MANILA -- Do-it-all swingman Enoch Valdez will enter the upcoming PBA Draft this year and hopes to join fellow Lyceum Pirates CJ Perez of San Miguel Beer, MJ Ayaay of NorthPort Batang Pier, and Jayson David of Barangay Ginebra in the pros.

Thanks to the NCAA rule of allowing players to suit up for their final season and declaring for the draft, Valdez will not waste a year of waiting in the wings as he intends to use his last NCAA season of eligibility to improve on his game.

"Lalaro pa naman ako kasi pinapayagan nila mag-apply ng draft while you’re playing pa. So 'yun tinake ko as an opportunity kasi ganun din naman mag-aantay din naman ako next draft pa. Ngayon na lang din,” he said.

The 6-foot-2 swingman believes his suffocating defense will translate well in the PBA. “Feeling ko kasi doon ako mas mag-fi-fit sa team sa defense ko. Siyempre 'yung offense sa PBA marami 'yan eh, so mag-start ako sa defense. Doon ako mag-fo-focus,” he said.

Asked on who he sees his style of play will be like, one pro stood out. “'Yung tinitingnan ko ngayon si (Alec) Stockton, pare. Sobrang sipag niya talaga sa Converge. Feel ko mga ganung laruan, sobrang sipag niya, di ba? Sobrang baba ng percentage niya sa FEU (Far Eastern University), tapos pagdating ng PBA sobrang haba ng playing time niya kay Coach Aldin (Ayo).”

One of the best wing players in the NCAA today, Valdez sees himself playing the 2-3 position in the pros and is putting the work in right now, especially with his ball handling ability so he can play the point guard slot when needed, seeing his size as an advantage at that position.

Training with him are former teammates David and Perez, who have been giving him tips so that he will hear his name called in the upcoming draft in September.

“Lagi niyang sinasabi sa akin kailangan ko maging consistent every game. Defensively and offensively kailangan mo maging consistent. Doblehin ko pa 'yung hustle ko, lalo last year ko na,” Valdez said of Perez's advice to him. "Kailangan wala ka ng ititira eh, ibibigay mo ng lahat. Last year ko na and siyempre may goal ako for my team naman sa Lyceum. I want to be in the championship before ako umalis,"

Meanwhile, David reminded him that in the pros “sobrang small na lang dapat 'yung mga mali mo, sa decision-making,.. Hindi puwedeng parang sa college na mag-turnover ka okay lang, next play. Sa PBA dapat sobrang ma-limit mo 'yung mga ganun.”

As seen on his Instagram stories, Valdez has been working out individually, focusing on his shooting, apart from Lyceum of the Philippines University’s team practices, where he does a lot of extra work with the coaching staff to address his weaknesses.

He thanks members of the Team B who tags along and makes his training more challenging. “Minsan nag-aaya ako ng isang ano namin mga Team B para may ka one-on-one ako. Ganun kasi may nakakalaban ako kasi madali mag-practice 'pag wala kang bantay eh, pag dating sa game may bantay ka eh.”

His father-figure in basketball, former Lyceum coach and current De La Salle University-Manila head coach Topex Robinson had a lot to do with his decision to enter the draft.

“Si Coach Topex siya nagsabi na magpa-draft na ako eh. Sinabi ko agad sa mama ko para pag-pray niya ako lagi na maging healthy before the draft,” he said.

Valdez was a rookie the last time Lyceum made it to the finals in Season 94. This coming Season 99, the versatile swingman from Pangasinan looks to bring the Intramuros-based squad to the promised land and leave a lasting legacy, just like Perez, his former teammate who he treats as a “kuya.”

After leading the Pirates back to a Final Four berth after missing out in Season 97, and carrying his team with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds in their Final 4 match against eventual champion Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Valdez vows to make the most out of the upcoming season.

“Nakikita ko sa pre-season namin sobrang ganda ng tinatakbo namin. Feeling ko talaga sobrang kumpyansa ako na makakapag-finals kami ngayon kasi 'yung chemistry namin may mga small things na lang na i-pa-polish pero andun na kami. Kasi naalis lang sa amin si Renzo (Navarro), si (Omar) Larupay. Si Renzo, sobrang laki ng role na naiwan niya pero kailangan din naming pagtrabahuan kumpleto pa naman kami,” Valdez said,

Valdez also assured that he will not use his last season to just boost his stock. “Sa last year ko, hindi naman ako bwakaw. Mga tira ko galing sa defense, steals. 'Pag open, tira. And may goal kami ngayon, hindi mo naman makukuha 'yung championship 'pag isa lang 'yung palaging may hawak ng bola eh. Kailangan umikot 'yung bola, kailangan mo din mga teammates mo, hindi kailangan ikaw lang 'yung may bola,” he said.

Recently, Lyceum had an open tryout where almost 500 players showed up.

“Naalala ko 'yung sa high school ako sa Letran, sobrang dami naming pumunta. 'Pag ganung situation, walang kasiguraduhan kung makukuha ka talaga or hindi. Sobrang dami kang makikilala, siyempre tryout 'yun, talagang magpapa-impress ka talaga sa coach. Ang dala mo lang talaga kumpyansa lang talaga di ba?”

He revealed that he was supposed to be a Knight after playing for the Squires. “Ang kwento kasi niyan sa Letran dapat mag-ti-team B muna ako ng one year before nila ako i-lineup. Eh gusto ni Coach Topex kunin din ako sa Lyceum, bigyan ako ng opportunity. Sobrang swerte ko nun kasi naabutan ko pa sina Kuya CJ mag-finals, Ayaay, Jayvee, Jaycee (Marcelino)," he recalled.

Valdez intends to give back to the university that gave him a shot to make his dreams a reality. “On and off the court, Lyceum community, Lyceum management, sobrang grabe sila. 'Yung pagmamahal nila sa akin, sa amin, mga teammate ko, sobrang ramdam namin. So itong last year ko, gusto ko din bumawi sa kanila na ibibigay nilang pagmamahal. Para masuklian ko naman kailangan ko din bumawi sa kanila na makuha 'yung championship.”