TNT PICKS TALLO AT NO. 10 IN PBA DRAFT
Two-time Cesafi MVP surprised to make it to the first round Tallo vows to continue improving game now that he is in the pro league 4 other Cebuanos also picked: Sollano, Arong, Cabahug, Nalos
Mark Jayven “Macmac” Tallo was a surprise first-round draftee, chosen by Talk ‘N Text KaTropa as the 10th overall pick in the 2017 PBA Rookie Draft at the Robinsons Place in Manila yesterday.
Tallo, who won three championships and three MVP titles in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi), upstaged more illustrious applicants in the likes of Davon Potts of San Beda College Red Lions, Julian Sargent of De La Salle University.
Potts was picked by Alaska Aces at No. 6 in the second round and Sargent was picked by Star Hotshots at No. 4 in the second round.
“I am very happy. I didn’t expect that I would be picked in the first round. I’ll just continue to improve (my game) and try my best to contribute and hold a positive attitude,” Tallo said after he was picked.
Tallo is the first homegrown Cesafi talent who got picked in the draft since Blackwater chose Quinton Brian Heruela of the University of Cebu in 2014.
Tallo’s journey to the PBA was a bit tough as he had to jump from the Ateneo Blue Eagles to the De La Salle Green Archers before settling for good with Southwestern University, which he helped win two Cesafi college titles in 2012 and 2014.
His basketball skills and clutch performances endeared him to many basketball fans and also earned him two MVP titles in college and one in high school.
Before Tallo helped the Cobras win the Cesafi titles, he first displayed his potential with the Cebu Institute of Technology-University Wildkittens, whom he helped win its first high school title in 2008. He also won the high school MVP title in that season.
“My advice to him is to continue improving. He must become persistent and work hard to become successful,” said is father Mark, who once played with Pepsi Cola in the PBA.
As expected, Fil-German Christian Standhardinger was this year’s overall first round pick by San Miguel Beermen.
The rest of the first round picks are Kiefer Ravena (TNT), Raymar Jose (Blackwater), Jason Perkins (Phoenix), Jeron Teng (Alaska), Robbie Herndon (GlobalPort), Rey Nambatac (Rain or Shine), Sydney Onwubere (Phoenix), Lervin Flores (Star Hotshots), Jon Jon Gabriel (TNT) and Jett Manuel (Ginebra).
Aside from Tallo, four other Cebuanos were also picked. Jomari Sollano, who played for the University of Southern Philippines Foundation Panthers before joining the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights, was picked by Rain or Shine Elasto Painters as the seventh pick in the second round; Monbert Arong, Tallo’s former backcourt partner with the SWU before he joined Far Eastern University, was picked by TNT at No. 10 in the second round
Former University of the Visayas Green Lancer Elmer Mykiel Cabahug was picked by Ginebra San Miguel at No. 12 in the third round and former SWU player Joseph Aero Nalos was picked by San Miguel Beermen at No. 11 in the fourth round. /