A RECORD number of applicants made themselves available for PBA Rookie Draft.
By the end of the deadline of application on Sunday, a total of 128 players formally made it to the list for the Sept. 17 proceedings that serve as the league’s first official function for Season 48.
Among those who submitted their applications in the final week leading to the Sept. 10 deadline were Ricci Rivero, Schonny Winston, Zav Lucero, Brent Paraiso, Keith Datu, Brandon Bates, Luis Villegas, Ken Tuflin, Stephen Holt, Kim Aurin, Raphael Cu, Fran Yu, Henry Galinato, Dominick Fajardo, Kemark Carino, Sherwin Concepcion, James Kwekuteye, among others.
The huge number of applicants is a new PBA record, surpassing the previous mark of 97 tallied for the Season 46 draft. The 31 Oil-foreign applicants also went down as all-time high.
Chances of the final list being pruned down is possible depending on the outcome of the two-day Draft Combine set on Sept. 12 and 13 at the Hoops Gatorade Center.
Terrafirma will select first on draft day followed by Blackwater.
Rain or Shine takes the next two picks, NorthPort comes next, Phoenix, NLEX, and Meralco.
Converge picks consecutively at nos. 9 and 10, followed by NorthPort and Terrafirma.