THE coveted MVP award still belongs to a cager from Katipunan. This time, however, it will be lifted by a prized center from defending champion University of the Philippines.
Hardworking Senegalese import Malick Diouf is set to be named as the best player in the 85th UAAP basketball tournament, beating Ateneo guard Forthsky Padrigao.
The 6-foot-11 Diouf, who used to play for Centro Escolar University, averaged 10.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.5 steals in 14 games for the Fighting Maroons for 73.857 statistical points.
Padrigao was a close second with 71.571 SPs.
Diouf will be the first MVP winner from UP after Nigerian Bright Akhuetie won the award in 2018 and fourth overall, the other ones being Eric Altamirano (1986) and Fort Acuña (1968).
Aside from Diouf and Padrigao, also making the Mythical Team were University of the East forward Luis Villegas who had 69.857 SPs, Dave Ildefonso of the Blue Eagles who amassed 64.929 SPs, and Maroon Carl Tamayo with 63.429 SPs.
Reigning MVP and naturalized Filipino center Ange Kouame of the Blue Eagles did not make the cut despite winding up third in the statistical points tally due to technicalities that only allows one foreign student-athlete to make it to the Mythical Team.
La Salle’s Kevin Quiambao bagged the Rookie of the Year plum with 56.615 SPs, good for 14th in the MVP derby.
Quiambao was good for 11.23 points, 6.54 rebounds, 3.23 assists, and 1.08 steals to beat National University guard Kean Baclaan, who is at 21st with 51.0 SPs but is ineligible due to a one-game suspension, and the Red Warriors’ Gani Stevens, who is at 32nd with 44.214 SPs.
Green Archer Evan Nelle, who was fifth with 68.091 SPs, was also disqualified for a spot in the Mythical Team after being suspended for one game in the season.
La Salle gunner Schonny Winston, who showed the way in the statistics after the first-round, fell to joint ninth place with teammate Michael Phillips with 62.1 SPs.
The Fil-Am guard only suited up for 22 seconds in his last three games in the second-round due to a nagging calf injury.
