After a two-week absence due to a schedule change, our UAAP Power Rankings are back with a combined list from the last four playdates.
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.
We skipped last week because we decided to merge Weeks 5 and 6 due to the schedule change that resulted in just four games for Week 6, same as Week 5.
All told, even with the truncated schedule, there were plenty of developments. The DLSU Green Archers clinched the first Final Four berth with three straight wins, while round one tailenders FEU Tamaraws and Ateneo Blue Eagles have sprung to life and thrown the race from fourth to eighth into enormous uncertainty.
In any case, here’s our list of top 10 players from the past two weeks:
1. Kevin Quiambao (DLSU Green Archers)
The defending champs are undefeated so far in the second round, and as usual KQ is a big reason for their surge. The reigning MVP averaged 18.7 points, including a career-high 29 in the Green Archers’ thrilling overtime win over UST, to further stretch his lead in both the MVP race and scoring title.
2. Jorick Bautista (FEU Tamaraws)
Since opening the season with five straight losses, the Tamaraws have won three of their last four to climb back into contention for a postseason slot. Bautista has had a lot to do with this FEU resurgence, and his average of 19.0 points per game over this period is actually the highest among all players. The Tamaraws ae hoping Bautista can keep up his hot shooting as they head into a crucial clash with the Blue Eagles on Oct. 26.
3. Mike Phillips (DLSU Green Archers)
Phillips kicked off the second round with a monster 27-17 game in DLSU’s win over UE, and followed that up with another double-double of 16 and 13 against UST. He barely put up any numbers in the Green Archers’ blowout win over Adamson, putting up just 2 points and 3 rebounds in 18 minutes, but his overall average of 15.0 points and 11.0 boards is still impressive.
4. Mo Konateh (FEU Tamaraws)
Konateh has continued to be a monster off the boards, grabbing a season-high 26 rebounds in the Tamaraws’ win over the Adamson Falcons as he continues to lead the league in this department with 16.9 rebounds per game. For this period, where FEU went 2-0, Konateh averaged 17.5 points and 19.5 rebounds per game.
5. Andrew Bongo (Ateneo Blue Eagles)
Like the Tamaraws, the Blue Eagles appear to have turned the corner in the second round with two straight wins. While there was a different set of heroes for the Blue Eagles in their wins against the NU Bulldogs and UST Growling Tigers, Bongo was the lone constant both times, putting up 11.5 points and 7.0 boards.
6. Francis Lopez (UP Fighting Maroons)
The Fighting Maroons played just once in the last two weeks, a 10-point win over UST, due to a last-minute change of schedule. Lopez carried the fight for UP, missing just once in 9 field goal attempts, to finish with a team-high 20 points to go with 7 rebounds as the Fighting Maroons bounced back from that contentious loss to DLSU.
7. Joshua David (DLSU Green Archers)
With Quiambao and Phillips taking care of the scoring and rebounding, David has embraced the role of playmaking for the Green Archers. He was steady in DLSU’s three wins over the last two weeks, putting up points-rebounds-assists numbers of 8-7-6 vs. UE, 3-6-6 against UST, and 11-3-4 against Adamson.
8. Chris Koon (Ateneo Blue Eagles)
Koon has slowly worked his way back into a groove after missing several first-round games with an ankle sprain. After a rough shooting start, the veteran forward came through with back-to-back 10-point games in the Blue Eagles’ wins over the Bulldogs and the Tigers. A healthy and on-target Koon is critical to Ateneo’s hopes of turning their season around with a strong second round.
9. Terrence Fortea (UP Fighting Maroons)
While Lopez sustained his brilliance all game long, Fortea chose the fourth quarter to step up for the Fighting Maroons, hitting two big triples in the end game to put the Tigers away. Fortea finished with 16 points, going 4-of-5 from beyond the arc and 5-of-8 overall, as he filled the void left by the absence of the flu-stricken Gerry Abadiano.
10. Raven Gonzalez (DLSU Green Archers)
It was a challenge to fill this 10th spot, but in the end we went with a fourth Archer since DLSU was the only team that went 3-0 in this time span. And of the remaining Archers, Gonzalez was perhaps the fourth-best overall, averaging 7.0 points and 3.3 boards, including an 11-point 4-rebound effort against the Growling Tigers.
Banner Image from UAAP Media Bureau.