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MANILA, Philippines – The UAAP men’s basketball MVP award stays in Katipunan Avenue as UP anchor Malick Diouf becomes only the Fighting Maroons’ fourth top individual awardee in league history on Wednesday, December 14.
The 6-foot-10 beanpole edged flashy Ateneo playmaker Forthsky Padrigao in a tight MVP race and now follows the footsteps of other Maroon greats Fort Acuña, Eric Altamirano, and Bright Akhuetie.
Both Diouf and Padrigao lead the Season 85 Mythical Team alongside their respective teammates, UP star forward Carl Tamayo and Ateneo veteran Dave Ildefonso, as the two schools haul in all but one spot.
UE’s one-and-done star Luis Villegas becomes Recto’s lone representative after leading the Red Warriors’ winning resurgence from a 0-14 Season 84 campaign.
“I just want to say thank you for this blessing. Thank you to my teammates but job is not yet done. I hope that in two or three hours, we will be celebrating in our school,” said Diouf as the Maroons look to sweep the Blue Eagles in Game2 of the best-of-three finals.
La Salle’s Kevin Quiambao becomes Taft’s lone bright spot after a disappointing season as the league’s Rookie of the Year, while Adamson’s King Falcon Jerom Lastimosa returns for a special award.
Diouf, last season’s Finals MVP, amassed 73.9 statistical points (SPs) built on averages of 10.79 points, 10.86 rebounds, 2.86 assists, 1.57 blocks, and 1.5 steals.
Padrigao normed 11.0 points, 5.5 assists, 4.36 rebounds, and 2.36 steals to come as close second to Diouf with 71.6 SPs, while teammate Ildefonso tallied 12.97 points and 8.29 rebounds for 64.9 SPs.
Villegas led the Red Warriors’ resurgence with 13.14 points, 8.07 rebounds, 3.79 assists, and 1.93 steals for 69.9 SPs, while second-year Tamayo had 13.79 points and 7.71 rebounds for 63.4 SPs.
Quiambao, meanwhile, averaged 11.23 points, 6.54 rebounds, 3.23 assists, and 1.08 steals as the flashy forward edged National University’s Kean Baclaan and UE’s Gani Stevens.
After winning four Player of the Game honors, Lastimosa was hailed as the PSBankable Player of the Season and won P50,000.
Another special award went to Tamayo after a total of 28,000 fans voted him as the Lazada Swag Player of the Season. He took home P30,000. – Rappler.com
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