Peter Alfaro banks on additional experience with Zamboanga ahead of PBA Draft

NCAA champion Peter Alfaro will also bank on his stint with the Zamboanga Valientes in The Asian Tournament as he heads to the PBA Rookie Draft on Sunday.

Alfaro, who was part of the San Beda Red Lions squad which won the NCAA Season 99 title, said his experience with the Valientes was a big help after his collegiate run.

"It's a great experience for me because I've learned to play with and against bigger players, especially athletic and big guards here at The Asian Tournament. I think I did pretty well against them," said Alfaro.

With the Valientes, Alfaro logged averages of 11.9 points on 44 percent shooting, 4.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game.

Alfaro also learned from the likes of former PBA players Mike Tolomia and Rudy Lingganay.

"It was an important experience because Tolomia and Lingganay are different players. Tolomia is more of a scorer and a slasher, while Lingganay is more of a stabilizer and also very good at executing plays," Alfaro said.

"Coming to this PBA draft, of course, in each practice, in each game, I gain a lot of learnings from them, especially the small details. They always remind me that as a point guard, you have to execute and also make shots when you're open. So I think that's a confidence booster for me," he added.

Prior to the NCAA Season 99, Alfaro also suited up for TNT in last year's PBA on Tour.

However, with San Beda, Alfaro shared that he also learned a lot of necessary skills on and off the court.

"I just pick up whatever I can from their brains in each practice, each game, and I think the lessons and skills I've gained are very valuable, especially with pick and rolls, learning how to stabilize the team with Coach Boyet [Fernandez], and how to be a leader on the court with Coach Yuri [Escueta]. Those kinds of skills I think are very valuable coming into the draft this year," said Alfaro.

Now, the Zamboanga guard is a step closer to his dream of becoming a PBA player, just like his dad who played with Presto in 1976.

"Hopefully, through God’s will, I'll be drafted and end up on a team that wants and needs me. Hopefully, they can allow me to play and help the team win."

A total of 70 aspirants submitted their names for this year's PBA Rookie Draft.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News