Appeal to UAAP

In the UAAP, it's not allowed for players to enter the PBA draft if they're still enrolled in school, regardless of their graduating year.

- By JOAQUIN M. HENSON

The reason is presumably to preserve the purist nature of playing as amateurs. But a more apparent reason is schools don't want to distract a player's focus or risk a player pulling back from playing 100 percent to avoid injury and jeopardize his pathway to the pros.

The philosophy is different in the NCAA which permits a player to apply for the PBA draft even if he's enrolled in school. However, a drafted player may not jump to the pros until after the NCAA season. The idea is not to deprive a player of the opportunity to join the pros once he finishes his NCAA obligations.