MVPs of UAAP 74: Parks, Palmera, Pingoy

MVP. Bobby Ray Parks of NU raises his hands after he was adjudged MVP and member of the Mythical 5 of the UAAP’s 74th season Saturday. PHOTO BY AUGUST DELA CRUZ

MANILA, Philippines – National University’s Bobby Ray Parks led the players who were given special awards for their excellence in the men and women’s basketball competition of the UAAP 74^th season Saturday.

Parks, who scored 20 points per game this season, received the Most Valuable Player honors even as the Bulldogs failed to barge into the final four this year.

Parks towered over Ateneo’s seven-foot center Greg Slaughter in statistical points at the end of the eliminations.

But Slaughter led this season’s mythical five, along with Parks, Adamson’s Alex Nuyles, Far Eastern University’s Aldrech Ramos and Ateneo’s Kiefer Ravena, also the top rookie of this year.

Meanwhile, explosive guard Jerie Pingoy, who carried the FEU Baby Tamaraws to just a win away from their first title, was awarded the juniors’ MVP and also a spot in the mythical five.

James Porter of the Ateneo Eaglets, Raphael Atangan of the NU Bullpups, Alexander Torres and Gabriel Reyes of the La Salle Junior Archers round up the juniors’ mythical five.

Ateneo’s Tomas Gabriel Ramos also received the Rookie of the Year award in the high school division.

UAAP DREAM TEAM. The UAAP Mythical 5 (from left to right): Greg Slaugther and Kiefer Ravena of Ateneo , Bobby Parks of NU , Alex Nuyles of Adamson and Aldrech Ramos of FEU. AUGUST DELA CRUZ/INQUIRER

In the women’s division, veteran Raiza Palmera of the FEU Lady Tamaraws was the unsurprising top player of the season while NU Lady Bulldogs’ Gemma Miranda was the top newcomer.

Palmera and teammate Allana Lim, along with Aracelie Abaca of the La Salle Lady Archers, Anna Buendia of the Adamson Lady Falcons, and Kristina Tolentino of NU made up the womens’ mythical five.