a sure second or third-rounder… if he just looked at the checklist and corrected the fact that the PBA entered his name as ALFONSO VENTURA. I guess he is in a similar situation as Calvin Abueva (Sweeney), Paul Lee (Dalistan), and Jayson Castro (William). Still, draft applicants are going to bank on their past successes and it’s the team’s mission to hide these talents as much as they can. Unfortunately for Benson, it feels like he hid his identity from the teams which means all of his successes were not recognized.
THE OTHER UNDRAFTED PLAYERS
PLAYER | COLLEGE / SEMI-PRO T |
|---|---|
KRENZ CARLOS | U OF NEW SOUTH WALES |
RYAN COSTELO | SAN SEBASTIAN GOLDEN STAGS |
KING DESTACAMENTO | SAN BEDA - ALABANG RED LIONS |
RODNEY FUENTES | EAC GENERALS |
RENZO GALDO | HOLY CROSS-DAVAO CRUSADERS |
FLETCHER GALVEZ | USJ-R JAGUARS |
JAYMAR GIMBAYAN | OLERAS HIGH SCHOOL |
JOSHUA GONZALES | DLSU GREEN ARCHERS |
JM GREGG | U OF KANSAS |
MARCO GUZMAN | CURRY COLLEGE |
SHAQ IMPERIAL | SOUTHWESTERN COBRAS |
PATRICK JAMISON | NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECH |
MICHAEL LAZARTE | SAN BEDA - ALABANG RED LIONS |
LEO LORENZANA | UE RED WARRIORS |
MICHAEL ANGELO MACION | ADAMSON SOARING FALCONS |
JOHN MAHARI | DILIMAN BLUE DRAGONS |
RAPAHEL MALLARI | ADAMSON SOARING FALCONS |
DARRELL MANLIQUEZ | MATS COLLEGE NAVIGATORS |
JAYBIE MANTILLA | USJ-R JAGUARS |
SEM MARAAN | PERPETUAL ALTAS (CALOOCAN) |
ALWIN MARGALLO | NCF TIGERS |
EGIE BOY MOJICA | ADAMSON SOARING FALCONS |
IRVEN PALENCIA | ST. CLARE SAINTS |
MICO PALLARES | LPU PIRATES |
NIKKO PANGANIBAN | OUR LADY OF FATIMA PHOENIX |
JORDYN PEREZ | WALLA-WALLA |
REINIER QUINGA | ADAMSON SOARING FALCONS |
JR RAFLORES | UE RED WARRIORS |
ALYNN RONCAL | SOUTHWESTERN COBRAS |
NOEL SANTOS | TAGUIG RED WARRIORS |
JEFF SAPINIT | MAPUA CARDINALS |
JERIC SERRANO | LPU PIRATES |
HERO TOMILLOSO | UE RED WARRIORS |
JAMES TREMOCHA | ARELLANO CHIEFS |
REEVE UGSANG | FEU TAMARAWS |
RICHARD VELCHEZ | SOUTHWESTERN COBRAS |