After two weeks of UAAP men’s basketball action, there’s been a shakeup atop our Power Rankings. Who now occupies first place?
Each week, we will be naming the 10 best UAAP men’s basketball players in our Power Rankings based on their performances from the previous week. Statistics will always play a big part in determining the rankings, but we will also be looking at a player’s impact on his team’s win-loss record and if he came up with winning plays.
Week 2 saw a big upset as the UE Red Warriors dealt the defending champions De La Salle Green Archers their first loss of the season, leaving the UP Fighting Maroons, who swept both their Week 2 games by double digits, as the only unbeaten team in the field. How have the rankings changed from Week 1?
Our top 10 for Week 2:
1. JD Cagulangan (UP Fighting Maroons)
Previous rank: 2nd
Through the first two weeks of Season 87, Cagulangan has made a serious case for the best point guard in the league. Although he finally had a bad shooting game, going just 3-for-11 against the FEU Tamaraws, Cagulangan still had a productive week with averages of 10.0 points and 4.5 assists in around 19 minutes per game. More importantly, he led the Fighting Maroons to a 2-0 Week 2 record and 4-0 overall.
2. Kevin Quiambao (DLSU Green Archers)
Previous rank: 1st
KQ cedes the top spot this week after the Green Archers fell to the Red Warriors. Unfortunately for Quiambao, he also missed two crucial free throws that could have tied it with 15 seconds left. For the Archers’ lone Week 2 game, KQ got his usual numbers, pumping in 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. But he shot just 6-for17 from the field, including only 1-for-7 from beyond the arc. Overall, though, he leads everyone in UAAP Season 87’s men’s basketball tournament in scoring with 18.3 points per game.
3. John Abate (UE Red Warriors)
Previous rank: not ranked
The son of former PBA player John Arigo is gradually showing that he belongs on the big stage of Philippine college basketball. Abate had just four points in the Red Warriors’ tight win over FEU last Wednesday, but then exploded for 20 on 6-for-7 shooting in their huge victory over DLSU. He also showed he can roll with the pressure, hitting the two free throws that sealed the win with just 4.4 seconds left.
4. Precious Momowei (UE Red Warriors)
Previous rank: 7th
The Red Warriors were the other team that went 2-0 in Week 2, and Momowei was a big reason for this. Although he was limited to single digits in scoring in both games, the big man from Nigeria was huge in the paint, averaging 12.0 boards while anchoring UE’s internal defense. He also had Week 2’s signature moment: just seconds after the Warriors’ victory over the Green Archers was official, Momowei broke down and cried.
5. Mo Tounkara (UST Growling Tigers)
Previous rank: 9th
Tounkara was his usual steady self in Week 2, putting up a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds in the Tigers’ come-from-behind win over the NU Bulldogs. He is arguably Pido Jarencio’s most important, as evidenced by his team-high 30 minutes of playing time against the Falcons. Overall, Tounkara is fourth in scoring and ninth in rebounding and is also shooting an impressive 83% from the stripe.
6. Wello Lingolingo (UE Red Warriors)
Previous rank: not ranked
If Abate sealed the Warriors’ win over DLSU, Lingolingo provided the spark in the first three quarters that helped UE dictate the pace. He scored a total of 18 points, six per quarter for the first three quarters as the Warriors kept their distance from the Green Archers. For Week 2 he averaged 12.5 points per game and is emerging as UE’s best three-point shooter, converting 2.5 triples a game.
7. Quentin Millora-Brown (UP Fighting Maroons)
Previous rank: not ranked
QMB earned his first Player of the Game citation last Saturday after dropping an 11-13 double-double against the Tamaraws. He had a more modest 8-4 stat line against the Bulldogs on September 18, but that’s because he played only 14 minutes in the blowout win. Overall, Millora-Brown was a plus-33 in Week 2, including a team-high plus-17 against the Tamaraws as he continues to adjust well to the UAAP style of play.
8. Francis Lopez (UP Fighting Maroons)
Previous rank: 4th
Lopez continues to thrive in his role off the bench. He led the Fighting Maroons in scoring against FEU with 13 points, including back-to-back baskets to open the fourth quarter that virtually put the game out of reach. He had eight in the blowout win against the Bulldogs and is so far averaging 10.5 and 4.8 rebounds in just 17 minutes of playing time.
9. Mike Phillips (DLSU Green Archers)
Previous rank: 3rd
A win over UE would have given Phillips a higher ranking in Week 2, but he still produced quality numbers to keep his spot in the top 10. Phillips had 16 points and 9 rebounds in DLSU’s loss to UE, to go with a single-game tournament high of 5 steals. The latter statistic has enabled him to take the early lead in the steals category, where he’s averaging 2.5 a game.
10. Christian Manaytay (UST Growling Tigers)
Previous rank: not ranked
Manaytay just edges out teammate and erstwhile top 10 member Nic Cabañero for the 10th spot this week. He had his best game of the young season last Saturday, dropping 14 points on just six shot attempts in the Growling Tigers’ win over the Bulldogs. This after averaging just 6.3 points in UST’s first three games. He was also steady from the charity stripe, hitting 6-for-7 while the rest of the team shot just 12-for-20.
Just missed: Shaun Tuano (Ateneo), Forthsky Padrigao (UST), Kristian Porter (Ateneo), Nic Cabañero (UST)
All Images from UAAP Media Bureau.