With the UAAP Season 87 basketball eliminations all wrapped up, here’s what the numbers are saying about the league’s brightest stars.
After two months and 21 days of intense collegiate hoops action, the UAAP Season 87 basketball eliminations have come to a close. The Final Four cast is now complete, and all that’s left is for each team to compete for a shot at UAAP glory.
But with a short break before the Final Four kicks off, we get a chance to see the numbers that accompany our favorite collegiate stars’ impressive performances throughout eliminations.
Without giving away anything, we’ve got familiar faces set to be crowned as MVPs, while also having some new, but welcome stars that have positioned themselves on top of the pecking order throughout eliminations.
Given this, let’s take a look at UAAP Season 87’s top collegiate basketball players – from the MVPs, up to their fellow stars that will complete the Mythical Five picture.
The King Archer and Queen Eagle
King Archer Kevin Quiambao, and Queen Eagle Kacey Dela Rosa will be your UAAP Season 87 men’s and women’s basketball MVPs. Even more impressive, both stars will be repeat MVPs, further highlighting their dominance over the UAAP collegiate basketball scene.
Quiambao nabbed his second straight MVP with 81.357 Statistical Points (SPs), after averaging 16.64 points (233 in total), 8.64 rebounds (121 in total), and 4.07 assists (57 in total). In doing so, he becomes the first back-to-back men’s basketball MVP since another La Salle icon in Ben Mbala during Seasons 79 (2016) and 80 (2017), and the first local to achieve the feat since Kiefer Ravena in Seasons 77 (2014) and 78 (2015).
The do-it-all forward edged out teammate Mike Phillips (74.929 SPs) to secure his repeat bid. Motor Mike, though, was just as impactful with his 12.0 points, 11.57 rebounds, and 1.0 rejections per game as he often took over for La Salle in KQ’s off-nights.
Joining the Lasalian pair in the Mythical Five will be UP’s JD Cagulangan (69.167 SPs) who averaged 11.75 points, 4.42 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 12 games played, FEU’s Mo Konateh (68.643 SPs) who capped off a stellar first year with 10.21 points, 16.71 boards, and 2.36 rejections.
UST’s Nic Cabañero will complete the Mythical Five in his fourth year after tallying 61.0 SPs built on averages of 16.29 points, 5.43 rebounds, and 1.93 dimes per game. The King Tiger’s Mythical Five debut was solidified after UE’s Precious Momowei (67.538 SPs) was disqualified from individual awards following two unsportsmanlike fouls against UST last November 9.
Dela Rosa, meanwhile, is Ateneo’s double-double machine who had a runaway 96.286 SPs to secure her own repeat MVP plum. Showing height and might throughout eliminations, Dela Rosa put up league-highs of 22.07 points, 16 rebounds, and 2.29 blocks in 14 games played with the Blue Eagles.
The Queen Eagle, though, was more dominant in securing her Season 87 MVP plum after edging out UST’s Kent Pastrana (79.857 SPs) with a wide margin of 16.409 points. Simply put, Dela Rosa is simply on another level as she goes on with her collegiate career in Katipunan.
Like Quiambao, Dela Rosa joins an exclusive club as she follows former UST foreign student athlete Grace Irebu’s repeat MVP bid in Seasons 81 (2018) and 82 (2019). The Queen Eagle is also the first local to have consecutive MVP plums following NU’s Afril Bernardino who won three straight in Seasons 77 to 79.
UP Lady Maroons’ guard Louna Ozar finished third in the women’s MVP race with 67.571 SPs built on 12 points, 8.29 rebounds, 4.14 dimes, and 2.43 steals per contest. As one of the Lady Maroons’ leaders, Ozar will cap off her sophomore year as part of the women’s basketball Mythical Five.
Rounding out the women’s Mythical Five will be Ateneo FSA Sara Makanjuola (65.786 SPs) and NU forward Angel Surada (62.0 SPs). Makanjuola put up 12.21 rebounds and 12.07 points and 1.29 blocks throughout eliminations to accompany Dela Rosa, while Surada’s 8.38 points and 7.69 rebounds helped her Lady Bulldogs complete their elimination round sweep.
Ateneo’s Junize Calago (67.571 SPs) was initially fourth in the Mythical Five race, but was disqualified from individual awards after accumulating two unsportsmanlike fouls.
What about them rookies?
Over in the Rookie of the Year race, we have Veejay Pre barely edging out Ateneo’s Jared Bahay in a tightly fought contest. Pre finished with 50.929 SPs, or a slim 3.929-point advantage over the Ateneo guard’s 47.000 SPs.
Pre, the Tamaraws’ prized forward, averaged 13.29 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists en route to the Rookie of the Year nod. A productive Round 2 with FEU likely aided Pre’s cause, which included a career-high 31 points and 14 assists against UST last October 27.
Bahay, meanwhile, capped off his rookie year with averages of 10.64 points, 3.86 assists, and 2.07 rebounds per contest. Despite the Eagles’ 4-10 Season 87 campaign, Bahay will undoubtedly be one of Ateneo’s biggest pieces to build around as a lead guard.
NU’s Cielo Pagdulagan will be named Rookie of the Year in the women’s ranks with 56.571 SPs. Pagdulagan was one of the Lady Bulldogs’ key contributors this season with 9.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.36 steals en route to the top rookie honors.
Banner images courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.