MORE than the players that were called in the early rounds of the PBA Season 48 Draft, a bigger surprise were the names that weren't.
Ricci Rivero, one of the few players to win UAAP championships with two different teams, YouTube sensation Kyt Jimenez, Letran guard Fran Yu, and controversial forward John Amores attracted a lot of buzz in the days leading up to the draft. But somehow, all four fell off the teams' radars on Draft Day.
READ: Full list of 79 players picked in PBA Season 48 Rookie Draft
A consensus first-rounder, the high-flying Rivero wasn't picked until midway through the second round at 17th overall; Yu was picked only in the 4th round and Amores in the 5th, while Jimenez slipped all the way to the ninth round - the fourth to last player to be called, in fact, among the record 79 draftees.
So what happened?
The most common explanation was that a deluge of prospects that came in from overseas after eligibility rules on Fil-foreign players were relaxed, and a bumper crop of lesser-known but quality big men dampened the draft stock of homegrown wingers and guards like Rivero and Yu.
Top players' agent Charlie Dy said the PBA draft has traditionally been about ballclubs grabbing every opportunity to land either a promising big man or a prospect from overseas.
"If you look at the history of the draft, laging priority talaga ang big men because 'yun talaga ang kailangan ng teams," said Dy, who represents Rivero.
"Then also laging nabibigyan priority ang mga Fil-Foreign players because I believe the thinking is always that they have better training, competition and exposure because limited lang talaga competitions natin."
Unlike the US NCAA, Dy said "the UAAP and NCAA only run for 2.5 to 3 months and you only play around 20 games total if you reach the finals."
The first round of drafting will bear Dy out: 11 of the 12 players selected were from overseas, with Ateneo guard BJ Andrade the only exception when he was grabbed by Converge at 10th overall.
"Definitely a factor," Guiao said when asked if the Fil-foreign prospects had bumped off Rivero and Co. from the top of the teams' shopping list.
As for his team, Guiao said Rain or Shine had little interest in Rivero, Jimenez and Yu since its wings and backcourt are loaded with talent - the reason the Elasto Painters went for big men Luis Villegas and Keith Datu.
READ: Biggest winners in PBA Season 48 Draft
Another veteran PBA coach said the Draft Combine, a pre-draft showcase that was supposed to help rookie hopefuls boost their stock, ended up working against Rivero who to him was obviously out of shape, likely because of inactivity.
"The Ricci Rivero that I saw in the Draft Combine wasn't the Rivero that I know," said the coach, who asked not to be named. "His talent is way better than that."
Amores' case was much more obvious.
One PBA coach who has seen him play both in the NCAA and the Draft Combine swore Amores "is a pretty decent player" who can make a good career in the PBA as an undersized but skilled and ultra-tough forward.
However, the coach said it will take more than a few anger management classes to convince PBA teams to take a chance on Amores since he went amok in Jose Rizal University's game against College of St. Benilde in the NCAA last year.
But if given a chance, the multi-titled coach has no doubt Amores can prove he belongs in the PBA.
"He can really play," he swore.
As for Jimenez, all the hoopla that his inspiring story has generated online, or the skills he showcased in the MPBL or in videos with Mavs Phenomenal that drew millions of views on social media, obviously didn't make much of an impact on PBA teams.
His agent, Danny Espiritu, admitted the YouTube sensation didn't work out for any team, believing that these coaches and scouts already knew him enough.
If they knew him, these PBA coaches didn't think too highly of Jimenez to draft him. All 12 teams bypassed the Terrence Romeo play-alike until San Miguel, prodded by a 'tip' from Espiritu, finally selected him in the ninth round.
The popularity couldn't help. Oftentimes, the fame that is viewed as an asset by fans is seen as 'unwanted baggage' by some coaches.
"I guess other teams just avoided the 'popular' players who could be distractions to their teams since there are a lot of 'safer' options who could take their place," said one of the coaches who passed on the flamboyant guard.
READ: PBA draft drop can't dampen Kyt Jimenez joy over SMB opportunity
Jimenez's style, another coach said, didn't fit some of the team's needs, saying, "the problem with such style of play is that they have to have the ball to be effective. Coaches are looking for players who can contribute, with or without the ball. Dito sila kulang."
The draft snub, however, doesn't spell the end of the three's careers, coaches feel.
Amores will still get a chance to prove his doubters wrong at NorthPort while Jimenez, Espiritu said, has attracted some interest especially with the way he conducted himself after a draft that could've broken the spirit of some other players.
In the case of Rivero, the draft slide, while it may have cost him a big contract at the rookie max reserved for first-rounders, may prove to be a blessing in disguise for a player who has been under the microscope both on and off the court his entire career.
As a second-round pick, the flamboyant guard may finally get the room to quietly develop at Phoenix and regain his confidence. A Ricci Rivero at his best, one PBA coach said, can no doubt stand out in Asia's first pro league.
Dy is confident it will happen.
"I always tell my players in the draft naman na wala naman 'yan sa kung what pick ka nakuha but to show the team that picked them what they can contribute to their team to stay long in the PBA," said the veteran players' agent.
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