Blackwater Bossing eye big men Baltazar and Rosser
REBUILDING Blackwater is excited to exercise its rights for the top selection in the coming PBA Season 47 Rookie Draft with eyes on big men Justin Baltazar and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and backcourt dynamo Sedrick Barefield.
“For our No. 1 pick, we narrowed our choice among Baltazar, Barefield and Rosser,” Bossing coach Ariel Vanguardia told The STAR yesterday.
Mr. Baltazar, a 6-foot-8 La Salle standout capable of playing multiple positions, Mr. Barefield, a 6-foot-2 Fil-Am guard who played in the G League, and Mr. Rosser, a 6-foot-7 Fil-Am insideoutside operator, led the 75 hopefuls who have entered their names in the May 15 Draft.
The Bossing are determined to take advantage of their three first-round picks to beef up and turn their fortunes around after a woeful 46th season that saw them skid to their 29th straight loss. After choosing first, Mr. Vanguardia’s team takes the ninth and 10th selections.
“The other two (first-round) picks will depend on our first pick. If we pick Mress. Baltazar or Rosser, we will look for a wing for the succeeding picks. If Mr. Barefield, we will be looking for bigs,” said Mr. Vanguardia.
The Bossing actually ended Season 46 on a bright note as they toppled top seed Magnolia Hotshots in their final elims assignment, 101-100, last March 9. This enabled the franchise to snap their league record skid and avert a winless season while building some momentum moving forward.
Blackwater and the 11 other ballclubs will get a closer look at their prospects during the Draft Combine on Wednesday and Thursday at the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong. Draft proper will be on Sunday at Robinson’s Place Manila. —