Aquino is best in NCAA's first week
By Iago Stan Uris, abs-cbnNEWS.com | 07/04/2009 11:21 PM
Printer-friendly version | 
Send to friend | 
Share your views
MANILA -- This year, the NCAA will see no more of San Beda’s Sam Ekwe, the Nigerian behemoth who swept the league off its feet with his charismatic presence and his power statistics.
Two more San Beda players, Pong Escobal and Ogie Menor will not be making an appearance in Season 85 with the former leaving for the pros last year, and the latter deciding to join the PBA rookie draft this season.
Mapua’s Kelvin dela Pena, the 2008 MVP, has also looked for greener pastures while teammates Neil Pascual and Ian Mazo have already graduated.
Also gone are stars of last season—San Sebastian’s one-two punch 6’9” Jason “Gagamboy” Ballesteros and Jim Viray, Letran’s phalanx of veterans that included Dino Daa and Kojack Melegrito and Beau Belga, and the rest of the Philippine Christian U Dolphins (out on indefinite leave) among others.
So it leaves us with the likes of Smart Gilas Pilipinas standouts RJ Jazul and Rey Guevarra of Letran, American Sudan Daniel and Borgie Hermida of San Beda, Mapua’s Allan Mangahas, San Sebastian’s Jimbo Aquino and Jose Rizal’s Big Four—James Sena, John Wilson, Marvin Hayes and Mark Cagoco to contest the MVP plum.
After the NCAA's first week, it was disappointing to find out that only the minority of the aforementioned lived up to the pre-season billing while the rest, a staggering majority, flopped.
Starting this week, I will choose the top 10 players of the week based on their performance.
Of course, it will not be just based on statistics. We’re also looking at the intangibles like their leadership, impact to the team and the league, and the extra little things that make a player's team a huge success.
No. 10—Chris Elopre of Perpetual Help
This is a surprising choice. It was also a decision made in the last-minute. Although Elopre, a rookie guard who tried out for Jose Rizal first before deciding to play for Perpetual Help, couldn’t help the Altas in absorbing two lopsided loses, he piled up impressive stats that we couldn’t help but notice. In two games, Elopre had top 10 numbers—16.5 points, league-best six assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find ample support. But I’m sure this kid had a blast in his first week in the league.
No. 9—Sudan Daniel of San Beda
It’s unmistakable to miss this kind of raw talent. Imagine a looming 6’7” presence patrolling the paint. He may not be as dominant inside as his predecessor—Nigerian behemoth Sam Ekwe—but he has the offensive tools and the athleticism to surpass everything the latter has achieved. But it appears as if something inside Daniel is holding him back. In fact, in two games Daniel could muster norms of only 12 points, nine caroms and a league-high 4.5 blocks. It wasn’t bad but it’s far from expectations that soared after he powered the Lions to the Nike Summer League and a semifinal finish in the Fil-Oil/Flying V MVP Cup in the pre-season. If he had fought harder, let's say, controlled the rebounds against San Sebastian, San Beda would still be perfect now. Make no mistake about it though, Daniel will come out of his shell and blow away the opposition soon.
No. 8—Bam Bam Gamalinda of San Beda
I'd have to choose between Gamalinda and sophomore forward Jake Pascual for No. 8. While the athletic Pascual has put up big numbers (12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and one block), it was Gamalinda who has taken over the scoring chores that Borgie Hermida failed to do in the absence of Escobal and Menor. Gamalinda has a solid 14.5 points and 6.5 boards average in their first two outings but he needs to impose his will more and make the plays in the stretch for San Beda to regain its usual place—on top.
No. 7—Gilbert Bulawan of San Sebastian
Bulawan, a veteran forward who has played behind the shadows of Ballesteros and Viray the past years, has started to show what he’s truly made of. The 6’4” Bulawan was one of the many reasons why the Stags are on top right now, compiling norms of 12.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, three assists and two blocks a game. If he keeps it up, San Sebastian will continue to stay there on top.
No. 6—Jeff Morial of St. Benilde
It would have been teammates Angelo Montecastro or Chuck Dalanon listed as No. 7 in this list instead of Morial. In fact, I was tempted to pick one of the two ahead of Morial after looking at the numbers of Montecastro (15 points, 3.5 boards, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals) and the energetic Dalanon (15 points and seven boards), compared to Morial’s (14 points, 4.5 caroms, three assists and a steal). But more than the stat sheets, it was Morial's unflagging leadership, defense and willingness to make the plays in the crucial stretches of the Blazers’ sensational two wins that led us to put him in our list.
No. 5—Adrian Celada of Arellano U
This lanky, prolific Philippine Basketball League veteran has shown he can play after helping the Chiefs, one of the three guest teams allowed to play in the league this season, to zoom to a mighty 2-0 (win-loss) start. In Arellano’s wins over Emilio Aguinaldo College and multi-titled Letran, Celada led the team in scoring (16.5) and had equally good numbers in other departments (six caroms, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks and an assist). No wonder the Chiefs are up there with the best.
No. 4—Giorgio Ciriacruz of Arellano U
While Celada is the team’s top offensive weapon, Ciriacruz takes care of the defense as its No. 1 post defender. Though undersized at 6’3” against the best big men the league can offer, Ciriacruz has the will and the strength to hold his own inside. And his numbers speak for itself—15 points, 6.5 rebounds, two blocks, two assists and a steal. And he can do it in offense, too, after burying three triples and going six-of-nine from the field and nine-of-11 from the foul line.
No. 3—John Wilson of Jose Rizal
As expected, Wilson has found a way to make it this far high of the list by coming up with mind-boggling numbers--a league- high 20 points. He also spiked with nine caroms, 2.5 steals, an assist, and a perimeter defense that is one of the league’s finest. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up with the MVP trophy and a first championship to boot.
No. 2—James Sena of Jose Rizal
Read these: 16 points, league-high 11 rebounds, a team-best and league second-best five assists, and nearly a steal and a block in two games. These are by no means MVP numbers. It’s also a statement that he is serious in helping power the Bombers to their first title since going all the way 1972. That was the same era when Philip Cezar lorded it over the field. Sena may not be same as the man known as “The Tapal King,” but he sure has the drive and the heart to accomplish the same feat.
No. 1—Jimbo Aquino of San Sebastian
You don’t have to be a genius to pick Aquino as the week’s best. It’s really a no-brainer thanks to his averages of a season-best 23 points a game. In those two games, he drained 10 of the 13 shots he took from behind the arc. Six of these booming triples torched the Lions in an 83-77 shock win. Four of it came in the fourth quarter of the same game, with the last one sending the dagger straight into the three-peat champion’s heart. Interestingly, Aquino plays for a coach that is one of the PBA’s finest shooters—Ato “The Atom Bomb” Agustin.
Notes:
Rookie Ian Sangalang of San Sebastian, Marvin Hayes of Jose Rizal, Garvo Lanete of San Beda, and Isiah Ciriacruz, younger brother of Giorgio of Arellano U, could have been here. Not now. Probably sooner. The disappointments were Jazul and Guevarra of Letran and Allan Mangahas of Mapua. Expect them though to get hot soon. Incidentally, the NCAA Press Corps, composed of sportswriters from the league's leading broadsheets and tabloids, also selected Aquino as its top performer of the week. The group calls it "ACCEL/Fil-Oil Player of the Week."
Comments