AMA to select 1st in 2017 PBA D-League Draft

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net

Alvin Pasaol, the super scorer out of University of the East, is tipped to be the top selection in the 2017 PBA D-League Rookie Draft set on Tuesday at PBA Cafe in Metrowalk, Pasig.

AMA Online Education holds the rights to the No. 1 overall pick.

Titans coach Mark Herrera will have the luxury of picking his guy from the 201-man pool as he seeks beef up his roster bannered by hard-nosed big man Andre Paras.

This will be the second consecutive year that AMA will be selecting first, after nabbing Jeron Teng in the 2016 draft.

Aside from Pasaol, some of the highly-touted players this year include Arvin Tolentino of Far Eastern U, Abu Tratter of La Salle, Javi Gomez de Liaño of University of the Philippines, and Robbie Manalang of Adamson.

Wangs Basketball-Letran will pick at number two, while Batangas-EAC is at third.

Thirteen teams are set to participate in the 2018 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup, which tips off on January 18.

Eleven of the 13 squads participating this year will be school-based teams as they make early preparations for their respective mother leagues, namely CEU, Zark’s Burgers-Lyceum, Gamboa Coffee-St. Clare, and JRU, and debuting teams Che’Lu Bar and Grill-San Sebastian, Powerball-St. Benilde, Perpetual, and Akari-Adamson.

Only returning Marinerong Pilipino and newcomer Mila’s Lechon are the teams that won’t be featuring varsity crews.