D-League draft today; Banchero going to Boracay Rum

Boracay Rum will get to acquire topnotch guard Chris Banchero after all as the two teams set to pick first in the PBA D-League Rookie Draft today ceded their rights due to tie-ups with separate schools.

In a late development, Café France linked up with Centro Escolar University and automatically gave up its right to chose first.

Cebuana Lhuiller also relinquished its right to choose second following a recent tie-up with University of the East.

“He’s definitely the top of his class,” Boracay Rum coach Lawrence Chongson said of Banchero, the Filipino-Italian guard who starred in San Miguel Beer’s championship romp in the Asean Basketball League (ABL) this year.

“We won’t waste this chance given to us.”

A total of 143 players signed up for the developmental league’s maiden draft set at 2 p.m. at the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City.

Big Chill will pick next, followed by Blackwater Sports, Cagayan Valley, Hog’s Breath and Jumbo Plastic.

Four-time champion NLEX will also skip the first round due to its tie-up with San Beda College.

Four of the five new teams this season will hook up with collegiate teams, including Banco de Oro (BDO) with National University, Ur Value with University of the Philippines, Air21 with Arellano and M-Builders with Trinity University.

The order of selection for the debuting teams, including Wangs, will be determined by lottery before the draft.

Banchero, the ABL Finals MVP, leads the 27 foreigners with Filipino roots who submitted their names for the draft.