THE BEST LIST | THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT MARK CAGUIOA

On January 14, 2001, Mark Caguioa was selected third overall in the PBA Draft. Unlike fellow Fil-Ams Mike Hrabak and John Arigo, MBA vets like Willie Miller, Francis Adriano, and Gilbert Demape, or PBL stars Marvin Ortiguerra and Roger Yap, Caguioa came in as a virtual unknown.

And yet, Ginebra’s decision to draft him would turn out to be a franchise-defining move. Mark Caguioa would go on to become not just one of the best players to ever wear the Ginebra jersey, but also one of the league’s most beloved icons. His charisma, confidence, and fearless play reminded fans of another Ginebra great—Robert Jaworski.

Caguioa began his rookie season coming off the bench behind none other than Vergel Meneses, one of the league’s all-time greats. Historically, playing behind a superstar like Meneses often spelled trouble for a young player’s career. Just ask Kenneth Duremdes, who had to move to Alaska to shine, or Dwight Lago, whose career plateaued after he joined Pop Cola. Brixter Encarnacion didn’t get far, and Apet Jao might have had a better shot if Presto had drafted a big man instead of crowding the guard spot with Meneses and Allan Caidic.

But Caguioa broke the mold. Despite the shadow of Meneses, he earned minutes in crunch time. When the Kings needed energy in the fourth quarter, it was the rookie who got the call. And for the next two decades, he became Ginebra’s go-to guy—whether to take over games or to deliver that one crucial bucket when it mattered most.

Caguioa’s meteoric rise sparked a trend. From that point on, PBA teams began searching for the next Mark Caguioa. Some found success. Others, not quite.

BRANDON CABLAY

2003 PBA DRAFT

RD 1 | NUMBER 5 – ALASKA

Three Fil-Ams were selected in the first round of the 2003 PBA Draft. Jimmy Alapag came in with a bit of concern due to a prior injury in 2002. Harvey Carey, like Brandon Lee Cablay, and to some extent, Eugene Tejada, was relatively unknown. But in terms of playing style and build, Cablay was the closest we’d seen to Mark Caguioa. Back then, as a newbie promo writer on Channel 4, I used to enjoy lining these guys up because of the star power they brought to the table. Caguioa had the swagger and that sweet mid-range jumper, but Cablay had the hops and raw athleticism.

Unlike Caguioa, who had to earn his way into fan favoritism, Cablay entered the league with sky-high expectations. Alaska gave up a lot to get him—trading Kenneth Duremdes and a second-rounder to Sta. Lucia for a shot at a first-round pick that turned into Cablay (and Eugene Tejada, via second round). Sta. Lucia used their return to grab Leo Bat-Og from the MBA.

Brandon “Sky High” Cablay never quite reached the same heights as Caguioa. But maybe it wasn’t just a matter of talent—it was health. Unofficial stats show he played 112 games in his first two years but only 136 games over the next nine seasons. When he was healthy, though, the flashes were there. His best stretch came in the 2003 PBA Invitational Cup, where he helped Alaska win the title and was named Finals MVP.

DENVER LOPEZ

2004 PBA DRAFT

RD 1 | NUMBER 6 – RED BULL

Following the initial success of Brandon Lee Cablay, the 2004 PBA Draft brought in a new wave of intrigue. Rich Alvarez went first overall, and the draft class would later be known for producing future MVPs and stars like James Yap, Marc Pingris, Ranidel De Ocampo, Sonny Thoss, and Gary David. Right in the middle of that talented group, Red Bull used their first-round pick on a relative mystery man—Denver Lopez.

Now, Yeng Guiao is known for turning unlikely names into reliable stars—just look at Junthy Valenzuela, Cyrus Baguio, Beau Belga, Jeff Chan, and Jireh Ibañes. But he’s also known for keeping rookies and big egos in check. While aging stars like Asi Taulava, Larry Fonacier, Vince Hizon, and Vergel Meneses got the “Guiao treatment” late in their careers, others, like Baguio, experienced it right out of the gate.

I’m not sure if Lopez clashed with Guiao, but 2004 was also the year when Baguio finally got out of the doghouse after playing just four games in his rookie season. Red Bull's backcourt was stacked at the time, with Junthy Valenzuela, Lordy Tugade, Jimwell Torion, Topex Robinson, and Jon Ordonio all sharing minutes. Plus, the team was focused on developing their frontcourt with Enrico Villanueva and Mick Pennisi.

Eventually, Lopez was traded to San Miguel in exchange for Bryan Gahol, but he struggled to find a consistent role. After Shell left the league, Welcoat picked him up in the 2005 dispersal draft. He actually had a solid debut season with the Dragons and was poised for a breakout year—until injuries and the rebrand to Rain or Shine derailed his momentum. He quietly retired in 2009.

