By the numbers: The UAAP Season 80 All-Filipino Team

MANILA, Philippines – At a time where foreign student-athletes dominate the collegiate basketball scene, local talents are still bringing their A-game in the hope of getting hard-earned victories for their school. In the UAAP, these local stars are proving that foreign-born players are not the end-all, be-all of their team identity. 

If the league had an All-Filipino star lineup, this is probably what it would look like:

 

1. Alvin Pasaol, Forward, UE Red Warriors

Season Averages: 22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.9 blocks, 42.9% shooting

 

One of the most pleasant surprises for this season is Alvin Pasaol, the 6-foot-3 sophomore forward of the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors. Of course, by now, everyone associates him with his improbable 49-point performance in a 106-100 loss against the defending champion De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers.

However, Pasaol proved right after that this magical night was not a fluke, as he continued to explode for 20- and 30-point games with his amazing catch and shoot threes and powerful drives. Most recently, he still scored an above-average 23 points against the imposing defense of 6-foot-7 runaway repeat MVP Ben Mbala in a 99-78 loss against DLSU. His 22.3 points per game record puts him at a solid second to Mbala in the leaderboards, which is no easy feat, given the scoring talent littered across the league.

Although his performances have rarely translated to wins, Pasaol’s drive – metaphorically and literally speaking – have made believers out of the fans and, most importantly, his coach “Manong” Derrick Pumaren.

Moving forward, Pasaol will further establish himself as the new face of rebuilding UE basketball. It’s going to be a fun 2-3 more years, that’s for sure.

 

2. Ricci Rivero, Forward-Guard, DLSU Green Archers

Season Averages: 13.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.6 blocks, 47.6% shooting

 

Moving on to another sophomore, DLSU’s Ricci Rivero is slowly proving that he’s more than just a pretty face and a flashy dunker. Despite a slow start to the season, the younger Rivero worked his way back up to the trust of decorated head coach Aldin Ayo and is now one of the most important pieces in an already stacked DLSU backcourt.

He proved this with a strong second round bounce-back for the Archers, including a 4-game stretch where he scored at least 17 points. In just his second year, he is already proving to be an all-around athletic stud on both ends of the court.

As if the rest of the league didn’t have enough problems with the men in green, along came Ricci Rivero, and he’s cleared for takeoff.

 

3. Jayjay Alejandro, Forward-Guard, NU Bulldogs

Season Averages: 17.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.4 steals, 42% shooting

 

Being the only player in this list who has had a taste of championship glory, the National University (NU) Bulldogs’ captain Jayjay Alejandro isn’t going away quietly and lie down for the young(er) guns.

Boasting averages of 17.1 points (3^rd-best), 6.5 rebounds and a league-best 6.1 assists, the Season 77 champion is still going all out for the 5^th-seeded Bulldogs as they try to sneak one more time into the Final Four. His 6.1 assists average is so far ahead that second-placer Jerie Pingoy of the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons only averages 4.6, which is still impressive by league standards.

Although Alejandro is doing very well himself, he needs the rest of his team to finish the season strong. Hopefully for them, his inspired performances drive the rest to wake up from their slump.

 

4. Thirdy Ravena, Forward-Guard, Ateneo Blue Eagles

Season Averages: 14 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.4 blocks, 45.5% shooting

 

Of course, no “top players” list in the UAAP is complete without a Ravena.

But make no mistake, Thirdy didn’t get here by virtue of namesake. Despite being in a tried-and-tested Tab Baldwin system where no single player is outshining the others, the jacked third-year player of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles is still a reliable Swiss Army Knife and constant double-double threat. Ravena doesn’t let his shorter build stop him from cracking the top ten in league rebounds average – a list that includes 7 foreign-born players who stand at least 6-foot-7.

Sure, the 10-0 Blue Eagles have imbibed the starless culture of Baldwin, but like any other machine, the engine would stop without the cog that is Thirdy Ravena.

 

5. Mark Olayon, Forward, UE Red Warriors

Season Averages: 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, 52.3% shooting

 

Say it ain’t so! Yes, the 3-8 Red Warriors actually have two high-quality players in their ranks.

Although frequently overshadowed by his hotshot teammate Pasaol, Mark Olayon is quietly becoming one of the reasons why no team can afford to overlook UE. Like NU’s Alejandro, Olayon is a rare triple-double threat in the league with great peripheral stats including surprising top-tier averages in assists (3^rd-best), field goal percentage (4^th-best) and steals (5^th-best). If the UAAP had a fantasy basketball league, Olayon would be surefire first-round pick.

Thanks to immortal names like Baby Dalupan and Robert Jaworski, UE is one of the most decorated squads in UAAP history, and the next generation of Warriors like Pasaol and Olayon are raring to prove it again. – Rappler.com