NXLED and Farm Fresh bowed out of playoff contention in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference and are now headed to the draft lottery.
Even with UAAP A-listers like Bella Belen and Angel Canino’s names already floating as prospective draftees this year, both teams won’t be blinded by the bright stars this early.
READ: Draft lottery-bound Nxled signs off on winning note vs Farm Fresh
Following their first conferences as head coach, Farm Fresh’s Benson Bocboc already has a target player in mind — not a specific person but a particular position, at least.
The Foxies took former La Salle reserve winger Maicah Larroza last year with the No. 4 pick in the maiden draft and they might just take the same route again.
“Wala kaming scorer. Wala sa’ming umii-score, si (Trisha) Tubu lang. Kailangang may magco-cover ng role niya. Meron kaming Jolina (dela Cruz), may (Rachel) Daquis, pero hindi pa consistent (yung scoring). Meron, pero hindi pa consistent,” Bocboc said.
“Mas marami, mas maganda para mas maraming options at mas mahihirapan yung kalaban.”
NXLED's next woman up
It isn’t quite the same for Nxled head coach Ettore Guidetti who continues to acquaint himself with Philippine volleyball six months into his tenure.
Since he is with a first-time draft lottery team, the 50-year-old Italian coach isn’t fixated on the top four pick alone.
In his words, the upcoming draft will be a manhunt for a ‘good player in every position.’
“The situation right now is a little bit shady. No one exactly knows how it will 100 percent work, how many of the university players that we have taken a look at are gonna stay here in the Philippines or play abroad,” Guidetti said.
“Right now, we’re selecting kind of a big range of players. To be 100 percent honest with you, and not be a hypocrite, we are selecting basically a good player for every position.”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