In another timeline, Lopez could’ve been a valuable piece for San Miguel’s "Death Five." Under Leo Austria’s system at Welcoat, he showed glimpses of what could’ve been. If Mark Caguioa made the most of every opportunity, Denver Lopez was the guy who just missed his window, through no lack of talent.

ALEX CABAGNOT

2005 PBA DRAFT

RD 1 | NUMBER 2 – STA. LUCIA

These days, it’s clear that Alex Cabagnot’s playing style differs significantly from Mark Caguioa’s. If anything, it was Jayjay Helterbrand who stood toe-to-toe with Cabagnot in terms of skillset and role. But early on, the comparison between Cabagnot and Caguioa had some weight:

Cabagnot broke Caguioa’s scoring record while playing high school ball at Eagle Rock High School.

So yes, when Cabagnot entered the league in 2005, the narrative of “The Next Caguioa” was already floating around. He initially struggled with Sta. Lucia, but he slowly evolved, finding his rhythm during his stint with Coca-Cola and eventually flourishing with the San Miguel Beermen.

Caguioa may have captured an MVP, but Cabagnot’s career arc led him to a different kind of greatness—accumulating multiple championships, clutch moments, and individual honors. His peak came during the 2016–17 PBA season, where he earned a Mythical First Team selection, a Finals MVP trophy, and two of his nine PBA titles. He may not have been “The Spark,” but “The Crunchman” carved out a legacy all his own.

KEVIN WHITE

2009 PBA DRAFT

RD 2 | NUMBER 19 – TALK N TEXT

Before suiting up for Ginebra in his lone PBA season, Kevin White’s most notable credential was being the nephew of Jimmy Alapag. Nearly undrafted, he was taken by a loaded Talk N Text squad with the second-to-last pick in the 2009 Draft. However, TNT ultimately left him unsigned due to a surplus of Fil-Ams on their roster at the time.

Despite entering the league with modest expectations, White managed to surprise some during his brief stint with the Gin Kings. He posted averages of nearly five points, one rebound, and one assist—decent numbers for a late second-rounder buried deep in a stacked rotation. Remember, he had to find minutes behind the likes of Caguioa, Helterbrand, Celino Cruz, Mike Cortez, Ronald Tubid, a returning Johnny Abarrientos, and eventually, Willie Miller.

While his PBA career was short-lived, White showed flashes of potential. And with Helterbrand and other key guards nursing injuries during that stretch, there was a window where he could have carved out a bigger role—had the stars aligned.

JULIUS PASCULADO

2011 PBA DRAFT

RD 2 | NUMBER 14 – ALASKA

I remember writing about Julius Pasculado during the lead-up to the 2011 PBA Draft. Nobody had really seen him play, but oddly enough, my blog was getting traffic. The Chicago native was getting hyped by friends and family online, with fans abroad eager to see one of their own make it in the PBA. There’s something special about how Filipinos overseas rally behind their homegrown bets—and there’s nothing wrong with that.

But the odds were stacked against Pasculado. He entered a draft headlined by the original Smart-Gilas crew. Aside from Allein Maliksi, everyone selected in the first round had Gilas ties, and even Maliksi came in hot after winning the inaugural PBA D-League MVP award. Meanwhile, Alaska had a stockpile of picks, grabbing Mac Baracael in the first round and fellow second-rounders Eric Salamat and Ariel Mepana alongside Pasculado.

Unfortunately, Pasculado only saw action in one game for Alaska, logging less than two minutes before being cut from the roster. He eventually resurfaced in the MPBL, but his brief PBA stint highlighted a growing issue: the league was overflowing with Fil-Am combo guards. Not long after, the PBA instituted a rule requiring Fil-Ams to first play in the D-League, making Pasculado the last "mystery man" to bypass the developmental league until the rule was relaxed years later.

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But the outcome of Pasculado’s PBA career actually traces back to the 2009 PBA Draft. That’s when the league saw a noticeable shift in how Fil-Am combo guards were evaluated. It wasn’t just about standing out from their fellow Fil-Ams—they had to outperform the very best homegrown Filipino guards.

When Mark Caguioa entered the league in 2001, the Fil-Am wave was largely composed of burly forwards and wing slashers. Pure guards were still the domain of locals—crafty, high-IQ, playmaking court generals. But as time went on, more Fil-Am combo guards emerged, most of them inspired by NBA archetypes like Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Deron Williams, Steve Francis, Baron Davis, and Gilbert Arenas. That aggressive, athletic, score-first mold became the blueprint for guys like Chris Ross, Chris Timberlake, Kevin White, Josh Urbiztondo, Josh Vanlandingham, Shawn Weinstein, Julius Pasculado, AJ Mandani, Karl Dehesa, Justin Melton, Philip Morrison, and eventually, Stanley Pringle.

