Ateneo’s Angelo Koaume and UP’s Zavier Lucero are locked in a close battle for UAAP MVP. UAAP FILE PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo center Ange Kouame and University of the Philippines rising star Zavier Lucero lead the MVP race of the UAAP Season 84 men’s basketball tournament after eight games.
The two were the clear-cut frontrunners for MVP with Kouame leading with 68.0 statistical points and Lucero not far behind with 67.0 to start the second round.
Kouame posted 12.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.4 blocks as the Blue Eagles remained unbeaten in eight games, while Lucero led the league in scoring with 15.4 points per game so far on top of 8.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals to stretch the Fighting Maroons’ to seven for a 7-1 record in the second seed.
La Salle big man Justine Baltazar was distant third in the race with 58.0 statistical points.
UP’s Carl Tamayo was the lone rookie in the Top 5 as he is tied with Far Eastern University center Emman Ojuola for the fourth place with identical 57.0 statistical points.
Ateneo’s Dave Ildefonso placed sixth with 53.0 SPs, followed by a four-way tie in the seventh place ammong Adamson’s Jerom Lastimosa, FEU’s RJ Abarrientos, UP’s Malick Diouf and FEU’s L-Jay Gonzales who all tallied 50.0 SPs.