La Salle guard Schonny Winston during a game against FEU in the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — La Salle star Schonny Winston emerged as the top MVP contender after the first round of the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament.
The Filipino-American guard, the number one scorer in the league averaging 21.29 points through the first round, is currently the statistical leader with 84.429 statistical points (SPs). He also averaged 6.14 rebounds, 3.57 assists, and 3.0 steals through the first seven games of the season.
Winston led the Green Archers to a 3-4 record to end the first round while logging the most minutes at over 32 minutes per outing. He has also made the most free throws, norming 4.43 a game.
University of the Philippines point guard JD Cagulangan is second in the race with 78.0 SPs despite playing only one game. Ateneo’s starting court general Forthsky Padrigao ranks third with 76.571 SPs, while La Salle’s Evan Nelle is in fourth with 73.6 SPs.
Cagulangan and Nelle, however, are no longer eligible to win any award. Cagulangan, who missed six of the Fighting Maroons’ first seven games of the season, is ineligible as players must meet the 70-percent threshold in order to make the cut while Nelle has been disqualified as he is set to serve a one-game suspension on their next game due to several unsportsmanlike fouls.
Former Ateneo star Thirdy Ravena was also disqualified in 2018 due to suspension.
The Fighting Maroons’ rising star Carl Tamayo is in the top five with 72.714 SPs as the league’s fourth-best scorer with 14.86 points per game, helping UP to finish the first round on top with a 6-1 record.
Reigning MVP Ange Kouame, who is still nursing a knee injury, still managed to place sixth despite playing reduced minutes, averaging 11.43 points and league-highs 11.43 rebounds and 2.57 blocks.
Completing the top 10 statistical leaders are University of the East’s Luis Villegas (70.429 SPs), Adamson’s Jerom Lastimosa (68.857 SPs), Ateneo’s Dave Ildefonso (67.857 SPs) and UP’s Malick Diouf (66.143 SPs).
The second round opens on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum with UE and Far Eastern Universite resuming the action after Typhoon Paeng washed out the games on Saturday while defending champion UP seeks payback against National University.