TOP draft pick Stephen Holt and 25 other members of the PBA Season 48 draft class made it to the official league roster ready for action as the new season unwraps on Nov. 5 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Converge is the team that enlisted the most number of rookies with five, excluding No. 10 pick Bryan Jason Andrade who's been confined on the injured/reserve list.
Deschon Winston, Bryan Santos, Inand Fornilos, Patrick Maagdenberg and Kamron Vigan cracked the Converge roster, joining veterans Adrian Wong, Jerrick Balanza, Barkley Ebona, Aljun Melecio, Alec Stockton, Justin Arana, Kevin Racal, Mike Nieto, Jeo Ambohot and Keith Zaldivar.
Maagdenberg was a third-round selection by the Magnolia Hotshots but left unsigned while Vigan, who played college ball with Bethesda U in the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association, was a sixth-round pick seen by coach Aldin Ayo as a steal.
Aside from Holt, the Dyip also signed Tommy Olivario, Taylor Miller and Kemark Carino - four rookie recruits matched by the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters with signees Ken Tuffin, Matthew Daves, Raffy Verano and Ricci Rivero.
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"We're rebuilding again, and I think we got a fighting team," said Terrafirma governor Bobby Rosales of the team they're fielding in Season 48 that fires off with the import-flavored Commissioner's Cup.
Olivario made the team of coach John Cardel although being a fourth-round selection, chosen at No. 36 overall.
Bringing into the new season three newbies is NorthPort, which inked Cade Flores, Brent Paraiso and fourth-round pick Fran Yu.
Without a single draft selection, the TNT Tropang Giga waited a while before netting Henry Galinato and Kim Aurin from the rookie free agent pool. Galinato was Rain or Shine's second-round pick while Aurin was Ginebra's third-round selection.
Rain or Shine signed Keith Datu and Sherwin Concepcion with NLEX also tapping in two rookies in Richie Rodger and Dominic Fajardo.
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With lone rookie signees are Ginebra (Raphael Cu), Meralco (Brandon Matthew Bates) and San Miguel Beer (John Troy Mallilin.
Magnolia, the best team in the PBA On Tour with a perfect 11-0 mark, opted to keep its roster intact.
The Hotshots set out for battle with a lot of confidence.
"I'll be a hypocrite if I say mahina ang team namin. As we have seen sa On Tour, walang nakatalo sa amin. Two teams lang ang less than 10 points ang winning margin, all others medyo naiwan namin," said Magnolia governor Rene Pardo.
Other draftees signed but put on the reserve list are NorthPort's Zavier Lucero and Rain or Shine's Luis Villegas.(SB)
