Appeal to UAAP

In the UAAP, it’s not allowed for players to enter the PBA draft if they’re still enrolled in school, regardless of their graduating year. The reason is presumably to preserve the purist nature of playing as amateurs. But a more apparent reason is schools don’t want to distract a player’s focus or risk a player pulling back from playing 100 percent to avoid injury and jeopardize his pathway to the pros.

The philosophy is different in the NCAA which permits a player to apply for the PBA draft even if he’s enrolled in school. However, a drafted player may not jump to the pros until after the NCAA season. The idea is not to deprive a player of the opportunity to join the pros once he finishes his NCAA obligations.

The situation is tied up to a scheduling disconnect. Last year, the PBA draft was held on July 14, 2024. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament started on Sept. 7, 2024 and ended on Dec. 7, 2024. The UAAP also started its men’s basketball competitions on Sept. 7, 2024 and ended on Dec. 15, 2024. Because of the NCAA’s policy, Letran’s Pao Javillonar was allowed to join the 2024 draft and was picked on the second round by Converge while still on active duty with the Knights. Javillonar skipped the Governors’ Cup to continue playing for Letran and when the Knights’ campaign ended, he made his PBA debut in the Commissioner’s Cup. It wasn’t the same in La Salle guard Joshua David’s case. Under UAAP rules, he couldn’t join the draft unlike Javillonar and after winding up his collegiate eligibility, headed to the MPBL while awaiting the next PBA draft.

The coming PBA draft will be on Sept. 7 and both UAAP and NCAA are likely to open their seasons late that month. Mapua’s Clint Escamis is expected to join the draft even if he’ll still play for the Cardinals this year. But what about La Salle’s Mike Phillips? If he joins the draft, Phillips could be the first overall pick. UAAP, however, won’t allow him as he’s still enrolled in school. So when the UAAP season ends in December, Phillips will wait at least six more months before applying for the next PBA draft. What to do in the meantime? Phillips will definitely be a magnet for recruiters to play overseas.

Perhaps, SBP could step in and convince UAAP to allow players to join the PBA draft while enrolled in school on condition it’s their graduating year and they won’t turn pro until after the collegiate season is over. Surely, players deserve this break.