INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines—The reigning UAAP most valuable player has just put himself in a solid position for a repeat win.

Jervy Cruz, University of Santo Tomas’ 6-foot-4 main man, ruled the league both in scoring and rebounding to lead the race for the top individual plum in the 71st season of the men’s basketball competition.

Cruz, who piled up 63.71 statistical points (SP), is the only player to post a double-double average in seven games with 16.1 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists.

Nursing injuries in his hamstring and ankle early in the season, Cruz dominated even after scoring a personal season-low of eight points last Sunday in the Tigers’ 64-57 loss to the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles.

Ateneo center Rabeh Al Hussaini came in a close second with 63.71 SP to power the Blue Eagles to a league-best 6-1 record at the end of the first round.

The 6-foot-6 Al Hussaini-—who buried a season-high 33 points in the Eagles’ only loss against the Far Eastern University Tamaraws—normed 14.6 markers, a second-best 9.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists.