Rhenz Abando is set to escape with the NCAA Season 97 Seniors Basketball Tournament’s Most Valuable Player plum.
The transferee out of University of Santo Tomas will literally win the grand old league’s top individual award by a hairline and by some stroke of luck, based on Tiebreaker Times’ unofficial Player Average Value race.
Abando got 49.88 PAVs, built on his averages of 15.11 points, 6.67 rebounds, 1.89 assists, and 1.44 blocks during Letran’s nine-game rampage of the elimination round. The 24-year-old winger is also set to win the league’s Rookie of the Year award.
However, Abando’s PAVs were just second in the league.
Topping the PAV race was Arellano University’s Justin Arana with a monstrous 62.875 PAV tally.
Arana though will not be able to win MVP as the Chiefs were eliminated in the play-in by University of Perpetual Help System DALTA last May 1, 52-59.
Only student-athletes that make it to the Final Four are eligible to win MVP.
Abando was also a hairline ahead of College of Saint Benilde’s Will Gozum as the former UP Fighting Maroon got 49.222 PAVs. Gozum’s Blazers also did not make it to the Final Four after losing to San Beda University in the play-in, 63-57.
Still, Gozum and Arana will join Abando in the Mythical Team.
Just like in the UAAP, this season’s All-NCAA team will be all bigs as Letran’s Jeo Ambohot (48.88 PAVs) and San Sebastian College’s JM Calma (44.44) complete the top five.
Arana, meanwhile, will end his collegiate career with another Defensive Player of the Year plum after accumulating 15.625 Defensive PAVs.
Completing the All-Defensive team are Gozum (10.11 DPAVs), Calma (8.33), EAC’s Allen Liwag (8.11), and Mapua’s Warren Bonifacio (7.88).
The league will crown its tournament awardees during Game Two of the Finals on May 22.
