With the collegiate season in full swing, INQUIRER lists the week’s top seven performers in the ongoing NCAA Season 93 men’s basketball tournament. From their game statistics to their overall impact in the outcomes, everything is weighed to come up with the best players from the week that was.
One.
That’s the number of Final Four spots that’s left to be disputed between the three teams still chasing a playoff berth in the penultimate week of NCAA Season 93.
And by the looks of it, whether or not Lyceum completes the 18-0 sweep, we would still go on a stepladder playoff as San Sebastian, Letran, Arellano are poised to finish the eliminations in a three-way tie for the fourth spot, barring any upset against their also-ran foes.
That leaves much of the responsibility to the team’s leaders as their play late in the season would very much dictate whether their teams progress or not.
Here are this week’s best players:
(1) CJ Perez – F, Lyceum Pirates
24 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals
Last Week: 1
CJ Perez. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
If you still don’t know who CJ Perez is at this point, where in the world have you been?
The undoubted leader of Lyceum once again spread his wings, highlighting a dominating 100-63 thumping of JRU with a pair of thunderous slams on Friday.
But he’s not just all style as Perez also showed he has substance to nab the throne for the third consecutive week and fifth overall, solidifying his case for the league’s Most Valuable Player award.
But the last remaining test for the Pirates will be in this upcoming week as Lyceum and San Beda clash anew with an 18-0 sweep on the line.
(2) Lervin Flores – C, Arellano Chiefs
11.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 4.0 blocks
Last Week: N/A
Lervin Flores. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Talk about staying alive.
Dead and gone a few weeks back, Arellano woke up from its slumber just in the nick of time to make a late case for the Final Four.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, too, that Lervin Flores’ stellar play coincided with the three-game winning stretch as he rekindled his magic and established himself once again as a force to be reckoned with down low.
One more win separates the Chiefs from their goal of forcing a playoff, and Flores is once again expected to backstop his side in their all-important clash against Perpetual.
(3) Clement Leutcheu – C, College of St. Benilde Blazers
24 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block
Last Week: N/A
Clement Leutcheu. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Not much can be said of College of St. Benilde’s campaign this season, but that won’t stop rookie coach TY Tang from looking for silver linings.
And one of the pleasant surprises for him was the improvement of Clement Leutcheu.
Without much to fight for, the Senegalese center has been a rock for the Blazers as they seek to finish the season strong, aiding his side to nab the 94-84 win over EAC on Thursday.
St. Benilde has already made strides with its four-win output this season, but Tang remains unsatisfied as he hopes his boys learn a lot of lesson from this run and take it in the Blazers’ rebuild for next year.
(4) Robert Bolick – G, San Beda Red Lions
13 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, 1 steal
Last Week: N/A
Robert Bolick. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
He’s not going anywhere just yet as Robert Bolick is staying in San Beda.
Skipping this year’s draft, the veteran playmaker showed how valuable he is for the Red Lions as he helped his team to pull off the 73-68 win over Letran on Friday.
It’s just the kind of performance the San Beda faithful have gotten themselves accustomed to, and something they will look forward to as the Red Lions engage in a collision course against league-leading Pirates on Thursday.
(5) Levi dela Cruz – G, Arellano Chiefs
10.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals
Last Week: N/A
Levi dela Cruz. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
It’s easy to see Arellano flop after Kent Salado suffered a slight MCL tear in his right knee.
But the Chiefs are still fighting, and one of the reasons for that is Levi dela Cruz.
The pint-sized playmaker has taken the baton and ran with it to keep Arellano in the thick of the playoff race.
Even dela Cruz would admit that he’s no Salado, but he’s doing an admirable job holding the fort for the Chiefs in this late run as they are just a win away from forcing a playoff for the fourth and final semifinals seat.
(6) Jayson David – F, San Sebastian Golden Stags
13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steal
Last Week: N/A
Jayson David. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Coach Egay Macaraya’s secret weapon once again came to play on Friday, unleashing 24 points in San Sebastian’s 97-70 win over Mapua on Friday.
Jayson David has shown glimpses of his potential being a game-changing forward for the Golden Stags, but he has to figure things out quick, especially as his team is making a run to get into the final dance.
He has one more shot to show that he’s more than just a one-game sensation when San Sebastian ends its elimination schedule against Perpetual on Thursday.
(7) Tey Teodoro – G, JRU Heavy Bombers
15.0 points (3/11 3PT), 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Last Week: N/A
Tey Teodoro. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Tey Teodoro remains to be one of the most deadly snipers in the collegiate level today, but just like what coach Vergel Meneses is asking from him, he has to be consistent.
Stellar in JRU’s 62-58 squeaker over Mapua on Tuesday, he was largely inefficient as league-leading Lyceum bamboozled his side to a 100-63 beatdown.
The Heavy Bombers may have already secured their seat in the Final Four, but it doesn’t mean that they can now fall into the trap of complacency, especially with motivated teams raring to upset them on their way to the semifinals.