Immediately after the NCAA Season 92 Seniors Basketball individual ceremony, this season’s NCAA Mancom chairman Jose Mari Lacson of San Beda called for an immediate press conference. The point of discussion was about “some people” questioning the foreign student-athlete dominated all-NCAA team.
Compared to seasons’ past, this year’s Mythical Five team only had one Filipino student-athlete Jio Jalalon with 57.50 PAVs. The other four student-athletes composing the line-up are Allwell Oraeme of Mapua, Perpetual’s big man Bright Akhuetie (56 PAV), San Beda’s big man Donald Tankoua (51.55), and EAC’s Hamadou Laminou (49.06).
Lacson, in behalf of the management committee, said that the league is looking to implement changes with regards to this specific award.
“Sa Mythical Five, ang ginawa namin is kung ano ang lumabas sa stats. Every choice we make ay ang statistics ang gumagawa,” he said.
“By next year, we are going to change it. Ang Mythical Five usually yung best in every position.”
“That is really why we wanted a change,” he furthered. “If you notice, we have one Filipino lang. Isa lang lumabas, ano magagawa namin.”
“Next year we will make sure na everyone who is the best in each position [will be awarded].”
Moreover, the league is also proposing to give a separate individual award for the best “import” in the league that will be awarded up until all the foreign student-athletes currently in their respective schools have graduated.
“Then we will have a different award kung sino ang best import. This year kasi hindi ko mapapalitan because I said kung ano man lumabas sa stats,” Lacson added.
“Well, that’s clear. Probably we will. Hanggang matapos yung mga foreigners, kailangan ng separate award. It’s never happened before na isa lang Filipino. Ano magagawa natin sila ang outstanding?”
For him, the flaw is not with how the MVP race is tabulated.
“I will insist na we stick with the stats. Kasi that has always been a rule,” the Bedan added.
“This year, everything came out like that, there’s nothing we can do.”
