UP’s Akhuetie leads UAAP MVP race thru 1st round

University of the Philippines’ imposing center Bright Akhutie is at the forefront for the top individual prize in the UAAP Season 81 men’s basketball tournament.

Akhuetie leads all players in the MVP race after the first round of the tournament, having accumulated a total of 77 statistical points.

The 6-foot-8 center averaged 15.7 points, 15.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists throughout the first seven games for the Fighting Maroons, who ended the first round with a 3-4 record.

University of the East’s Alvin Pasaol is in second after amassing 71.5714 statistical points for the 1-6 Red Warriors.

The burly 6-foot-4 power forward is the league’s top scorer, averaging 23.7 points, the only player so far to norm at least 20 points a game, while being the fifth-best rebounder with 10.1 rebounds per game.

Ateneo’s Angelo Kouame is in the third spot with 68.4286 statistical points after averaging 12 points, 12.4 rebounds while also being the best shot-blocker with 3.9 swats a game.

De La Salle’s Justine Baltazar is in fourth with 64.5714 statistical points with averages of 13.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks.

Season 80 Rookie of the Year Juan Gomez De Liaño is in fifth with 60.5714 statistical after averaging 17.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists for the Fighting Maroons.

University of Santo Tomas forward CJ Cansino was the only rookie in the top 10 of the MVP race after putting up 57.4286 statistical points and per-game averages of 14.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists.

Cansino could’ve been in the fifth spot of the race if not for his five-point deduction after he was called for an unsportsmanlike foul in the Growling Tigers’ 85-53 loss to the Blue Eagles.