For the second straight year, Christian Standhardinger emerged as the top pick in the drafting of players for the Philippine Basketball Association All-Star game set in Bacolod next month.
Standhardinger was selected No. 1 by Team Japeth Aguilar during the official All-Star drafting held Monday night at the TV 5 Media Center.
Not to be outdone, Team Marc Barroca countered by choosing seven-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo as the No. 2 overall pick.
Aguilar and Barroca emerged as the top 2 players who received the most number of fan votes and became outright captains of the two All-Star teams competing in the 22 to 24 March festivities.
Coaching Team Japeth is Barangay Ginebra’s Tim Cone, while Team Barroca will have San Miguel’s Jorge Gallent manning the sideline. Cone and Gallent were also the two coaches who received the most number of fan votes.
Aguilar earned the right to pick first over Barroca after winning the flipping of coin presided over by PBA commissioner Willie Marcial.
Aside from Standhardinger, Team Japeth also has four other Ginebra players in its 14-man roster in Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, Maverick Ahanmisi, and Stanley Pringle, while the rest is made up of Paul Lee (Magnolia), Calvin Oftana (TNT), Chris Newsome (Meralco), Don Trollano (San Miguel), Marcio Lassiter (San Miguel), Arvin Tolentino (Northport), Tyler Tio (Phoenix), and Terrence Romeo (San Miguel).
Team Barroca, meanwhile, added three Magnolia players in Jio Jalalon, Ian Sangalang, and Calvin Abueva to team up with the 6-foot-10 Fajardo. Others in the roster are Jason Perkins (Phoenix), CJ Perez (San Miguel), Robert Bolick (NLEX), James Yap (Blackwater), Jayson Castro (TNT), Gabe Norwood (Rain or Shine), Cliff Hodge (Meralco), Juami Tiongson (Terrafirma), Nards Pinto (Ginebra), and rookie Ricci Rivero (Phoenix).
Last year in Passi, Iloilo, Team Japeth defeated Team Scottie in a high-scoring game, 140-136.
In the Team Greats vs Team Stalwarts, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser was the no. 1 overall pick in the event featuring rookie, sophomore, and junior players.
Ganuelas-Rosser, who was recently acquired by TNT in a three-team trade, went to Team Greats of Barangay Ginebra deputy Patrick Partosa.
Team Stalwarts went to Kyt Jimenez as the No. 2 overall selection by San Miguel assistant coach Peter Martin.
Joining Ganuelas-Rosser in Team Greats are Javi Gomez de Liano (Terrafirma), Kenneth Tuffin (Phoenix), Jerrick Ahanmisi (Magnolia), Justin Arana (Converge), Ralph Cu (Barangay Ginebra), Andrei Caracut (Rain or Shine), RK Ilagan (Blackwater), Alec Stockton (Converge), Gian Mamuyac (Rain or Shine), James Laput (Magnolia), and Shaun Ildefonso (Rain or Shine).
With Jimenez in Team Stalwarts are Stephen Holt (Terrafirma), Keith Datu (Rain or Shine), Fran Yu (Northport), John Amores (Northport), Adrian Nocum (Rain or Shine), Kim Aurin (TNT), JM Calma (Northport), Joshua Munzon (Northport), Anton Asistio (Rain or Shine), Santi Santillan (Rain or Shine) and Keith Zaldivar (Converge).
