Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots veteran point guard Mark Barroca may have built a decorated PBA career exclusively with the franchise for more than a decade, but not many know that during the 2011 draft, he had one team in mind he wished would pick him—Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
In a post on the Hotshots’ official Facebook page, the former FEU Tamaraws star looked back on draft day 14 years ago, answering a question about which team he hoped to join.
The post read:
“#14 mark_barroca talks about the day he was drafted 14 years ago 🏀 #PBADraft.”
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“Dati? Totoo talaga ah. Dati gusto ko ’yung Ginebra, ’yun talaga kasi idol ko si Bal David. ’Yun ’yung gusto kong team na mapuntahan talaga,” Barroca revealed.
“Tapos ’yun, sabi ko kung hindi man sa Ginebra, Purefoods, so blessing in disguise na parang hindi man ako napunta sa Ginebra, napunta naman ako sa Purefoods. So napunta rin ako sa pinakasikat na team sa PBA.”
That year, however, it was Barroca’s Tamaraws teammate Reil Cervantes who ended up with Ginebra, drafted 10th overall in the first round.
The 2011 PBA Draft took place on August 28, with Barroca being selected 5th overall by the Shopinas.com Clickers before being shipped to the B-Meg Llamados in a three-team trade also involving Don Allado, Brian Ilad, and Barako Bull’s Elmer Espiritu.
Known for his tough defense and steady playmaking, Barroca earned the nickname “The Coffee Prince.” Before joining the PBA, he starred for FEU and represented the country with the Smart Gilas national team. With Magnolia (formerly San Mig Coffee), he has since become one of the most accomplished guards of his era, collecting multiple championships and Finals MVP awards.
Barroca was part of the loaded 2011 rookie batch that also included JVee Casio, Chris Lutz, Marcio Lassiter, Mac Baracael, Jason Ballesteros, and Dylan Ababou.
Fourteen years later, another generation of hopefuls will try to make their own mark as the 2025 PBA Rookie Draft unfolds this afternoon at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall in Pasay City.
