Blackwater officially selected 3x3 standout Brandon Rosser as the top overall pick in the PBA Rookie Draft held Sunday, May 15 inside the activity area of Robinsons Place Manila.
There was no surprise when the Bossing announced the name of Rosser, who was not around to meet his new employer after being part of Gilas Pilipinas squad that settled for a bronze medal in the men’s 3x3 event of the Vietnam SEA Games.
Rosser, who stands at 6-foot-7, was regarded as the biggest name of the draft following the absence of ex-La Salle star Justin Baltazar and Fil-Am Sedrick Barefield.
Terrafirma used the No. 2 pick to choose Jeremiah Gray, who once played for Alab Pilipinas, Mighty Sports Philippines and TNT’s PBA 3x3 team, despite in the process of recovering from an ACL injury.
Converge, the newest PBA team after buying the Alaska franchise in March, chose two NCAA standouts using the No. 3 and No. 4 selections.
Jeo Ambohot, who was playing for Letran in the NCAA Season 97 Finals against Mapua, was taken at No. 3 before Converge chose Arellano big man Justin Arana at No. 4.
Rain or Shine went with Ateneo guard Gian Mamuyac at No. 5, NorthPort took San Sebastian’s JM Calma at No. 6 and NLEX took former UAAP cager Tyrus Hill at No. 7.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel drafted former B.League cager Javi Gomez de Liano with the eighth pick, Blackwater used the ninth overall selection to tap La Salle’s Kurt Lojera while National University’s Shaun Ildefonso went to Rain or Shine at No. 10.
Blackwater got Mark Dyke at No. 11 before Magnolia, which will carry the moniker Chicken Timplados Hotshots, ended the first round by selecting Keith Zaldivar at No. 12.