Ildefonso ‘not thinking about’ UAAP rookie race, says Cansino deserves award

Hype certainly surrounded the rookie class that entered the UAAP Season 81 men’s basketball tournament with the likes of CJ Cansino, Dave Ildefonso, SJ Belangel, and John Lloyd Clemente transitioning from high school to college.

There is one, however, who has been standing out from the rest and that is University of Santo Tomas’ Cansino.

Ildefonso, who has been making a name for himself with National University, is certainly a bright prospect in his own right but midway through the season, it seems he has already relinquished his chance to be named the top rookie.

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“I’m not even thinking about being Rookie of the Year,” said Ildefonso in Filipino after NU’s 69-58 loss to Adamson University Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.

“[Cansino] really deserves the award and I’m really far off from him.”

After the first round, Cansino finished seventh in the MVP race after accumulating 57.4286 and averaged 14.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists for the Growling Tigers.

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Ildefonso, meanwhile, was at 13th with 48.8571 statistical points and per-game averages of 14 points, 5.3 rebounds, and three assists.

NU’s rookie, though, wants one thing more than that RoY award.

“He can get the Rookie of the Year as long as we can get a slot for the Final Four,” joked Ildefonso.

READ: UST rookie Cansino ‘surprised’ to be in 7th place of MVP race

That wish, however, might prove difficult with Cansino’s Tigers owning a 4-4 record including three-game winning for the fifth spot while Ildefonso’s Bulldogs are at 2-6 and are languishing at the seventh.

Ildefonso knows they have some ground to make up, with their five-game losing streak.

“We need to win, we don’t need another five-game losing streak, we need to keep winning.”