Barangay Ginebra may have landed Sonny Estil as their prized rookie, but the Gin Kings didn’t stop there. In the second round, they struck gold again—snagging 6-foot-7 Mario Barasi Jr. to beef up their thinning frontline.
Coach Tim Cone made it clear: Barasi was exactly what they needed.
“We liked him in the pick-and-roll situation. The way he seals and finishes around the basket impressed us,” Cone said. “We feel we can really develop him.”
With Japeth Aguilar turning 38 and Isaac Go sidelined until January, Ginebra badly needed fresh legs in the paint. Barasi, an Adamson product who shined at the Draft Combine, fits the bill perfectly.
The big man was even named to the Combine’s Mythical Five—sharing the spotlight with Estil, Dalph Panopio (Blackwater), Jun Roque (Rain or Shine), and Edrian Ramirez.
Second-round pick? Maybe. But for the Kings, Barasi could be the hidden gem ready to rise.
