2025 PBA DRAFT | 41 OUT OF 77

I planned to make a 2025 PBA Draft review one day at a time. Now that’s out the window! Anyway, of the 77 players selected in the 2025 PBA Draft, only 41 applicants were able to survive the first round of cuts. This means either they were signed to deals or they were given feelers. Now, the 41 draftees can still get cut, and the 36 unsigned draftees can still find new homes.

That said, there were a lot of shockers on this list.

First up—why wasn’t I surprised that TNT never signed their third and fourth picks? While Sean Quitevis has been working out for the team for some time now, Chot Reyes has this thing for taking rookies from the most obscure means. Again, TNT was able to acquire Henry Galinato through trade, sign free agents Kim Aurin and CJ Payawal, and snag undrafted Jielo Razon. Why do I get the feeling that TNT has something brewing for John Barba?

And then, San Miguel’s collection remains intact. I know the Beermen never really had a need for rookies. But after finishing last season with 13 players and starting the new season with CJ Perez on the injured list, they could use a bunch of players just to be there—whether in the first row near their bench, during practice, or even at the farthest end of their rotation.

Jacey Cruz is still in the running?

Did the Beermen get a diamond in the rough?

Meralco, too, has its haul intact, although maybe this is just a case of them being busy since they are currently playing in the EASL. Rain or Shine dropped their last three picks, but at least they signed Jun Roque, Mark Denver Omega, and Deo Cuajao. I mean, man, would it have stung if they went back to Letran with one of them suddenly out of a PBA contract?

And then we have the Terrafirma Dyip. Of their ten picks, six are still in the running. Among those six names is Letran’s Ira Battaler, the 62nd pick of the draft. And while fourth-rounder Dolan Adlawan failed to make the cut, I’m happy that JM Bravo did. The dude is one of the main bets of the LPU Pirates, and while I’m bummed that Barba and Greg Cunanan were left out, at least he’s still here.

The same can’t be said for the EAC duo of Harvey Pagsanjan and King Gurtiza, who were struck out by Phoenix. I believe these two finished their collegiate careers with impressive numbers, and I hope they can still get within PBA range at some point.

I guess the biggest disappointment of the draft is Mario Barasi. He was an odd choice at number 13, and I feel that Ginebra realized this after taking him. He is currently trying out with the Northport Batang Pier, which, in some ways, is the better destination, given that this is a team sorely in need of frontcourt depth.

The initial list is more or less normal, as last season teams were able to score newbies after the MPBL season was over. NLEX's JB Bahio is the biggest name out of this group, with Converge’s MJ Garcia and Ronan Santos, Phoenix’s JC Cullar, and Meralco’s JP Maguliano also getting last-minute spots. That said, I don’t know if this will still be the case this season—especially with the Philippine Cup kickstarting the festivities and the end of the NCAA and MPBL seasons running smack into the import-laden conferences.

Again, how can a rookie prove his worth if he’s trying to carve out minutes against an import or a key local player?

• BLUE MEANS SIGNED

• RED MEANS UNSIGNED

FIRST ROUND

PICK	TEAM	NO.	PLAYER	SCHOOL
1	TERRAFIRMA	1	GEO CHIU	ATENEO
2	CONV | FROM PHX	1	JUAN GOMEZ DE LIANO	UP
3	BLACKWATER	1	DALPH PANOPIO	CSU-BAKERS
4	NORTHPORT	1	CHRIS KOON	ATENEO
5	NLEX	1	LJAY GONZALES	FEU
6	MAGNOLIA	1	YUKIEN ANDRADA	SAN BEDA
7	MERALCO	1	JASON BRICKMAN	LIU-BROOK
8	PHX | FROM CONV	1	WILL GOZUM	BENILDE
9	SAN MIGUEL	1	CHRIS MILLER	SALEM U
10	RAIN OR SHINE	1	CHRISTIAN MANAYTAY	UST
11	GINEBRA	1	SONNY ESTIL	LETRAN
12	ROS | FROM TNT	2	JUN ROQUE	LETRAN

SECOND ROUND

PICK	TEAM	NO.	PLAYER	SCHOOL
13	GIN | FROM TER	2	MARIO BARASI	ADAMSON
14	PHOENIX	2	DAVE ANDO	UST
15	BLACKWATER	2	XIMONE SANDAGON	FEU
16	NORTHPORT	2	CJ AUSTRIA	DLSU
17	NLEX	2	ARVIN GAMBOA	MAPUA
18	TER | FROM MAG	2	SHAWN UMALI	BENILDE
19	MERALCO	2	VINCE MAGBUHOS	ADAMSON
20	ROS | FROM CONV	3	MARK DENVER OMEGA	LETRAN
21	CONV | FROM SMB	2	KOBE MONJE	LETRAN
22	RAIN OR SHINE	4	VINCE CUAJAO	LETRAN
23	GINEBRA	3	CEDRICK ABIS	PERPETUAL
24	ROS | FROM TNT	5	JOSHUA DAVID	DLSU

