PBA: Talk ‘N Text’s Cardona is Philippine Cup’s scoring leader

MANILA, Philippines – Mark Cardona is right on course on winning his second Best Player of the Conference (BPC) honor after emerging with the best statistical points (SPs) after the KFC PBA Philippine Cup elimination round. The Talk ‘N Text guard finished the eliminations as the No. 1 scorer with an average of 23.8 points per game (ppg), the key aspect in his game that steered him to accumulate an average SP of 33.4 and one of the factors the Tropang Texters are now seeded outright in the semifinals. The former De La Salle University standout also normed 4.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.2 blocks in 18 games to gain the headstart not only in the BPC race but likewise in the most valuable player (MVP) award for the season. The man they call “Captain Hook", because of his unorthodox teardrop shot, however, is ahead by the slimmest of margins. Kelly Williams, the reigning MVP who guided Sta. Lucia Realty to its first-ever all-Filipino title last season, is closely at second spot with 33.2 SPs. Williams, one of five players in the Top 10 list who managed to average double-double in both points and rebounds – normed 14.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists. 1.2 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. Former MVP Asi Taulava (2003) wound up as the best rebounder after the 18-game preliminary round with 13 an outing. And together with his 16.4 ppg, the Coca-Cola big man is running third in the BPC race with an average SPs of 32.5. Willie Miller of Alaska, the first guard to win the MVP twice (2002 and 2007), is running fourth with 32 SPs while Ranidel de Ocampo, another national team player recently acquired by Talk ‘N Text from Air21, is at fifth spot with 31.4 SPs. Jay-Jay Helterbrand of Ginebra (30.5), San Miguel Beer’s Jay Washington (30.3), Purefoods’ Kerby Raymundo (29.8), Jay-R Reyes of Rain or Shine (28.2) and James Yap of Purefoods (28.1), another former MVP, round out the Top 10 list. Alex Cabagnot of Coca-Cola was the No. 1 player in the assists department but could only rank No. 16 in the race. The Tigers, too, were already eliminated in the tournament after losing to the Beermen in the wild card stage. Of the players in the Top 10 list, only two other players other than Cardona have not been picked in the RP team (Washington and Reyes) tasked to compete in the Fiba-Asia Qualifying Tournament in China this year for the Turkey World Championships in 2010. – GMANews.TV