Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Picking up where he left off last season, Ben Mbala was hailed as the Most Valuable Player of UAAP men’s basketball for the second straight year as the La Salle slotman established himself as the supreme force in the collegiate scene.
The Cameroonian continued his dominance for the Green Archers, posting per game averages of 26.0 points, 13.08 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 steals to finish with 96.58 total statistical points (SPs) in the ongoing Season 80.
But winning the MVP again is the least of Mbala’s concerns as he looks forward to keeping the UAAP title.
“We just want to win,” Mbala said, as twice-to-beat La Salle prepares for its Final Four date against Adamson this Saturday.
“We will not quit and that’s what we plan to do for the next few games: Play hard and leave the rest to God.”
A distant second in the MVP race is Ateneo forward Thirdy Ravena, who mustered 66.50 SPs, followed by NU senior Jjay Alejandro at third with 63.86 SPs, and UE scorer Alvin Pasaol at fourth with 63.43 SPs.
La Salle high-flyer Ricci Rivero complete this season’s Mythical Team after finishing eighth with his 56.29 SPs.
He will get the nod, thanks to the UAAP ruling allowing only one foreign student-athlete to be named in the season’s best five.
Adamson bruiser Papi Sarr ranked fifth with 63.15 SPs, followed by NU big man Issa Gaye at sixth (57.57 SPs), UST center Steve Akomo at seventh (56.77 SPs), UP captain Paul Desiderio at ninth (54.50 SPs), and Ateneo slotman Chibueze Ikeh at 10th (49.36 SPs).
Meanwhile, UP playmaker Juan Gomez de Liaño was hailed as the season’s best rookie after netting 46.69 SPs, powered by his averages of 11.61 points, 6.15 rebounds, 2.54 assists, and 1.0 steal.