#PBA2017 Rookie Ladder 1.0

Images from the PBA/Inquirer.

There is no doubt that this is one of the most promising rookie classes we’ve seen in quite some time. We have a bunch of players who have experience playing for Gilas at the senior level, we have a star and champion form the ABL, we have players hailing from the US, and we have collegiate standouts. Mac Belo, in particular, has been hella solid so far early this season, while a handful of others have also had stellar performances. At least a couple of the guys on this list have a realistic shot to be not just impact players but, quite possibly, star players in the years to come. That’s how good this rookie class can be.

Belo is best player out of the strangest PBA Draft ever

Image from FIBA.

*This first appeared on my weekly column on FIBA.com.

The upcoming 2016-2017 season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) had its first big event this past weekend - the 2016 PBA Rookie Draft - and it was equal parts exciting and mystifying. On one hand, the Draft transpired with a lot of fanfare, which didn't come as a surprise since the PBA re-captured the imagination of fans after an amazing season-ending Finals series between upstart Meralco Bolts and “people's team” Ginebra Gin Kings a couple of weeks ago. On the other hand, the event also drew so much controversy, which stemmed from the league's mysterious drafting process concerning the marquee players of the 2016 Gilas Pilipinas pool.

The Top Five #UAAP77 Power Forwards as of August 11, 2014

Not surprisingly, the UAAP power forward position is stocked with talent. Heck, even minnows Adamson and UP have legit 4s who can mix it up and light it up at the drop of a hat. Of course, there are the requisite stat-stuffers like Mac Belo, Jason Perkins, and Troy Rosario, but, there are a couple of other names we cannot discount, including the leading Rookie of the Year candidate.

It's a rich pool of talent in our Top 5 UAAP PFs!

And, well, where has Aljon Mariano’s game gone anyway? He’s been inconsistent like crazy.

Without further ado, here they are – the top five UAAP power forwards as of August 11, 2014:

*These rankings are based on average Player Efficiency (EFF) calculations.

**EFF = {[(points + rebounds + assists + steals + blocks) – (turnovers + field goals missed + free throws missed)] ÷ # of games}