2025 PBA COMCUP | FIRST IMPRESSIONS | 031126

Geo Chiu has finally debuted in the PBA, and with the other rookies also getting their first taste of action this week, it feels like we’re entering a whole new season.

Sidenote: The PBA might want to revisit how player contracts work. One-conference deals are understandable, but seeing a supposed year-long contract end in the middle of the season feels absurd. The league may operate with two or three conferences, but teams should still be building their rosters around the entire PBA calendar year—not just one tournament at a time.

Anyway, on the opening day of the Commissioner’s Cup, four rookies stepped onto the court. Let’s see how they fared.

GEO CHIU | TERRAFIRMA

2025 PBA DRAFT | RD 1 PICK 1

MINS	PTS	REB	AST	FG	FT
26	6	14	1	0 - 5	6 - 10

Geo Chiu went 0-for-5 in the game, and while this is far from stellar, his impact for Terrafirma is undeniable. If you think about it, he probably should have moved to the PBA sooner, especially considering how sporadic his minutes were with the Abra Weavers. Had he converted a couple of those field goals, Chiu could have debuted with a double-double.

I know Terrafirma has personnel issues at the moment, and to be frank, he’ll probably bolt to another team when his contract ends—or if Terrafirma somehow lets him get harvested by a random SMC squad. But for a team in need of a towering presence, he fits the bill. His tandem with Ali Mubashar already looks promising.

Sure, we can’t really gauge Terrafirma’s Commissioner’s Cup future based on Titan Ultra’s lack of firepower. Still, I’d bet this guy is going to be a future star with all the opportunities he’ll get with Team Dyip.

SHAWN UMALI | TERRAFIRMA

2025 PBA DRAFT | RD 2 PICK 18

MINS	PTS	REB	AST	STL	FT
13	3	2	1	1	3 - 4

The former Benilde Blazer logged about a quarter of playing time, and while he missed his lone field goal attempt, he still managed to finish the game with across-the-board stats. Again, just like Chiu, Terrafirma needs depth in their frontcourt, and I can see him getting minutes—especially with Louie Sangalang currently missing in action.

The broadcast team kept calling him “Big Boy,” though. I know it’s not meant to be derogatory, but I’m not sure if comparing him to Beau Belga at this stage of his career is a good thing or a bad thing.

MARK DENVER OMEGA | TITAN ULTRA

2025 PBA DRAFT | RD 2 PICK 20

MINS	PTS	REB	STL	FG	TO
6	0	2	1	0 - 0	2

It’s insane how Mark Denver Omega bounced from team to team in his rookie season without even getting to play for Rain or Shine, the team that drafted him, and Converge, the team where he even got his first PBA fine for the “luto” taunt he made last conference. What’s even crazier is that the first real action he got came when he ended up crashing to the sidelines while going after a loose ball.

Still, it’s awesome that the former Letran Knight finally got to play in the PBA. Sure, he only logged six minutes, but Titan Ultra is also a team in need of size. Maybe in the next game, he’ll try to attempt a shot or two, because he’ll eventually need to learn how to score over the outstretched arms of imports if he wants to further accentuate his worth on the court.

BRYAN SAJONIA | TITAN ULTRA

2025 PBA DRAFT | RD 4 PICK 39

MINS	PTS	REB	AST	FG	3PT
12	2	4	2	1 - 5	0 - 3

Again, it’s insane that the reigning NCAA Season 101 Finals MVP was drafted in the fourth round. I don’t know if Titan Ultra (then NorthPort) simply got lucky or if the other teams forgot that he’s an offensive menace.

Anyway, maybe it was just the jitters kicking in, but Bryan Sajonia went cold in his debut. Still, the opportunities are there. Sajonia may have bricked all of his triples, but he still managed to haul down four rebounds.

And given how messed up the Giant Risers’ roster is at the moment, the former San Beda shooter might end up becoming Joshua Munzon’s scoring buddy—especially now that Calvin Abueva has moved to Converge.

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With all the rookies finally seeing action in the PBA, it’s time for me to roll out my Rookie Rankings. It’s just a bit unfortunate that their debuts came in a conference where the imports dominate the offense.