Crack point guard JV Casio was chosen by the Powerade Tigers as the number overall pick in yesterday’s 2011 Rookie Draft that also marked the return of Cebuano hotshot Dondon Hontiveros to the Petron Blaze Boosters.
Casio’s selection came as no surprise as the Tigers have been very vocal on their desire to select the Smart Gilas pointguard, who was also made a good run with the La Salle Green Archers in the UAAP.
With Casio gone, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters snatched Paul Lee as the second overall pick.
The surprise twist came when Barako Bull (formerly Air21) traded its draft rights for the number three pick and Hontiveros to the Boosters in exchange for Mick Pennisi, Sunday Salvacion and the eighth pick.
The Boosters used the third pick in choosing Chris Lutz. Hontiveros was traded by Petron, then San Miguel Beer, to the Air21 Express last March.
Powerade took Marcio Lassiter as the fourth pick overall, while Mark Barocca was named the fifth overall pick by the Shopinas.com Clickers.
The Alaska Aces selected Mark Baracael as the sixth pick, while the Meralco Bolts brought in Jason Ballesteros for the seventh pick. Barako Bull used the eighth pick that it got from Petron by taking Allein Maliksi.
Reil Cervantes went to the Barangay Ginebra Kings as the ninth pick while Barako Bull closed the first round by hiring Dylan Ababou.
The second round started with Shopinas.com and Talk N Text taking Magi Sison and Pamboy Raymundo, respectively.
Owner of the 13th to 15th picks, the Aces took Eric Salamat and Cebuano players Ariel Mepaña and Julius Pasculado, who was born in Cebu but grew up in the US.