Aljun Melecio led the final batch of players who beat Wednesday’s deadline for application to the PBA Rookie Draft set March 14.
The La Salle guard confirmed his decision to forego his final UAAP season and put his name to the record list of applicants for the virtual draft proceedings.
A record 97 players applied for the draft as many opted to capitalize on the cancellations of other leagues and the relaxed requirements for Fil-foreign cagers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Melecio followed the lead of other UAAP cagers who submitted their names in the draft following the cancellation of the collegiate league’s cage season due to the pandemic.
“There are just some things in life that we can’t control, and this was one of them,” Melecio said as part of his Facebook post announcing his entry.
“This was not the ending I expected for my time playing for the green and white. Being the team captain in my last playing year, I almost did not let go, but there are just some hard, but important decisions we must make,” he added.
Also formalizing his entry is Fil-American Taylor Statham, who had a globetrotting career following a college stint with Cal State San Bernardino.
Statham’s recent stint was in the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 and numerous FIBA 3x3 World Tour competitions.