Remembering the 1985 Draft

The 1985 PBA draft was probably the most memorable draft of all time. For one, it was the first time that the PBA institutionalized a draft system unlike the previous years wherein amateur cagers can just latch on to the team of their choice, provided they are able to seek their release papers from the Basketball Association of the Philippines and agree to terms with a pro team. And two, it was the year that the lowest drafted player - Shell's Leo Austria (who was a picked only in the fifth round) - managed to win a Rookie of the Year award. A total of 11 out of the 18 amateur standouts in the draft pool were picked by six PBA teams. Of the 11, six came from Masagana 99, a powerhouse amateur quintet. Shell acquired the most talents from the grab bag, picking up six, including top overall draftee Santiago "Sonny" Cabatu, a two-time PABL MVP, and Manila Beer pickup Aldo Perez. The other Shell picks were Letran swingman Romy Ang, RP Youth campaigner Totoy Marquez, Mapua standout Menardo Jubinal, and Lyceum star Leo Austria.

The other five teams grabbed a player each. Gold Eagle Beer plucked RP Team member Teddy Alfarero. Tanduay Rhum settled for 5'11" Onchie de la Cruz, a Jaworksi clone. Gilbey's Gin drafted Mapua's Rey Perez. Manila Beer grabbed Letran gunner Ranulfo Robles and Great Taste selected heady guard Leo Isaac with the last pick of the first round. A total of 7 players were not drafted: Arellano's Tem Gancayco and Joey Cui, Masagana 99ers' Ramon Aquino and Rodel Sy, RP Youth campaigner Jerome Cueto (who played and looked like Hector Calma) UV star Jesus "Jay" Ramirez and PABL veteran Ramon Samson. Curiously, only Jay Ramirez, out of this bunch, was able to land a pro contract and played in the PBA. Only, it took him 3 years after to play in the pro league. It's exciting to look back what these players were before and where they are right now. I have compiled below a brief description of the playing careers (amateur and professional) of the eleven drafted rookies and the lone undrafted player who made it to the pro ranks Jesus Ramirez. Others who went undrafted were Artemio "Tem" Gancayco, Ramon "Joey" Cui, Ramon Aquino, Rodel Sy, Jerome Cueto and Ramon Samson.

1985 DRAFT:
FIRST ROUND
1) Shell Azodrin - Santiago "Sonny" Cabatu (Philippine School of Business Administration)
2) Gold Eagle - Teodocio "Teddy" Alfarero (De La Salle University)
3) Tanduay Rhum - Ramon "Onchie" de la Cruz (Philippine Christian University)
4) Ginebra - Rey Perez (Mapua Institute of Technology)
5) Manila Beer - Ranulfo "Noni" Robles (Colegio de San Juan de Letran)
6) Great Taste - Leandro "Leo" Isaac (Mapua Institute of Technology)

SECOND ROUND
7) Shell Azodrin - Romeo "Romy" Ang (Colegio de San Juan de Letran)
8) Manila Beer (traded to Shell) - Alejandro "Aldo" Perez (De La Salle University)

THIRD ROUND
9) Shell Azodrin - Manuel "Totoy" Marquez (Angeles University Foundation / San Beda HS)

FOURTH ROUND
10) Shell Azodrin - Menardo "Jubi" Jubinal (Mapua Institute of Technology)

FIFTH ROUND
11) Shell Azodrin - Leovino "Leo" Austria (Lyceum University)

SANTIAGO "SONNY" CABATU. The 6'4" slotman from Cabigao, Ilocos Surwas a two-time national team campaigner. Born October 10, 1960, Cabatu was a member of the RP Team that saw action in the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, India and in the 1983 SEA Games in Singapore. He played for University of Northern Philippines from 1977 to 1979. In 1979, he joined Masagana 99 while dribbling for PSBA in the MUCAA. He played for DBR and ESQ Marketing in the PABL, winning MVP awards in the President's Cup and in the Invitationals. He played 12 seasons as a pro, playing in a total of 454 games for five different teams: Shell, Presto, Purefoods, Swift and Ginebra, averaging 6.2 ppg and 5.4 rpg. He is a member of the 1000 Offensive Rebound Club. His son Santiago "Junjun" Cabatu Jr. is seeing action for Welcoat Paints in the PBA. He was considered an enforcer one who loves to do the dirty work inside. He was often described as "taong bato" (human rock) because of his sturdy frame and was often tasked to guard the opposing teams' top centers and even guarded foreign reinforcements. Notoriously, he was famous for shooting bricks at the free throw line.

TEODOCIO "TEDDY" ALFARERO. A veteran RP team campaigner in the SEA games and ABC, Alfarero rose to fame as a last minute replacement for former prospect John Copada in the 1982 RP Youth Team. He played for La Salle and was tagged as the next important amateur player back then. Born April 12, 1963, The 6'4" Alfarero played never lived up to his potential in the pros, averaging a paltry 1.7 ppg in 64 games for Hill Bros Coffee and Tivoli Ice Cream from 1985 to 1987. He made a brief return in 1991 but it was obvious he was not the once promising slotman before. He normed 0.8 points in six games for PBA guest team Northern Consolidated in 1984. He lasted only 4 seasons in the PBA. Life after basketball was harsh. He worked as an insurance agent, a jeepney driver, and tricycle driver just to make ends meet. He died a poor man in 2004.

