Big Chill Fil-Ams Mallari, Jensen lead early entrants to PBA rookie draft

Alex Mallari, right, leads the list of early entries to the PBA draft. PBA D-League/Nuki Sabio

Filipino-American prospects Alex Mallari, Keith Jensen, and Elliot Tan, who led the Big Chill Superchargers to the finals of the recently-concluded D-League Foundation Cup, have submitted their names for consideration in this year’s rookie draft.

Mallari is a versatile 6-foot-4 wingman from Lewis-Clark State in Idaho who was named to the D-League Mythical Five. Jensen is a rugged 6-foot-4 forward from New York University who led the Superchargers in scoring for the tournament, while Tan is a solid 5-foot-10 court general.

Joining them is another Fil-Am prospect, 6-foot-3 Karl Dehesa, a reserve guard for the NLEX Road Warriors.

The PBA has set a July 3 deadline for foreign-born Filipino hopefuls to file their applications. Homegrown prospects, meanwhile, have until August 3 to join the pool.

The league’s annual draft will be held on August 19 at Robinsons Midtown Manila.

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