With three weeks remaining before the Final Four begins, are your favorite players still in the running towards becoming the next UAAP MVP? Below is the seventh installment of our weekly MVP Watch feature.
5. Alfred Aroga, NU Bulldogs
Previous Rank: 6
Alfred Aroga protects the rim (Photo Credit: Mark Cristino, Pinoy Exchange)
| PTS | TREB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Per Game |
11.2 | 9.6 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
| PER | USG% | TS% | eFG% | BLK% | DRTG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Advanced |
28.3 | 24.3 | 52.8 | 50.6 | 9.3 | 68.6 |
If you’re going to name someone as “hands down the best defender in the UAAP” today, then it should be Alfred Aroga. Have you seen him throw a block party against Ateneo last Sunday? He swatted a total of eight shots (tied with the highest record set by former Tamaraw Arwind Santos). He basically closed down the paint in the second frame, stopping all kinds of inside attacks. The Cameroonian big man blocks 9.3 percent of opponents’ two-point field goal attempts while he’s on the floor. He tops the league in block rate (BLK%) and defensive rating (DRTG).
4. Chris Newsome, Ateneo Blue Eagles
Previous Rank: 4
Chris Newsome drives by NU’s Gelo Alolino (Photo Credit: Mark Cristino, Pinoy Exchange)
| PTS | TREB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Per Game |
14.6 | 7.2 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 3.3 |
| PER | USG% | TS% | eFG% | BLK% | ORTG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Advanced |
26.3 | 22.7 | 58.0 | 51.0 | 3.0 | 103.4 |
Chris Newsome has provided stability for Ateneo since Day 1. He’s the most reliable two-way player that the Blue Eagles have (although Ponso Gotldera is starting to make his case). His beautiful jumpers are essential for the execution of Ateneo’s pick and pop sets. In their second round encounter with UE, Newsome stepped up big time finishing with season-high 23 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and three blocks. He struggled against NU scoring 12 points on 3-of-9 shooting, but he remained focused on boxing out and grabbing boards. He also had his hands full defending Troy Rosario and protecting the paint from the sizzling hot offense of the Bulldogs.
3. Mac Belo, FEU Tamaraws
Previous Rank: 3
Mac Belo continues to showcase his pro-ball ready skills (Photo Credit: Czeasar Dancel, NPPA Images)
| PTS | TREB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Per Game |
16.8 | 6.2 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 2.9 |
| PER | USG% | TS% | eFG% | AST% | ORTG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Advanced |
34.7 | 28.2 | 65.0 | 63.1 | 21.4 | 110.1 |
Mac Belo having the league-highest Player Efficiency Rating (PER), true shooting percentage (TS%), effective field goal percentage (eFG%), and offensive rating (ORTG) may have been surprising back in the first round, but not anymore. Belo and fellow veteran Mike Tolomia are flourishing in the dribble drive motion offense of the Tamaraws. This forward from North Cotabato knows where to position and when exactly to pull the trigger, resulting to high percentage shots. Most improved player of the season? Possibly. He could’ve bagged this award last year too, which goes to show how he’s been constantly developing his game. Belo is definitely ready to jump to the pros.
2. Jeron Teng, De La Salle Green Archers
Previous Rank: 2
Jeron Teng plans his next attack (Photo Credit: Mark Cristino, Pinoy Exchange)
| PTS | TREB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Per Game |
16.9 | 7.0 | 4.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 2.8 |
| PER | USG% | TS% | eFG% | OREB% | AST% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Advanced |
28.5 | 29.8 | 48.2 | 39.0 | 10.2 | 27.1 |
After exploding for 32 markers against Ateneo, Jeron Teng was seemingly off in their game against UP. Don’t be fooled though as he still finished with 15 points, six rebounds, and five assists. He was four out of four – as in 100% – from the line (at some point, I would need to get used to his improved free throw shooting, but for now please allow me to highlight it whenever possible). Teng is one of those fearless attackers who don’t mind banging bodies along the way. With upper body strength like his, what is there to fear, right? It doesn’t matter if you’re heaps taller (or wider), selfie-ready Jeron Teng will barrel his way through and fish for fouls while at it.
1. Kiefer Ravena, Ateneo Blue Eagles
Previous Rank: 1
Kiefer Ravena vents out his frustration with a slam (Photo Credit: Arvin Lim, Fabilioh)
| PTS | TREB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Per Game |
21.7 | 5.3 | 5.6 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 2.7 |
| PER | USG% | TS% | eFG% | AST% | TOV% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Advanced |
31.3 | 32.1 | 48.0 | 40.0 | 36.4 | 10.7 |
Mr. Crunch Time. The Closer. Super Clutch. Call him whichever but the general idea is that Kiefer Ravena delivers crucial baskets, crushes hopes, and breaks hearts in the endgame. If you missed Ateneo’s recent match against the Red Warriors but you only have a few moments to spare for the replay, just fast forward to the last 33 seconds and watch Kiefer’s cold-blooded triple that sealed the win. The Phenom has been relatively limited in his scoring because he’s always heavily guarded. As a response, he’s been dishing dimes and trooping to the charity stripe more frequently. He currently has the best assist rate (AST%) and the most number of free throw attempts in the league.
Honorable Mentions
| Rank | Player | Team | PTS | TREB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 |
Karim Abdul | UST | 13.5 | 8.5 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 27.1 |
7 |
Mike Tolomia | FEU | 15.1 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 3.6 | 22.1 |
8 |
Jason Perkins | DLSU | 11.8 | 8.8 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 2.7 | 23.7 |
9 |
Troy Rosario | NU | 11.3 | 8.2 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 2.5 | 23.6 |
10 |
Almond Vosotros | DLSU | 12.7 | 4.0 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 16.1 |
MVP WATCH ARCHIVES
To view complete team and player statistics, please visit HumbleBola Stats.
To know more about advanced basketball statistics, please read Advanced Stats 101.