La Salle star Winston likely set to lose UAAP MVP bid with 1 more missed game

MANILA, Philippines – La Salle star guard Schonny Winston is officially on the brink of losing his UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball MVP candidacy after missing his fourth straight game due to a left calf strain against UP last Sunday, November 20.

Although the Green Archers won a nail-biter against their Final Four tormentors, 82-80, the Fil-Am sensation is still an obviously missed presence as the boys from Taft continue to seesaw between playoff contention and basement-scraping due to the huge standings logjam from fourth to seventh place.

By league rules, an MVP candidate must at least play 70% or 10 games of the season’s elimination round to qualify, and Winston has only played in seven with three more games left – meaning he must suit up in every Archers game moving forward to keep his place.

According to first round returns stats-wise, Ateneo guard Forthsky Padrigao is heir apparent to the throne with 76.571 statistical points (SPs) – the sole basis for MVP voting in the league – while Winston posted a runaway mark of 84.429.

Winston’s teammate Evan Nelle came in third with 73.6 SPs, but he is likely out of the running due to a one-game suspension – the same fate that befell Ateneo star Thirdy Ravena in 2018.

Gilas Pilipinas prospects Carl Tamayo (72.714 SPs) of UP and reigning MVP Ange Kouame (71.571 SPs) of Ateneo have both battled injuries in the second round, and as a consequence, have had a handful of quiet games in the home stretch.

Other notable names in the race include UE forward Luis Villegas (70.429 SPs), Adamson’s injured star Jerom Lastimosa (68.857), Ateneo’s Dave Ildefonso (67.857), and UP’s Finals MVP Malick Diouf (66.143).

La Salle head coach Derick Pumaren continues to ask for a sign from above that Winston is ready for a return as his team is currently in a fourth-place tie with Adamson at 5-6, while UE and FEU (4-8) are still in the running.

“We still don’t know. He’s day-to-day,” Pumaren said after the UP win. “He’ll have his checkup again on Monday. Hopefully we’ll get a miracle message from heaven that he can start playing.” – Rappler.com