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    Rosser, Gray, Ambohot, Arana named Top 4 picks of PBA Rookie Draft

    Big men rule in PBA draft
    May 15, 2022
    Justin Arana joins Converge officials, coaches and players onstage during the PBA Rookie Draft.
    Justin Arana joins Converge officials, coaches and players onstage during the PBA Rookie Draft.
    PHOTO: Marlo Cueto

    BRANDON Ganuelas-Rosser, as expected, was made the top overall pick in the PBA Season 47 Rookie Draft on Sunday at Robinsons Place Manila in Ermita.

    Blackwater formally made the selection as it hinged its hopes on the younger brother of TNT winger Matt Rosser to add much-needed ceiling to its hard-luck squad.

    Ganuelas-Rosser, 22, is coming off a stint with Gilas Pilipinas Men's 3x3 in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam where the Philippines took home the bronze medal.

    [See Arana, Mamuyac, Shaun I, Javi included in Gilas pool]

    Jeremiah Gray was picked No. 2 overall by Terrafirma in the first face-to-face PBA draft after holding Season 46 in 2020 in a virtual setting.

    Converge made Letran's Jeo Ambohot the No. 3 pick in its first official function in the league since acquiring the Alaska franchise.

    The FiberExers later named another big man in Arellano's Justin Arana to its lineup with the No. 4 selection of the first round.

    Blackwater PBA Rookie Draft

    Except for Rain or Shine's surprise decision to make Gian Mamuyac the No. 5 overall pick, big men still ruled the draft as JM Calma went at No. 6 to NorthPort.

    NLEX took Fil-am high-flyer Tyrus Hill at seventh overall while Ginebra used the No. 8 pick to grab former UP Maroons gunner Javi Gomez de Liano, who completed a season with the Ibaraki Robots in the Japan B.League stint.

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    Completing the first round were La Salle guard Kurt Lojera for Blackwater at nine, National University's Shaun Ildefonso for Rain or Shine at 10, Mark Dyke for Blackwater at 11, and Adamson big Keith Zaldivar for Magnolia at 12.

    Arana, Mamuyac, Gomez de Liano, and Ildefonso were earlier tapped by Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes to be part of the national team pool.

    Curiously, the top three selections were absent with Ganuelas-Rosser still in Vietnam after playing for the Philippine 3x3 team in the Southeast Asian Games, Gray still rehabbing in the US, and Ambohot in San Juan for Game One of the NCAA Season 97 Finals between Letran and Mapua.

    Letran's Ato Ular was taken first in the second round, followed by Tyler Tio from Ateneo (Phoenix), Kameron Vales from University of Regina/San Jose College (Converge), Chris Lalata from Olivarez College (Phoenix), Jhonard Clarito from De Ocampo Memorial College and RJ Ramirez from Far Eastern University (Rain or Shine), Encho Serrano from La Salle (Phoenix), Jayson David of San Sebastian/Lyceum (Ginebra), Chester Saldua of Philippine Christian University (NLEX), Christian Fajarito of Letran (Meralco), and Carlo de Chavez of Bloomfield (Magnolia).

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    Here's the first two rounds of the draft:

    First Round:

    1. Blackwater - Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser
    2. Terrafirma - Jeremiah Gray
    3. Converge - Jeo Ambohot
    4. Converge - Justin Arana
    5. Rain or Shine - Gian Mamuyac
    6. NorthPort - JM Calma
    7. NLEX - Tyrus Hill
    8. Ginebra - Javi Gomez de Liano
    9. Blackwater - Kurt Lojera
    10. Rain or Shine - Shaun Ildefonso
    11. Blackwater - Mark Dyke
    12. Magnolia - Keith Zaldivar

    Second Round:

    1. Blackwater - Ato Ular
    2. Phoenix - Tyler Tio
    3. Converge - Kameron Vales
    4. Phoenix - Chris Lalata
    5. Rain or Shine - Jhonard Clarito
    6. Rain or Shine - RJ Ramirez
    7. Phoenix - Encho Serrano
    8. Ginebra - Jayson David
    9. NLEX - Chester Saldua
    10. Meralco - Christian Fajarito
    11. Phoenix - Enzo Joson
    12. Magnolia - Carlo de Chavez

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    Justin Arana joins Converge officials, coaches and players onstage during the PBA Rookie Draft.
    PHOTO: Marlo Cueto
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