Barako rebuilding with college stars

BARAKO Bull can build a younger core after the PBA Rookie Draft scheduled Nov. 3 at Robinsons Place in Manila.

With one of the most experienced and oldest nuclei in the league, the Energy will have three picks in the first round— the fourth to sixth choices overall— which they can use to grab the finest talent available and build up for the future.

With Greg Slaughter and Ian Sangalang expected to be the first two choices by Barangay Ginebra and San Mig Coffee, respectively, and Rain or Shine seriously going for Raymond Almazan, Barako Bull consultant Rajko Toroman said they will go for whoever is left in the deep pool.

In fact, Toroman invited several collegiate standouts to a recent series of tryouts, including Santo Tomas gunner Jeric Teng and Far Eastern’s Terrence Romeo and RR Garcia.

“We have seen the rookies; we have a good bunch of players in the Draft this year,” said Toroman.

Also showing his wares was former Ateneo ace Nico Salva, an undersized power forward who will surely go high in the proceedings.

“We don’t have a decision yet, maybe a day before the Draft,” said Toroman. “But definitely we’ll get the best available talent. A lot of them can really be an option for us. At least 10 to 12 players are strongly considered as first-round picks.”

Toroman called the shots in the last two conferences for the Energy and steered the squad to the quarterfinals of the Governors’ Cup.

Danny Seigle, Mick Pennisi, Enrico Villanueva and several other standouts have obviously seen better years in the league, yet, they continued to carry the fight for the Energy.

One position that Toroman wants to fill is the point guard spot and he is looking for a player who can share quarterbacking chores with Eman Monfort.

Meanwhile, Talk ‘N Text enters the homestretch of its training stint in Las Vegas where former MVP Kelly Williams rejoined the team after a year’s absence.

The 6-foot-7 Williams, who won the award while with Sta. Lucia, was forced into premature retirement at the end of last season because of a very rare blood disease. Williams will surely be a big factor for the Texters when the Philippine Cup ushers in the league’s 39th Season on Nov. 17.

The Tropang Texters, who won the Philippine Cup for a third straight time this season, are in the Impact Basketball Camp that specializes in physical conditioning and skills training.

They will fly in back to Manila on Nov. 7.

Talk ‘N Text has been the most dominant team in the last five years, but the Texters sputtered in their last tournament, the Governors’ Cup, after lending four of their superstars to the Gilas Pilipinas program.

Jimmy Alapag, Jason Castro, Ranidel de Ocampo and Larry Fonacier rejoined the Texters close to the halfway point of the eliminations, qualifying in the bottom half of the draw but failing to advance past the quarterfinals.

In the Commissioner’s Cup, the Texters exited in the Final Four after losing in the rubber match to Barangay Ginebra.