Ilonggo guard Franz Diaz joins PBA Rookie Draft pool

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Another Ilonggo will be testing the waters of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

After Pavia’s John Bryan Sajonia, the pride of MH Del Pilar, Jaro, Franz Diaz, is seeking to enter the big boys’ league after completing his rookie application process.

The floor general made the cut and is a member of the 128-club that will vie for a spot in the upcoming PBA Rookie Draft night ceremony on Sept. 7, 2025, at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.

Before throwing his name into the official draft list, Diaz first spent some time in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) and several out-of-town commercial leagues.

Two months ago, Diaz went home to Iloilo and treated the hundreds of hoops fans when he rendered his services to team Double 8 during ISEM’s Battle of the Champions.

Diaz was also a household name in the JB Amateur Basketball League (JB ABL), where he played for Systemic Farm Chemicals and alumni team of the Ateneo de Iloilo High School.

However, it was during the 2023 Universities and Colleges Basketball League (UCBL) championship game that Diaz turned heads and made a name for himself in the national collegiate ranks.

Diaz led the Centro Escolar University (CEU) to a title-clinching win over Olivarez College, taking over in Game 2 to help the Scorpions seal the series with a sweep.

He was impressive during his final year with the Scorpions and averaged 9.6 points, 4.8 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per contest and was also the team’s captain.

The floor general was a former player of renowned Iloilo Doctors” College coach Jophil Cercado when he was still the mentor of Ateneo de Iloilo.