De Liaño, Manganti join 2019 PBA D-League Draft
UNIVERSITY of the Philippines standout Juan Gomez De Liaño and former Adamson University skipper Sean Manganti headline the 153 players set to join the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Developmental League (PBA D-League) Draft on Tuesday.
De Liaño and Manganti spearheaded their respective team’s campaigns in the latest University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) basketball season and are now looking to bring their talents to the developmental ranks.
Joining De Liaño as guard are UAAP graduates Kib Montalbo of De La Salle University, Anton Asistio of Ateneo De Manila University and Jasper Parker of Far Eastern University.
Other guards in the draft pool are National Collegiate Athletic Association standouts AC Soberano of San Beda University, Ian Alban of Arellano University and Jed Mendoza of Jose Rizal University and Centro Escolar hotshot Orlan Wamar.
Manganti leads the rookie hopefuls in the forward position that include Asean Basketball League veteran Joshua Munzon, Clint Doliguez of San Beda and CESAFI MVP Rey Suerte of University of the Visayas.
La Salle graduate center Santi Santillan, Mapua University sophomore Warren Bonifacio and National University graduate Troy Rike banner the big men in the pool.
A league record of 20 teams will pick from the talent-laden selection, with last season’s bottom team AMA Online Education owning the top pick anew.
Back- to- back UAAP champion Ateneo and three- peat NCAA titlist San Beda will try to extend their winning ways in the developmental league along with other collegiate champs in St. Clare College of NAASCU and Diliman College of UCBL.
This year’s number of participating teams shattered the previous mark of 13 squads, which was set in the 2011 Foundation Cup and 2018 Aspirants’ Cup.
The 2019 D-League season will begin on February 14 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.