BIG men Justin Araña, Raffy Octobre, Renato Ular, and Chris Lalata and guards Rence Luiz Alcoriza, Encho Serrano, Lyndon Colina and Nino Ibañez displayed their scoring prowess during the 5-on-5 games held for the rookie aspirants on the second day of the PBA Draft Combine on Thursday at the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong City.

Among the rookie aspirants who shone in the scrimmages, it was Araña who caught the eye of Rain or Shine coach Chris Gavina.

The 6-foot-6 star player of the Arellano Chiefs finished with 18 points in Phoenix team’s 78-69 loss to NorthPort team.

Although he had proven his steadiness in the scrimmages, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters had a much more up close and personal look on Araña when they invited the promising big man to work out with the squad.

“We had an opportunity to take an up close and personal look at him at practice. I was very impressed at how he was able to hold his own right away against our big men in the post and pick up details quickly in our constantly changing defensive schemes,” Gavina wrote via Messenger to The Manila Times.

“He’s more mobile than I feel people give him credit for, has a strong frame and good hands. Justin’s upside is very intriguing.”

Scoring-wise, it was Jeremy Arthur, a 6-foot-4 combo guard, who showed tremendous upside as he knocked in 26 points while combining with Jollo Go at the backcourt for NorthPort.

Go, who played for Ginebra in the PBA 3x3 tournament, added 18 markers.

Also showing potential was Raffy Octobre, the Cebuano big man.

A veteran of several commercial leagues, the 6-foot-5 Octobre knocked in 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter as he displayed solid presence on both ends of the court for the PLDT Group, which lost to Converge, 98-82.

Octubre’s teammate, Alcoriza, a sixfoot guard from Arellano, added 23 points as they carried the team against a Converge squad led by Ibanez, Serrano, John Michael Calma, Shaq Alanes and Sandy Cenal.

Combo guard Kurt Lojera from La Salle powered San Miguel Corp. to a 69-60 triumph over Blackwater.

Backing Lojera were guard Jay-R dela Rosa from AMA Online and forward Garciano Puerto, who scored 15 and 13 points, respectively.

Ular, a high-leaping 6-foot-4 swingman who saw action for the Marikina Shoemasters in the MPBL, finished with 16 points while Shaun Ildefonso, son of two-time PBA MVP Danny Ildefonso, added 15 as they teamed up in leading the Rain or Shine squad to a 70-62 victory over Terrafirma team.

Jayson Well David, a 6-foot-3 forward, paced Terrafirma with 18 points while Lalata contributed 16 and Alvin Baetiong and Keith Zaldivar added 10 apiece.