St. Benilde Blazers’ Will Gozum. –Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—College of St. Benilde’s Will Gozum is the NCAA Season 98 men’s basketball tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Gozum averaged 16.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, shooting over 53.8 percent from the field, in leading the Blazers their first NCAA Finals appearance since 2002.
The star forward zoomed past the mythical five members Arellano’s Cade Flores, San Beda’s JB Bahio and James Kwekuteye and Letran’s King Caralipio to clinch the title.
Jay Sagad was the last MVP from St. Benilde in 2005 where San Beda won the Season 85 title.
Flores, meanwhile, tallied three more individual awards this season as he also nabbed the Defensive Player and Rookie of the Year plums.
Joining the forward in the defensive lineup are Gozum, Bahio, Perpetual Help’s Mark Omega and San Sebastian’s Romel Calahat.
The Filipino-Australian dominated Bahio in the Defensive Player race, averaging 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per outing.
CSB’s Migs Oczon was the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year competition 11.7 markers, 4.7 boards and 2.4 assists per game.
Oczon remained questionable for Game 2 of the NCAA finals due to a sprained ankle from Game 1 of the series.
San Beda took home the sportsmanship award while Lyceum’s Shawn Umali took home Most Improved Player plum.