AMAtakes a Titan in Teng
As expected, AMA Online Education picked Jeron Teng first overall in the 2016 PBA DLeague Draft on Tuesday at PBA Cafe in Metrowalk, Pasig City.
The 6-foot-2 winger from La Salle was nabbed by the Titans as they eye to finally break through the league semifinals.
“Actually with Jeron Teng, once he enters a team it improves at once,” said Titans coach Mark Herrera in Filipino. “We need his presence now because we’re a young team. We don’t have any foreigner, so we’re building the team around him. This is a very big morale booster for us.”
Herrera had no second thoughts drafting Teng first, as he hopes to see the 2016 UAAP Finals Most Valuable Player report to the Titans practice when the team start its preparation on Wednesday.
“We’ve talked already. We just have to settle some issues on paper. Maybe tomorrow he’d show up for our practice,” Her- rera added.
Tanduay, meanwhile, had the biggest surprise of the proceedings, selecting Letran big man Jom Sollano at second.
Racal went on and selected unheralded forward Jonjon Gabriel of Colegio de San Lorenzo at third. Cafe France picked CEU standout Patrick Aquino at fourth.
Wangs Basketball selected Ateneo center G-boy Babilonia at fifth, Victoria Sports-MLQU got Jayson Grimaldo at sixth, and Cignal-San Beda plucked Davon Potts at seventh.
Batangas picked homegrown Wilmar Anderson to wrap up the first round.
Shockingly, Fil-Am guard Jason Brickman fell to the laps of Tanduay in the fourth round.
School-based squads Cafe France-CEU, Cignal-San Beda, and Victoria Sports-MLQU had to select their varsity players first before getting their hands in the draft pool.
The draft went on to the 18th round, where Batangas completed its roster of native Batangueño cagers.
Jose Rizal University and guest team Blustar Malaysia opted not to participate in the proceedings as they already have their complete lineups.
The 2017 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup kicks off on Jan. 19 next year at Ynares Sports Arena.
Tanduay coach Lawrence Chongson somehow anticipated that Brickman will fall into his lap.
Chongson sees the selection as a gamble, with Brickman’s commitment still uncertain this conference.
“Fifty-fifty. I wasn’t surprised because many got afraid because of his papers. But still I didn’t expect that nobody would take a gamble,” Chongson said in Filipino.
Chongson sees Brickman’s selection as a possible sleeper pick, regardless of what Brickman and Tanduay will agree upon, as he keeps his optimism on a high as negotiations begin.
“It’s just like Christmas. As if we got a present,” he said. “If his papers arrive in time, then I’d look handsome to my boss.”