UNIVERSITY of the Philippines’s (UP) Nigerian big man Bright Akhuetie officially lifted his Most Valuable Player (MVP) trophy in Season 81 University Athletic Association of the Philippines in ceremonies held before the Game Two of the men’s basketball Finals between UP and Ateneo at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.
Akhuetie, a 6-foot-8 center, averaged 18.9 points, 14.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 14 games for a front-running 82.50 statistical points (SPs).
Joining Akhuetie in the Mythical Five were University of the East’s Alvin Pasaol (74.57), UP’s Juan Gomez de Liaño (63.86), De La Salle’s Justine Baltazar (61.29) and Adamson University’s Jerrick Ahanmisi (53.38).
Akhuetie became only the second Fighting Maroon MVP since Eric Altamirano, who bagged the award in 1986 when UP won its first crown in the league.
Ateneo’s Angelo Kouame, of Ivory Coast, actually ranked second in SPs with 72.2 but was disqualified for an individual award. The UAAP allows only one foreign student-athlete in the first team.
No regrets though as Kouame took the Rookie of the Year honors.
Completing the top 10 were University of Santo Tomas’s rookie sensation CJ Cansino (57.3 SPs), Adamson University’s Sean Manganti (56.85 SPs) and Papi Sarr (55.64 SPs) and Ateneo high-flyer Thirdy Ravena (55.23 SPs).
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza