Former Cesafi MVPs Mantilla, Imperial to apply for PBA Draft

Former Cesafi MVPs Jaybie Mantilla (left) and Shaquille Imperial (right) at the CDN Digital newsroom on Thursday, June 1, 2023. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Former Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) Most Valuable Players (MVPs) Jaybie Mantilla and Shaquille Imperial have signified their intention to join this year’s PBA Rookie Draft.

Both Mantilla and Imperial confirmed this to CDN Digital on Thursday, June 1, 

“Nagsabot gyud mi this year na magpa draft mi,” said Mantilla, a former player of the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R), where he won the MVP in 2017.

(We both talked about it and agreed that this year that we will apply for the Draft.)

Jaybie Mantilla. | CDN File photo

“At least, i-try namo. Bisa’g di mapick, at least no regrets,” added Mantilla, who is also an SK chairman in Barangay Suba in Cebu City.

(At least, we will try. Even if we don’t get picked, at least we won’t have any regrets.)

Imperial, who was named MVP while playing for Southwestern University (SWU) in 2019 before the league went into a break due to the COVID-19, backed Mantilla.

Sir Shaquille Imperial. | file photo

“Daghan man maayo sa Manila. Di mi 100-percent sure na matawag, pero muadto mi kay basin pa diay,” said Imperial, who led the SWU Cobras to the Cesafi men’s crown in 2019, defeating the powerhouse University of the Visayas (UV).

(There are a lot of good players in Manila. We’re not 100-percent sure we will be picked, but we will still go because we’ll never know.)

Following his stint with SWU, Imperial, a 5-foot-10 cager from Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu,  continued playing, having stints in the VisMin Cup while playing for Mandaue City.

READ MORE: Shaq Imperial: Built For Big Moments in VisMin Cup

The 5-foot-9 Mantilla, meanwhile, fell short of winning a title with USJ-R, but he did win a title with the University of the Philippines in the 2019 Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) Cup. He also played for the Cebu Sharks in the MPBL. 

READ MORE: Cebuano Mantilla now a champ with UP

Both players also revealed that Dyll Roncal and Fletcher Galvez will be applying for the PBA Draft with them.

Roncal was Imperial’s teammate at SWU while Galvez was Mantilla’s teammate at USJ-R.

The PBA Draft is set in September.

A Draft Combine will be held prior to the Draft.

READ MORE:

On the hard court or in a fire scene, Cebuano Dyll Roncal gives it his all

Galvez, former Shark forward, ready to play for ARQ Builders on April 10 

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