UAAP Season 85 has already finished its first two weeks.
In that time, we’ve seen players new and old step up and rise to greatness. Conversely, we’ve also seen players miss shots they usually make, make a bunch of miscues, or just perform well below expectations.
For what it’s worth, here we’ll discuss some of the players who have stood out, both positively and not-so-positively, in the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament so far.
Studs
Schonny Winston (DLSU)
The Fil-American guard from Central Michigan University has been the most dangerous scorer so far in Season 85. Heck, Schonny Winston is my MVP forerunner so far as well.
He leads the league in scoring (24.0), field goals made (45), and steals (3.2) for those who have played at least two games). Keep in mind that this is a guy who averaged just 13.4 points per game in Season 84! Also got to love his rebounding (7.0) and assists (3.8) numbers this season.
Ange Kouame (Ateneo)
It’s crystal clear that something is wrong with Ange Kouame.
He’s moving a wee bit slower than he used to, and it’s affected his dominance on the floor.
Having said that, “dominance” is relative in his case. That’s because despite still recovering from an ACL tear, Kouame leads Ateneo in rebounding (11.6), blocks (2.6), and, surprise, three-point accuracy (57.1-percent). Strangely enough, he’s even scoring better than last season (13.6 points this year; 13.0 points in Season 84).
Luis Villegas (UE)
Luis Villegas has shown so much maturity for someone playing in the UAAP for the first time.
That’s no big surprise really since the Fil-Am is already 24 years old and is a one-and-done student-athlete from Stanislaus State. Still, his numbers aren’t anything to scoff at.
He’s putting up 14.2 points, 8.4 rebounds. 3.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.6 triples per game. He’s top 10 in all of those categories, and he leads the entire league in total three-pointers made.
Carl Tamayo (UP)
Carl Tamayo will do Carl Tamayo things.
I honestly thought UP would be more akin to managing Tamayo’s load after his busy offseason, but they’ve given him heavy minutes (29.3 minutes per game). Hey, I’m not complaining, especially after Tamayo has continued to blossom. To the shock of absolutely nobody, Tamayo is among the league leaders in scoring (16.4), total free throws made (4.4), and rebounding (10.8).
Malick Diouf (UP)
As if having one stud on the squad wasn’t enough, the Fighting Maroons have one more in Malick Diouf.
The Senegalese big man continues to be among the most consistent players for the defending champs. He averages 10.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 55.6-percent from the field. That means UP has not one but two guys averaging double-doubles! Sheesh!
Duds
John Lloyd Clemente (NU)
John Lloyd Clemente is a very good player. In fact, he has increased his scoring by a bit this season (9.4 points in Season 84 to 10.6 ppg now), but he doesn’t really do much else.
He’s not a facilitator (1.2 assists) and for a three-point shooter (5.0 attempts per game), his percentage leaves a lot to be desired (24.0-percent). I would even say there are four guys ahead of him in NU’s pecking order: Mike Malonzo, Jake Figueroa, Omar John, and Kean Baclaan.
Harvey Pagsanjan (UE)
I expected Harvey Pagsanjan to be among the top 10 leading scorers this season, but he’s way out of that set.
This is a guy who went from 13.4 points per game last season to just 4.8 now. Yes, other Red Warriors have carried the scoring load like the aforementioned Villegas, the Paranada boys, and even Gani Stevens.
Still, someone with Pagsanjan’s talent has to make a bigger impact on his team.
Mark Nonoy (DLSU)
The UAAP Season 82 Rookie of the Year was supposed to be the “fast” to Evan Nelle’s “furious,” but that hasn’t happened this season. Who knows what’s plaguing him, but the Negros Occidental native just hasn’t made his presence felt yet in Season 85. Heck, he hasn’t even played in every game.
Last season, Nonoy averaged 6.9 points and 0.9 steals per game in 15 appearances. This season, he’s played just thrice, averaging 3.7 points per game. I love the fact he’s had 2.3 steals per outing, but I’m NOT loving the 14.3-percent from the field and 15.4-percent from three.
Paul Garcia (Ateneo)
It has to be said. When Paul Garcia’s commitment to Ateneo was publicized, it created a bit of buzz. The “two-and-thru” player was even billed as a “significant signing.” He added to his profile by being a dependable shooter in the inaugural WUBS in Japan.
Sadly, his potential hasn’t successfully translated to production on the court yet in Season 85.
In fact, Garcia is putting up just 1.2 points per game on 15/17/0 shooting splits. Here’s to hoping he settles into a rhythm soon.
FEU Tamaraws
Boy oh boy. What has happened to FEU?
They were solid in the preseason and on paper should be a Final Four contender. As of this writing, however, this is the only winless team in Season 85. This was a team that was second only to Ateneo in three-point percentage last season (31.8-percent); now, the Tamaraws are shooting just 24.1-percent from beyond the arc.
We love the emergence of Patrick Sleat, but we hate witnessing the seeming plateauing or regression of team leaders LJ Gonzales, Xyrus Torres, and especially Patrick T’chuente. Here’s to hoping the Tamaraws right the ship soon and get some dubs.