RAMON "ONCHIE" DE LA CRUZ. This one-time PCU star first made waves as an RP team campaigner in the 1982 Asian Games. He was the perfect backup to finesse-playing starter Hector Calma. The wide-bodied 5'11" de la Cruz, who hails from Tondo, impressed a lot of cage fans with his Jaworski-like mannerisms on the court. Born November 26, 1960, de la Cruz was a big point guard who made a living out of his ability to post up smaller point guards and barrel his way towards the hoop. He played for four different teams in the PBA: Tanduay, Purefoods, Presto and Shell, averaging 6.7 ppg in 351 contests in 10 fruitful seasons. He was part of the near grandslam campaign of Tanduay Rhum in the 1986 season.

REY PEREZ. He could have played as early as 1983 but couldn't get his release papers from the BAP. Born August 28, 1962, the 6'0" guard played for the Mapua Cardinals in 1979. He was part of the Philippine Team in the 1982 Asian Games. Perez played for Bank of Rizal in the PABL prior to his elevation to the pros. He played in only 2 seasons as a pro, couldn't get the playing time for the guard-heavy Ginebra, averaging a forgettable 3.7 ppg in 50 games.

RANULFO "NONI" ROBLES. Born June 28, 1961, the high-leaping 6'1" Robles was a crack gunner from Letran. In the amateurs, when he got hot, there was nobody who could stop him. Together with Itoy Esguerra and Ed Baldomero, they formed a fearsome triumvirate that wreaked havoc in the NCAA. Played three years for the Knights before he was tapped to join the YCO Painters in the MICAA. In 1980, he saw action for the Philippine team in the ASEAN Schools youth tournament in Singapore. In 1982, he wore the national team colors anew in the Asian Games. He was a disappointment in the pros. He averaged 3.4 ppg in 76 games for Manila Beer and Presto in just 3 seasons.

LEANDRO "LEO" ISAAC. The son of a policeman, the 6'1" Leo Isaac was part of the powerhouse Masagana 99 quintet by Ding Panganiban. He was often described as a brilliant guard with a deadly pair of shooting hands. Born February 12, 1961, Isaac was one of the famous players of Ginebra during the late 80s due to his clutch shooting and never-say-die attitude which was what the Ginebra team was known for. He played nine seasons in the PBA and concluded his career with Shell. For his career, he had an average of 6.9 ppg in 366 games.

ROMEO "ROMY" ANG. The 6'2" Ang was the other half of the deadly Letran backcourt duo that terrorized the NCAA ranks in the early 80s. Together with Samboy Lim, they were an awesome twosome in the NCAA and in the International meet playing 1-2 punch for the RP team. Born December 20, 1962, the 6'2" Ang was named NCAA MVP in the 1984 season. In 1984, he was a member of the RP Youth team coached by Larry Albano. Despite his stellar amateur record, Ang never made his presence felt in the pros. He lasted only 5 seasons, averaging 3.4 ppg in 131 total games for the Shell franchise.

ALEJANDRO "ALDO" PEREZ. A 6'2" swingman, Perez played for De La Salle University from 1976 to 1981 and had a short stint in the MICAA before joining Christopher de Leon and his Gang in the Bad Bananas quintet. Born December 24, 1960. Perez managed to play 4 seasons with Shell and Presto in the PBA, averaging 3.4 ppg in 87 games.

MENARDO "JUBI" JUBINAL. He was the only one among the six rookies Shell got in the 1985 draft who didn't play for the national team. Jubi spent four seasons with MIT before taking his acts to the MICAA and the PABL. Born March 13, 1961, the 6'6" Jubinal played only two shortlived seasons for Shell before calling it a career. He really did not stamp his class in the pros as a he was a little raw when he came in. Played only 38 games with an average of 2.4 ppg.

MANUEL "TOTOY" MARQUEZ. Totoy was more known as Melanie Marquez's brother and former Ginebra player and now Paranaque Mayor Joey Marquez's half brother. The 6'2" Marquez was born on August 19, 1960 in Pampanga. He dribbled for Angeles University Foundation in Pampanga and San Beda Red Cubs. After high school, he took his acts to YCO in the MICAA, and played for various ballclubs in the PABL. In the PABL Founders' Cup, he suited up for Bank of Rizal where he copped the MVP award. The highlight in Marquez's career was when he was included in the 1984 RP Youth Team. He played 8 seasons in the PBA for Shell, Purefoods and Presto, averaging 7.1 ppg in a total of 281 games.

LEOVINO "LEO" AUSTRIA. The 5'8" Austria was best remembered for his stint in the RP Youth team that regained the junior crown in 1982. The Sariaya, Quezon native played for Lyceum Pirates in 1978. He played for the fabled Masagana 99 after school. He was often compared to former Tanduay sentinel Willie Generalao for his court smarts. He was a former MUCAA MVP (1981). Born March 14, 1958, Austria rose from a fifth round pick to cop the 1985 Rookie of the Year award. Apart from his excellent playmaking skills, he had a deadly pair of shooting hands from the outside. He played a total of nine seasons in the pros, averaging 4.5 ppg in 394 games for Shell and Pepsi. He is now coaching Welcoat Paints in the PBA.

JESUS "JAY" RAMIREZ. Nope. He wasn't drafted in the 1985 draft by any of the six teams that took part of the proceeding but he was undeterred and soon his hardwork was rewarded when Shell gave him an opportunity to strut his stuff in the pros. Born December 8, 1965, the 5'11" Jay Ramirez was a star player for the UV Green Lancers. He was part of the RP National Team in the 1982 Asian Games. Always known as a bruiser, his muscular frame was handy agains the top gunners of opposing teams. He light up the scoreboard with his torrid mid-range shooting. He was a streaky gunner who can go on ten-point spreads in a hurry. He played a total of 4 seasons for Shell, putting together an average of 4.3 ppg in 117 games. He's now the head coach of the University of San Carlos in Cebu City.