Ben Mbala. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.
There’s no doubt in coach Aldin Ayo’s mind that Ben Mbala is the rightful winner of the Most Valuable Player award this UAAP Season 79.
“He deserves it,” he said. “With the stats that he has, yung dedication nya sa laro, and yung commitment nya sa objective ng team namin, he deserves to win the MVP.”
Mbala is set to win the plum after steering La Salle to the number one spot with a 13-1 slate, averaging a league-best 20.6 points on a 54.6-percent shooting, 16.0 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks.
While 6-foot-7 Cameroonian is definitely one of the most talented players in the league, what impressed Ayo the most about Mbala is his work ethic.
“Talent-wise, he’s one of the most athletic players. Pero if there’s one thing na kakaiba sa kanya, it’s his work ethic. He really works hard and kita naman ang resulta,” he said.
But Ayo feels Mbala could still do more especially if he starts focusing on the “little things.”
“He has to settle down and do the the small details. Sa playoffs and sa championship, importante dyan yung maliit na detalye, kasama dyan yung decision making and competitiveness, the willingness to win,” he said.
Ayo, though, can’t deny that Mbala’s MVP citation is also a team victory.
“If there’s one thing na nakatulong sa kanya, it’s not just the stats but also the team winning,” he said. “Every time na nananalo kami, may additional na points eh. So it means di lang individual award yun, para sa team pa rin.”