9 Reasons Why The Phenom Kiefer Ravena Should be Number 1 in the 2017 PBA Rookie Draft!

Kiefer Ravena is really the best in class even against Standhardinger

Photo from PBA Media Bureau

Kiefer Ravena is a franchise player material, should be number 1!

Sure, you can't train height and these days in the PBA it is a rarity and while everyone has been looking at Christian Standhardinger as the consensus number 1 pick of this year PBA rookie draft, I personally have a different perspective. 

Kiefer Ravena has long been considered as a top pick for the PBA even before we heard about Christian Standhardinger and the 23-year-old point guard from Iloilo who played for the Blue Eagles have proven his worth time and again. 

Here are the reasons why we think Kiefer Ravena should be the number 1 pick. 

1. Proven Winner. 

Kiefer Ravena won't be called the Phenom for nothing. At a young age, he has already accomplished things that none of the other PBA rookie hopefuls had. He probably got the most championships under his belt with different leagues. He also has MVP and mythical team awards left and right and just to give you an idea of how accomplished the young baller is, take a look at the list of his accolades so far below. 

2× UAAP champion (2011, 2012)

2× UAAP MVP (2014, 2015)

3× UAAP Mythical Team (2011, 2014, 2015)

UAAP Rookie of the Year (2011)

FilOil Flying V Cup champion (2011)

FilOil Flying V Cup MVP (2011)

3× Flying V Cup Mythical Team (2011, 2012, 2013)

Unigames champion (2014)

Unigames MVP (2014)

Unigames Mythical Team (2014)

PCCL Mythical Team (2012)

PCBL MVP (2016)

PCBL Mythical Team (2016)

College Basketball Awards MVP (2011)

4× College Basketball Awards Mythical Team (2011, 2012, 2014, 2016)

FIBA Asia U-18 Championship Mythical Team (2010)

SEABA Under-18 Championship

Gold medal – first place 2010 Yangon SEABA Championship

Gold medal – first place 2015 Singapore Southeast Asian Games

Gold medal – first place 2011 Jakarta 

Gold medal – first place 2013 Naypyidaw 

Gold medal – first place 2015 Singapore 

Gold medal – first place 2017 Kuala Lumpur 

2. International Experience and Exposure 

A stint with Might Sports, Texas Legends, Alab Pilipinas, the National Teams and other international basketball tournaments. Kiefer is no stranger to different styles of basketball as he had already played around the world, most of which he was rather successful. Garnering 6 gold medal representing the Philippines and playing against top players all over the world. This basketball player would probably not have any rookie jitters as he has been preparing for this moment for a long time already. 

3. Multi-faceted Game 

Christian Standhardinger may be able to dominate the inside and grab a number of rebounds for you but Kiefer Ravena can do a lot more. In his college years alone, he averaged as high as 21 points while grabbing 5 rebounds, dishing out 5 assists and complementing his total all-around game with almost 2 steals per game. Kiefer Ravena is a unique basketball player who can do a lot of things for his team. He can play the one and two spots and has the ability to play effectively on both ends of the court.  

3. Exceptional Athleticism 

The highest vertical leap at 39.5 inches, the fastest to sprint the 3/4 court in just 2.78 seconds and also besting the agility drill. Kiefer Ravena topped 3 of the 5 tests in the recent PBA Draft Combine proving that he does not only have the skill set to be a top pick but also the athleticism and the body to compete against the rough and tough game of the PBA. 

4. Leader Mentality 

Kiefer Ravena looks like a natural born leader on and off the court. On the court, he leads and takes risks. He is the type of player who takes charge on a tight situation. Never shying away from taking shots, Kiefer is an ideal player who can take a team to new heights and will certainly push boundaries. 

5. Commitment 

Kiefer Ravena at 23 has gone places and have played in different leagues. He has tried out internationally including in the NBA D-league but at this stage of his career, we think he is now fully committed to the PBA and unlike Standhardinger who signed a contract with Hong Kong Eastern Long Lions while also applying for the PBA Draft, Standhardinger not only will he be not readily available as he needs to honor his commitment to his current team, he  may also have the tendency to play for another international league due to his international experience. 

6. Star Power 

Yes,  Standhardinger is now a star in basketball and could be bigger once he officially starts, but Kiefer Ravena is bigger and will probably attract more followers than anyone in the rookie draft class this year. Ravena will not only have a following from his alma mater Ateneo, he also captures the followers of his other half Alyssa Valdez, who is also one of the biggest sports figures in the Philippines. But Kiefer's popularity goes beyond basketball and I am not talking about his viral incident on the internet.  Kiefer is also an actor and a host who appeared on major television and even had a show. He has also been nominated in the past from different magazines like Meg for Top Youth Icon, Candy Cutie Award and to top it all, he also has been included in the Starmometers Award for 5 consecutive years as one of the sexiest men in the Philippines. Imagine how many screaming girl fans your team would win. 

7. Sports & Basketball Lineage 

The son of former PBA and coach Bong Ravena, Kiefer is also the son of a PBA Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Player. Kiefer has lived and breathed basketball together with his younger brother Thirdy. Having a mentor and a father who had great experience in the sports certainly helped a lot in molding a basketball athlete. 

Did I mention his mother was also an athlete?

8. Full Breed Local 

Bong Ravena from Manila whom I mentioned above and Mozy Ravena a volleyball player from UST are the parents of Kiefer Ravena. Both full-blooded Filipinos with proud roots from Iloilo City, Kiefer Ravena is proudly local with international caliber basketball skills. Surely, we should promote locally made products :)

9. PBA Primed and Ready

He was probably ready two years ago, and today he is primed and ready to make a difference in the Philippine Basketball Association. Whether he lands with Kia, NLEX and Blackwater, Kiefer Ravena will certainly make an immediate impact on and off the court. He would help bring a number of wins as well as a number of followers. After all, it's all about numbers in basketball. And he certainly deserves to be this year's number 1 draft pick.

Good Luck Kiefer Ravena!

Sidenote: If Kia does not want Standhardinger, instead of trading him why not pick Kiefer Ravena instead of getting a number of old guys.

Source of statistics: Wikipedia