By 2015, Maverick Ahanmisi cracked the first round. Simon Enciso, Kris Rosales, and Abel Galliguez were second-rounders. And then came a long line of lower-round hopefuls: Mike DiGregorio, Jerramy King, Ryan Wetherell, Jawhar Purdy, Alli Austria, Randy Dilay—the list goes on. It became clear that the element of surprise was fading. Thanks to technology and tighter scouting, it’s now rare for a Fil-Am to sneak into the PBA without being fully vetted. The "mystery man" era was winding down.

But this blog is not yet over.

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MAURICE SHAW

2019 PBA DRAFT

RD 1 | NUMBER 2 – BLACKWATER

I know he’s not a Mark Caguioa clone. In fact, Maurice Shaw is probably more of an Asi Taulava carbon copy than a Spark one. But during the 2019 PBA Draft, Shaw represented something deeper—the idea of finding the next breakout Fil-Am. The player who could come out of nowhere and stir the league, just like Caguioa did in 2001.

The hype was there. A former ABL import for Thailand, a 6’9” big man with a muscular frame and an intriguing backstory, Shaw was an easy sell for a Blackwater team that needed reinforcements. With Isaac Go already locked in through the special Gilas round, Blackwater faced a decision: roll the dice on Shaw, or miss out on getting an import-like presence for the import-less Philippine Cup.

Unfortunately, the gamble didn’t pay off. Shaw ended up scoring just two points in three games. Injuries and inactivity stalled his progress, and he quickly faded out of the rotation. In hindsight, Blackwater could have taken Arvin Tolentino or Aaron Black—both of whom ended up outperforming expectations as late first- or second-rounders. Heck, even Simon Camacho, the 34th pick of that draft, has carved out a more meaningful PBA career.

Shaw's case is a reminder that potential has an expiration date. With his height and background, he could still make a comeback if he regains his old form. But at nearly 40 years old, the window is all but closed. And for someone who was once hyped as a hidden gem, his PBA stint just didn’t amount to much.

FROM PBA | ONE SPORTS

FELIX PANGILINAN-LEMETTI

2024 PBA DRAFT (SEASON 49)

RD 1 | NUMBER 8 – RAIN OR SHINE

If there’s anyone worthy of the “Caguioa 2.0” tag, it’s got to be Felix Lemetti.

Sure, the verdict is still out on the Fil-Swede, but the parallels are hard to ignore. Just like The Spark, Lemetti entered the PBA Draft as a virtual unknown to most fans—someone whose name popped up late in the scouting process. Rain or Shine had two first-round picks in the 2024 PBA Draft. After using the earlier pick on Asian league vet Caelan Tiongson, they used the other on this mysterious bucket-getter from Sweden.

And eyebrows were raised.

Lemetti was selected ahead of more familiar names like Jerom Lastimosa, CJ Cansino, and Evan Nelle. Critics immediately assumed Yeng Guiao was at it again with one of his weird-but-sometimes-brilliant picks. It didn’t help that Guiao still had three second-rounders—Francis Escandor, Mike Malonzo, and Miggy Corteza (later traded to Blackwater for a 2026 second-rounder). It felt like he had more chances to nab Lemetti later.

But here’s the thing—Guiao might’ve had intel.

In 22 games for Sweden’s U18 and U20 national teams, Lemetti averaged 11.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. He’s a legit sharpshooter from deep and has slick handles that allow him to create space like a seasoned vet. His tape shows a guy who plays with confidence and rhythm, sans the Caguioa-like swagger.

It’s also worth noting that Guiao once considered using Red Bull’s top pick in 2001 on Mark Caguioa before settling on Willie Miller. So maybe this is his full-circle moment.

Lemetti is still in his rookie year as of this writing, and Rain or Shine’s guard rotation is stacked with up-and-coming names. But for a mystery man who came out of nowhere and let his game do the talking, Felix Lemetti has already exceeded expectations.

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Mark Caguioa is undoubtedly a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He will forever be etched in the record books—not just for how he played, but for the impact he had on the league. Back in the day, you were either a Caguioa fan or a James Yap fan—because these two defined the PBA’s mid-to-late 2000s era.

But there’s a reason why The Spark earned that legendary status. He’s a one-of-a-kind talent that Ginebra just lucked out on acquiring. Even today, teams are still searching for that elusive mystery man—someone who can carry them to the top.

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