Sept. 2, 2008

Former George Mason men's basketball standout Gabe Norwood filed paperwork last month to be considered eligible for the Philippine Basketball Association's Annual Draft and with the paperwork approved, he found himself the pick of the litter as Norwood was chosen as the first overall pick this past weekend.

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters chose the one-time Dean Ehlers Award winner to be one of the centerpieces of their team. Norwood, who once held the Mason school record for games played, has previously played extensively for the Philippines National Team.

"It'd been a long year and a half of waiting. I'm happy I finally made it," Norwood is quoted as saying on the PBA web site. "I'm bringing in my work ethic and hopefully I can help the team get wins."

The 10-team league is tentatively scheduled to start play on Oct. 4, 2008.