COULD it be that Chris Tiu, one of the most eligible amateurs today, would be turning pro after all and would be suiting up in a Powerade Tigers uniform in his rookie year in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)?

If Tiu’s meeting with Powerade top official JB Baylon over the weekend would be the gauge, then the Smart Gilas-Pilipinas starting guard is indeed shedding his amateur tag.

But neither Tiu nor Baylon would confirm nor deny that they have started to build the foundations of a Tiu-led Tigers.

“We just talked about the weather,” Baylon, in jest, told the BusinessMirror. But he didn’t deny the Tigers would be after Tiu and Gilas sniper JV Casio if ever they join the Rookie Draft on August 28 at the Robinsons Place Manila.

“It was a purely casual conversation,” said Tiu, but hinted he and Baylon indeed talked about his possible stint at the Coca-Cola franchise. “It was about the team’s plans for me in case they draft me.”

Tiu, a Sangguniang Kabataan chairman at Urdaneta Village in Makati City, denied Powerade is courting him.

“I wouldn’t say it’s courting. I’m just getting to know the management and staff in case they pick me. I’m still trying to explore all my options before making a decision,” Tiu told the BusinessMirror. “They are not even certain if they will get the No. 1 pick.”

Powerade has two cards in the lottery this Sunday for having the worst record and Air21 one for having the second-worst mark this season. The lottery will determine which team gets the top pick in the draft.

The Tigers also got the first-round pick of Rain or Shine, which they traded with Larry Rodriguez last year.

Baylon confirmed they will use those two picks to tab Tiu and Casio. Casio’s handler, Charlie Dy, however, said the former De La Salle guard remains undecided at the moment.

The PBA has set an August 18 deadline for applicants to the draft. So far, two Gilas standouts, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz, have applied for the draft and the BusinessMirror learned that Mark Barroca, Dylan Ababou, Marnel Baracael and Jason Ballesteros will follow suit.

source: Joel Orellana -MB