MANILA—A prospective top rookie pick and several champion collegiate players make the MPTC NLEX Road Warriors one of the early favorites in the PBA Developmental League. Clifford Hodge, a 6-foot-5 Filipino-American described as “very powerful,” is expected to bolster the Road Warriors’ campaign in the pro league’s farm tournament starting this Saturday at the FilOil-Flying V Arena in San Juan.
The Road Warriors also tapped Eric Salamat, a key cog in three-time UAAP champion Ateneo, and the core of former NCAA titlist San Sebastian led by Calvin Abueva.
“We’re not looking for every player to be a star,” said NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez. “We need stars, but we also need players who can come off the bench and complement the stars.”
The Road Warriors will go up against 12 other squads in the D-League Foundation Cup.
“Hodge is a very powerful guy,” Fernandez said of the Hawaii Pacific U recruit.
Other Filipino-Americans suiting up for the Road Warriors are Karl Matthew Dehesa, Cody Tesoro, Christopher Ellis and Christian Reyes, the brother of Talk ’N Text guard Ryan Reyes.
“We’ve formed a very competitive team,” Rodrigo Franco, president and CEO of the Manila North Tollways Corp., said during the team launch on Monday night at the NLEX compound in Balintawak.
Jasmine Payo, Phil. Daily Inquirer
