Alaska head coach Jeff Cariaso is glad that the Aces were able to acquire their targets in the 2021 PBA Rookie Draft Sunday.
The storied ball club went for size in the first round by tapping Ben Adamos with the no. 6 pick, and then took guard Taylor Browne with the 16th selection in the following round of the proceedings done virtually.
“We are happy that we were able to get the guys we targeted. Ben and Taylor were both high on our list,” Cariaso told Tiebreaker Times Monday.
The Aces have just let go of star forward Vic Manuel last February and it appeared imminent that they would go after one of the top bigs in the deepest draft in years, so it was no surprise that they nabbed Adamos.
Standing at 6-foot-7, the 25-year-old has established himself as a reliable option on both ends during his stints in San Beda and Perpetual in the NCAA, being a solid rim protector that can also hit shots from the outside.
The Bicolano slotman now adds more height to an Alaska frontline bannered by Barkley Ebona and incoming third-year forward Abu Tratter.
Not only did the Milkmen shore up their youth-laden frontcourt but they also enhanced their offensive arsenal with the acquisition of Browne, a 24-year-old product of University of British Columbia in Canada.
The 6-foot-3 guard may not have had the chance to be exposed locally prior to the draft but fortunately for him, he was able to face a Philippine-based ball club back in 2019 — and leave behind a trail of impressed heads.
Although Mighty Sports-Philippines dominated UBC, 116-87, in that William Jones Cup meeting, Browne shone brightly for the Thunderbirds with 25 points, shooting 7-of-11 from beyond the arc.
Now he looks to crack the Aces’ guard rotation that also features shooters such as Mike DiGregorio and Maverick Ahanmisi.
Aside from Browne, Alaska also picked Far Eastern University product Alec Stockton in the second round, and then took former San Sebastian star RK Ilagan in the third to wrap up their draft night.
“To also have the opportunity to grab Alec and RK gives us options to strengthen our lineup,” Cariaso said.