THIRD ROUND

PICK	TEAM	NO.	PLAYER	SCHOOL
25	TERRAFIRMA	3	ORIN CATACUTAN	UE
26	PHOENIX	3	HARVEY PAGSANJAN	EAC
27	BLACKWATER	3	JACK CRUZ-DUMONT	UE
28	NORTHPORT	3	MARK SANGCO	BENILDE
29	NLEX	3	RENZ CAPULONG	ARELLANO
30	MAGNOLIA	2	GAB GOMEZ	ATENEO
31	MERALCO	3	ETHAN GALANG	UE
32	CONVERGE	3	TONY YNOT	BENILDE
33	SAN MIGUEL	2	ROYCE MANTUA	ADAMSON
34	RAIN OR SHINE	6	COLE MICEK	ST. FRANCIS
35	TNT	1	SEAN QUITEVIS	ATENEO

FOURTH ROUND

PICK	TEAM	NO.	PLAYER	SCHOOL
36	TERRAFIRMA	4	DOLAN ADLAWAN	U SAN CARLOS
37	PHOENIX	4	ALDAVE CANOY	CSAV
38	BLACKWATER	4	JAMES UNA	SAN SEBASTIAN
39	NORTHPORT	4	BRYAN SAJONIA	SAN BEDA
40	NLEX	4	JUDEL FUENTES	CEU
41	MAGNOLIA	3	JOSHUA YERRO	ADAMSON
42	MERALCO	4	LADIS LEPALAM	BENILDE
43	CONVERGE	4	JM MANALANG	UE
44	SAN MIGUEL	3	JUSTINE GUEVARRA	UE
45	RAIN OR SHINE	7	KYLE TOLENTINO	LETRAN
46	TNT	2	JOE CELZO	SAN BEDA

FIFTH ROUND

PICK	TEAM	NO.	PLAYER	SCHOOL
47	TERRAFIRMA	5	ROYCE ALFORQUE	FEU
48	PHOENIX	5	KING GURTIZA	EAC
49	BLACKWATER	5	DOMINIC PANLILIO	BENILDE
50	NORTHPORT	5	JJ GESALEM	UST
51	NLEX	5	HERRALD BENEDICTOS	BULACAN ST
52	MERALCO	5	JEFF COMIA	NEW ERA
53	CONVERGE	5	JP CAUILAN	NU
54	SAN MIGUEL	4	AXEL INIGO	FEU
55	RAIN OR SHINE	8	MJ DELA VIRGEN	JRU

SIXTH ROUND

PICK	TEAM	NO.	PLAYER	SCHOOL
56	TERRAFIRMA	6	JM BRAVO	LPU
57	BLACKWATER	6	GJERALD WILSON	UE
58	NORTHPORT	6	JONAS TIBAYAN	NU
59	NLEX	6	TUTOY RAMIREZ	IMMACULADA
60	CONVERGE	6	DANIELLE MALLARI	ARELLANO
61	SAN MIGUEL	5	JACEY CRUZ	QATAR

SEVENTH ROUND

PICK	TEAM	NO.	PLAYER	SCHOOL
62	TERRAFIRMA	7	IRA BATALLER	LETRAN
63	BLACKWATER	7	JUDE CODINERA	UST
64	NORTHPORT	7	KOBE PABLEO	LACO
65	NLEX	7	AJ MADRIGAL	UP
66	CONVERGE	7	JORDAN STA. ANA	ARELLANO

EIGHTH ROUND

PICK	TEAM	NO.	PLAYER	SCHOOL
67	TERRAFIRMA	8	CLAUDE CAMIT	U BAGUIO
68	NORTHPORT	8	KENNY ROCACURVA	LETRAN
69	NLEX	8	JOHN GALINATO	NU
70	CONVERGE	8	GEREMY ROBINSON	UST

NINTH ROUND

PICK	TEAM	NO.	PLAYER	SCHOOL
71	TERRAFIRMA	9	TRISTAN MEDINA	PASIG CATH
72	NORTHPORT	9	KINT ARIAR	LETRAN
73	CONVERGE	9	PATRICK RAMOS	JRU

TENTH ROUND

PICK	TEAM TO PICK	NO.	PROJECTED PICK	SCHOOL
74	TERRAFIRMA	10	FRANZ RAY DIAZ	CEU
75	NORTHPORT	10	ROBI NAYVE	BENILDE
76	CONVERGE	10	NIEL TOLENTINO	ARELLANO

ELEVENTH ROUND

PICK	TEAM TO PICK	NO.	PROJECTED PICK	SCHOOL
77	NORTHPORT	11	TRICKY PEROMINGAN	ADAMSON