Three Eagles in Top 10 of UAAP MVP race

MANILA, Philippines – Three players from the league-leading Ateneo Blue Eagles barged into the Top 10 in the tightly-fought Most Valuable Player race in season 71 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament. Leading the Eagles’ charge for the MVP plum is Ateneo big man Rabeth Al-Hussaini, who finished second to 2006 MVP Jervy Cruz of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tigers. Veteran Ateneo guard Chris Tiu came in third while Eagles forward Nonoy Baclao placed seventh. Al-Hussaini finished a surprise second to Cruz amassing 62.85 statistical points (SPs) after averaging career-bests of 14.6 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. He had a breakout game in Ateneo’s 72-66 loss to the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws where he had season-highs in points, 33, and rebounds, 20. Cruz, the Tigers’ six-foot-four do-it-all big man, was the only player to have per game averages of 16.1 points and 10.7 rebounds tallying 63.71 SPs to enjoy a 0.86 lead to Al-Hossaini. Tiu, the Eagles’ on- and off-court leader, collected 60.71 SPs to land in third followed by defending champion La Salle Green Archers’ Rico Maierhofer and JV Casio, who placed fourth and fifth respectively with 56.57 and 55.28 SPs. National University ’s Edwin Asoro came in sixth with 53.13 SPs followed by Baclao, who garnered 51.14 SPs to place seventh. Rounding up the Top 10 are UST’s Dylan Ababou, eighth 50.71 SPs; University of the East’s Elmer Espiritu, ninth 49.43 SPs; and FEU’s Benedict Fernandez, 10th 47.86 SPs. FEU’s Marnel Baracael, who is still recovering after being shot last month by still an unidentified gunman, placed 21st overall with 41.5 SPs. Tigers teammates Ababou and Cruz ended up tied in scoring this season with 16.1 points per game. Cruz also topped the rebounding department with an average of 10.7 per game while Japs Cuan, UST’s top playmaker who is also recovering from an injury, was the league’s best passer with 6.3 assists per outing. FEU’s lanky center Aldrech Ramos was the UAAP’s No. 1 shot blocker with with 3.1 blocks per game while the Tamaraws Andy Barroca and Ateneo’s Eric Salamat posted 1.7 steals per game to end up tied in the department. – GMANews.TV