Dave Ildefonso.–Photo from SGA
NorthPort coach Bonnie Tan wore a smile ear-to-ear when asked about the Batang Pier’s Rookie Draft haul heading into the new PBA season.
His delight stems from reeling in Dave Ildefonso and Evan Nelle, two high-caliber prospects from elite varsity programs Ateneo and La Salle.
“I’m blessed to have such players,” he told the Inquirer. “You’re right, they don’t seem like rookies anymore considering their winning experience.”
Ildefonso, selected fifth overall, is a UAAP Season 85 champion with the Blue Eagles. Nelle, who was surprisingly available at No. 14, has won with both San Beda in the NCAA and La Salle just last year.
Tan said having such talents replenished his hopes of again playing in a championship series, which he last did with Letran in the NCAA. He previously called the shots for the Knights, leading the program to three straight NCAA crowns before moving up to the coaching job at NorthPort.
“We’re not here to just play games but to reach the Finals just as we all did during our amateur days. I told them that should be our mindset going into the season,” he said.
Nearing a deal
Nelle has since been signed to a two-year rookie deal, while Ildefonso is just working out some details on his contract and is expected to officially be on board soon, according to Tan.NorthPort won 11 of its 24 games last PBA season and made the playoffs in the Commissioner’s Cup, where the Batang Pier were in a twice-to-win disadvantage against Barangay Ginebra. They then fell to Terrafirma in the knockout for the eighth seed in the Philippine Cup.
The shipping franchise’s deepest run came during the 2019 Governors’ Cup, when Christian Standhardinger and import Michael Qualls starred for a NorthPort crew that made the semifinals.
Whether that could be replicated with cornerstone Arvin Tolentino, Cade Flores, Nelle and barring any complications, Ildefonso around, remains to be seen. But Tan is eager to see that scenario take shape.
And he is even looking forward to dealing with the cost that will come with it. Top-performing teams usually select late from the annual rookie pool the following year, allowing doormat clubs to rebuild with fresh talents.
“We’ve always been selecting in the middle of the draft. We would want to be picking late again [the next time around],” Tan said with a chuckle.