These are the top five players of the UAAP Season 86 juniors basketball tournament—possibly the top prospects for the men’s edition.
If you’re a die-hard UAAP basketball fan who loves to keep up with top prospects for your favorite team (fans love playing the unofficial scout), the high school tournament is one of the best places to look for rising talents, and in UAAP Season 86, the juniors are truly impressing. With this, here are the standout players of the ongoing high school boys’ basketball tournament.
As of writing, the top player in the tournament is the National University Bullpups’ big man, Collins Akowe. He currently leads the field in statistical points (SP) by a long way. With an average of 17.71 points, 21.86 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 1.86 assists per game, the Grade 11 student is well on his way to claiming this season’s Most Valuable Player award.
With his stats, Akowe has accumulated 101.0 SPs, and as a Grade 11 student, he’s still got more time to get even better.
Behind the NU Bullpup in SP is De La Salle Zobel’s Kieffer Alas — a name you might have already heard of, as he was a member of the mythical team in the 2023 FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship, making him one of the top young prospects in the country. The DLSU Green Archers are definitely paying attention.
Alas currently averages 21.43 points, 11 rebounds, 4.86 assists, and 1.29 steals per game, giving him 91.0 SPs.
Though Akowe is far in the lead in Statistical Points and is likely to take the MVP award, the gaps between the rest of the top five are still slim.
Kristian Porter, who trails Alas with 89.857 SPs, has also been an important player for the Ateneo High School squad, averaging 17.721 points, 16.14 rebounds, 2.57 steals, and 1.57 assists per game. Fourth in the current standings in University of the Philippines Integrated School’s Daryl Valdeavilla with 89.714 SPs. Finally, rounding out the top five is the University of Santo Tomas’ Andrei Dungo, with 70.571.
Though the season is still far from over and the championship remains open with a closely packed top four, there may be players who are still yet to step up for their respective squads. But in the UAAP high school tournament, the talent is definitely there, and at such young ages, time is likely only going to sharpen the skills of these players further.
Banner image from UAAP Media.
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