ALLAN THE MAN

San Mig Coffee, the recently-crowned champion of the Governors’ Cup, got even stronger with the addition of Ian Sangalang in Sunday’s PBA draft.

The selection of the former San Sebastian center came as no surprise as Mixers coach Tim Cone has repeatedly gushed about Sangalang’s potential over this past week.

As expected, 7-foot center Greg Slaughter was selected first overall by Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. Picking second, San Mig Coffee took former San Sebastian big man Ian Sangalang. Rain or Shine rounded out the top three by grabbing another center, Letran beanpole Raymond Almazan.

Barangay Ginebra acquired the fourth pick from Barako Bull and selected Arellano University’s James Forrester. UAAP MVP Terrence Romeo was picked fifth overall by GlobalPort, which received the pick that Barako Bull traded to Petron Blaze before it was moved again. GlobalPort also acquired Barako Bull’s sixth pick, which they used to select Romeo’s FEU teammate RR Garcia, and used their own seventh pick to take 6-foot-7 big man Isaac Holstein.

An athletic left-handed center with great footwork, a solid post game, and a nice outside touch, San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone knows exactly who Ian Sangalang reminds him of.

“He’s like a smaller version of Wang Zhizhi, who’s a lefty as well,” Cone told InterAKTV in an exclusive interview.

IF Barangay Ginebra hits the jackpot and gets the top pick overall in the 2013 PBA rookie draft, team coaches and officials are 'almost unanimous' in choosing Ian Sangalang over seven-footer Greg Slaughter.

That is, unless Bobby Parks changes the Gin Kings' plans.

A team insider said Ginebra coaches and officials, except for one or two exceptions, prefer to draft the versatile and mobile Sangalang if the team gets to dip its hands into the draft pool ahead of everybody else.