WORKING HARD EACH DAY FOR THE PBA
After Day 1 of the 2014 Gatorade PBA Draft Combine, it’s evident that Chris Banchero is really a can’t miss talent in this guard-heavy pool.
Topping all five skills tests after the first of two batches in the rookie camp, the 6-foot-1 guard from Seattle Pacific University said that all of the things he has done, from suiting up for the San Miguel Beermen in the ABL, to his Boracay Rum stint in the D-League, is just part of a bigger goal which is to end up in the PBA.
“I’ve been working hard ever since I got down in the D-League. I’ve been focusing on my diet and in my training every single day. I’ve been very disciplined. I’ve been looking forward to the PBA, that’s why,” he said.
Having the best record in all tests and a decent showing in the 30-minute scrimmages, Banchero believes that he didn’t really need those gaudy numbers for the scouts and coaches to know what kind of game he can bring to the pro league.
“I don’t know if I impressed them. Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t, but they’ve all seen me play before,” he said. “I’ve been in the Philippines long enough. They know my abilities and they know the type of player that I am.”
With the Draft Combine done, the 25-year-old guard’s focus now shifts to this Sunday, where he hopes to get his name called. For sure, it wouldn’t be much of a wait for Banchero, with teams salivating on the prospect of nabbing him early in the proceedings.
But for him, every day will still be a grind before and after Draft day.
“It’s the same as it always have been. I just got to keep on working hard every single day, get the best workouts I can, and just keep working on my game, continue to get better cause there’s so many things I can work on,” he said. (RL)
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