WHEN one door closes, another one opens.
Aljun Melecio could attest to that.
His time at La Salle may have come to an abrupt end, but it only opened the opportunity for him to start afresh as he tests his luck in the upcoming PBA Rookie Draft.
"I was reluctant because I really wanted to finish my playing years in La Salle," said Melecio, who had to make the hard decision of foregoing his final playing year at Taft.
The 5-foot-8 guard, however, can hold a candle to the other guard prospects in the draft pool that many coaches believe he's ready for primetime.
The UAAP Season 79 Rookie of the Year won a championship at La Salle and has evolved from a cold-blooded scorer in high school to a more rounded, pass-first point guard in his time with the Green Archers.
Coaches and scouts even consider him as one of the top playmakers in the rookie pool, one which the Valencia City, Bukidnon native isn't really dwelling on.
"Di ako naniniwala sa sinasabi nila na isa ako sa top point guards sa draft dahil alam ko maraming talent this year, so ayoko isipin na ganoon," he said.
For the 22-year-old court general, whatever he did before will be thrown out of the window as he will have to prove himself all over again once he gets to the pros.
"I know na marami akong adjustments na kailangan gawin going to the PBA dahil hindi na college basketball ito, so kung ano man yung role na lalaruin ko, I am more than willing to work on it. I'll work for my spot," he said.
And it's just the kind of challenge Melecio welcomes as he looks forward to the opportunity of playing against the idols he grew up watching.
"Pinapanood ko noon sa TV sila kuya JVee Casio at kuya LA Tenorio, so excited akong makaharap sila pag na-draft ako," he said.