La Salle big man leads MVP race

- Advertisement -

FIRST Filipino league MVP in nine years?

La Salle prized big man Kevin Quiambao has emerged as the frontrunner for the top award after the first round of the 86th UAAP basketball tournament.

The reigning Rookie of the Year led all comers in statistical points after seven games with 84.714 SPs.

- Advertisement -

The 6-foot-7 Quiambao notched all-around numbers of 16.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks for the Green Archers, who have a 4-3 mark halfway through the tournament.

He also ranked second in scoring, fourth in rebounds, and fifth in assists to boost his bid to become the first local to win the MVP plum since former Ateneo star Kiefer Ravena won for two straight years in 2014 and 2015.

After Ravena’s MVP seasons, imports captured the award in the next six seasons: Cameroonian Ben Mbala for La Salle (2016 and 2017); Nigerian Bright Akhuetie for University of the Philippines (2018); Benin’s Soulemane Chabi Yo (2019); Ivory Coast’s Ange Kouame (2021) and the Fighting Maroons’ Malick Diouf last year.

Diouf is running second in statistical point rankings after amassing 78.143 points, leading UP to join first with National University at 6-1.

Another La Salle ace in graduating playmaker Evan Nelle has 74.167 SPs, good for third place; University of the East’s Rey Remogat is fourth with 73.714 SPs, with Far Eastern University guard L-Jay Gonzales completing the top five with 66.429 SPs.

Other standouts after the first round were University of Santo Tomas’ Nic Cabanero, who led the league in scoring with an average of 20.57 points per contest; Diouf with a UAAP-leading 14.71 rebounds per match, and Remogat who showed the way in the assists department with 7.29 per game.

UP’s JD Cagulangan and UST’s Migs Pangilinan both had 1.86 steals per game and big man Joseph Obasa of defending champion Ateneo swatted away 3.29 shots per contest.

UE’s Wello Lingolingo (48.1%) was the best sniper from deep in the first round, NU’s Steve Nash Enriquez shone from the free throw line (87.5%), while UST’s Angelo Crisostomo was efficient from the overall field with 60% shooting.

Archers’ coach Topex Robinson gave Quiambao plaudits in their 83-75 victory over the Red Warriors last Saturday.

“Actually, Kevin came here in this game with so much emotion because it was his lolo’s death anniversary,” Robinson said. “He was even contemplating missing this game. He grew up with his grandparents.

“He said before the game: ‘Coach, ikaw na bahala sa akin. I’m not really okay.’ It’s really something na attached sa kanya,” he added.

Quiambao, a Gilas Pilipinas national team training pool member, fell just one rebound shy of a triple double against UE with 17 points, nine boards, and 12 dimes along with a steal and a block.

 

Author

- Advertisement -

Share post: