By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Negrense guard Mark Nonoy promises to provide hustle and energy for the team that will draft him in the 2024 PBA Rookie Draft scheduled this Sunday, July 14, at the Glorietta Mall in Makati City.

According to the Negros Occidental’s La Carlota City native guard, he hopes that his intensity inside the court will rub off on his teammates as it will be vital for them to win games.

“Siguro ‘yung mako-contribute ko sa team na kukuha sa akin, syempre number one is ‘yung pagiging hustle player ko. Kumbaga, sana mahawa din ‘yung teammates ko kung ano ‘yung energy na meron ako,” Nonoy said.

“Malaking factor ang hustle minsan sa game eh. Kailangan talaga natin mag-start with high energy, high intensity, mga ganun. ‘Yun talaga ang maitutulong ko sa team na mag-draft sa akin,” he added.

The former University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers and De La Salle University Green Archers guard emerged as among the top performers during the first day of the PBA Draft Combine on Wednesday, July 10.

Nonoy, who was officially measured at 5-foot-9, topped the sprint test with a clocking of 2.862 seconds, while he also emerged on top in the running vertical jump by registering 53 inches.

Currently, Nonoy is playing for the Iloilo United Royals in the 2024 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Season.

Aside from Nonoy, five other Negrense cagers are hoping to be drafted, in Bacolod City natives Miguel Corteza, Kieth Pido and Jose Piero Longa, Kabankalan City’s Jayson Puray, and Cadiz City’s Bill Geolingo.

Corteza is a former standout of the College of St. Benilde Blazers, Pido was previously with the Mapua University Cardinals, Longa with the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, and Geolingo with the Negros Muscovados.

Puray, along with Iloilo City native rookie aspirant Franz Diaz, are former members of the Centro Escolar University Scorpions squad./ASC, WDJ