Jett Manuel had been ready to join the 2016 PBA Rookie Draft, having submitted all the needed papers for application. But when he was put in a position to choose between his pro dreams and University of the Philippines, he chose the latter.
Now, a year after, there’s no stopping the 24-year-old from realizing his long-time dream any longer. The crafty scoring guard has tossed his name in this year’s Draft, and he made himself known even more in this year’s Draft Combine.
“It was a great experience,” reflected Manuel after the two-day Combine, Tuesday afternoon, “You look forward to this your whole life, parang part siya ng stage ng basketball career mo eh.
“And I’m happy naman with the way I performed.”
Speaking of performance, Manuel — who last played for Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas in the 2017 FIBA Asia Champions Cup in China last September — believes that he was able to remind the scouts of what he can bring to their teams.
“I topped a few tests, and I played well — I feel like I played really well in the scrimmages,” shared the 25-year-old gurad.
“I think it’s just more of a testament on the hard work I put in. It’s bearing fruit.”
This year’s draft class is top-heavy to say the least, as it features the likes of Kiefer Ravena, Christian Standhardinger, and Jeron Teng, among others. And for Manuel, he thinks that his peers had worked notably in the Combine.
“Basically the names that you expect to perform performed — myself included,” he opined.
“We know each other ever since, so we’re just happy to be here and our dreams are gonna come true when we get drafted.”
When asked where he sees himself in the draft, Manuel, who is also a licensed civil engineer, does not see himself available come the second round anymore.
“Hopefully mid to late first round. I feel like I belong in that first-round category,” said Manuel, “As a player, you want to fit into the right team and into the right system where you get to be used in the best of your capabilities.
“And [I believe] any team can give that to you.”
