The pool of the next PBA Rookie Draft got a lot deeper after numerous big names submitted their formal applications at the PBA office on Friday afternoon.
Four of the top 3x3 pro cagers in the country, namely Alvin Pasaol, Troy Rike, Santi Santillan, and Franky Johnson, have officially applied, agent Marvin Espiritu of Espiritu Manotoc Basketball Management confirmed to ESPN5.com.
The four are also among the players that may be chosen in the upcoming FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament set to be held in Graz, Austria this May.
Pasaol, a 6'4" forward who suited up for the UE Red Warriors in the UAAP, is known for his volume scoring, having dropped 49 points against La Salle in 2017. He also suited up for Marinerong Pilipino and Letran in the D-League. On the other hand, the 6'8" Rike played four years at NCAA Division 1 Wake Forest in North Carolina before playing one year with the NU Bulldogs.
Santillan, meanwhile, is looking to become the next great Cebuano player, having made his presence felt with La Salle, and Marinerong Pilipino. Johnson is a 6'2" scorer who had stints with AMA, Marinerong Pilipino, and Gamboa Coffee Mix.
Joining the quartet is Fil-Am high leaper Nick Demusis, a 6'4" forward. He played 19 games for the Bacoor City Strikers of the MPBL, where he tallied averages of 8.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists.
Bacoor was able to finish second in the league's South Division, but were ousted in the semifinals by Basilan.
The 29-year-old played NCAA Division III basketball, having graduated from Whittier College in 2015. He averaged 18.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in his senior season.
Also joining in Friday's applications were former DLSU Green Archers Josh Torralba and Tyrus Hill, ex-Blue Eagle Anton Asistio, and UE alumnus Jed Mendoza.
San Sebastian guard RK Ilagan earlier passed his application on Wednesday, foregoing his final year in the NCAA.
The deadline of applications for draft hopefuls and additional papers for Fil-foreigners is on Jan. 27, while the annual selection will be held online on Mar. 14.