4 D-League Fil-Am stars join PBA Rookie Draft

FOUR Filipino-Americans, who saw action in the recent PBA D-League finals, signed up for the pro league draft yesterday.

Big Chill’s top duo Alex Mallari and Keith Jensen submitted their names for the 2012 PBA Rookie Draft along with teammate Elliot Tan and Karl Dehesa of three-time champion NLEX.

This year’s draft is set on Aug. 19 at Robinsons Midtown Manila.

Foreign players with Filipino roots have until July 6 to submit all requirements. The deadline for homegrown talents is Aug. 3.

Mallari, a 6-foot-4 swingman, was named to the D-League Season Mythical Five after averaging 11.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.8 steals for the Superchargers.

Before his stint here, the 25-year-old Mallari also suited up for Lewis-Clark State College in the US National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

Jensen, a 6-foot-4 forward who normed 12 points and 7.1 rebounds last conference, played for New York University in the NCAA Division 3.

Tan, the 5-foot-10 son of former PBA player Alex Tan, came from Biola University in NAIA, while the 6-foot-3 Dehesa played as a guard for Waldorf College.

The commissioner’s office will release the preliminary list of foreign aspirants with Filipino roots on July 10.