MANILA, Philippines – Former De La Salle University big man Arnold Van Opstal is fervently hoping that the rumors indicating he has been selected by San Miguel Beer in the special draft for Gilas cadets are true.

Joining the Beermen would be a "dream come true" for Van Opstal, the player said Friday during the SLAM Draft Suite at Resorts World.

He will not only be reunited with former college coach Gee Abanilla – now SMB's team manager – but he will also get the chance to learn under the best player in the league right now.

"Being against June Mar (Fajardo) every day will just make you such a good player. He's an incredible player," Van Opstal said of the reigning three-time Most Valuable Player.

"There wouldn't be a better person to learn from in the PBA, as a big (man). It will be really exciting, and a tremendous honor for me to join a great organization," he added.

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Van Opstal will be heading into the PBA after nearly a year of inactivity. Dealing with an Achilles injury that did not require surgery, he opted to travel the world instead. The experience allowed him to clear his mind, Van Opstal said, and now he is ready to resume his basketball career.

"I was keeping in shape, body-wise," he explained. "But I couldn't play basketball because I actually had an Achilles injury. Even if I wanted to play basketball, I couldn't. I told myself that I was gonna use this time to travel."

Joining the Gilas Cadets gave Van Opstal the opportunity to work his way back into shape, as well as assess what he needs to add to his game in order to be more effective at the PBA.

"I want to add my midrange game, so I can be versatile and play both 5 (center) and 4 (power forward), maybe," he said.

"Right now, people see me as a 5, and just a 5. If I can transition to a 4, that will be a nice thing for me, and I'd like that," he added.

He also made it clear that the injury that forced him to the sidelines for months is now a non-issue.

"After six months, everything's good," Van Opstal said, saying his Achilles injury was not like the one suffered by NBA legend Kobe Bryant. "With my rehab, I'm good to go."

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