The Choices for the Individual Awards

With the Final Four about to begin, the end of one of the most exciting UAAP season is not too far away. As the regular season ends, the individual achievements of the players and coaches are ready to be rewarded. Here is my own list of achievements, some good, some bad.

Most Valuable Player – It is evident from the stats and from the value to his team that Jervy Cruz is definitely the MVP this year. Averaging a double double is no easy feat, yet Jervy Cruz has made it look so easy all season long. He is not as big as the other centers but his rebounding is awesome. Add to that his ability to score and what you have is an all around player.

Rookie of the Year – Though there are many players who are in their first year in the UAAP, not all of them are rookies. Transferees do not qualify for this award. That being the case, I would pick JR Cawaling of FEU as the top rookie of this year’s tournament. His play improved steadily as the tournament went on and he will definitely be a part of this future UAAP powerhouse team.

Transferee Player of the Year – First year players who are not rookies, are seen in almost every team. My choice for this award is UST’s Kasim Mirza. He started the season with a whimper but slowly showed the immense talent he has, especially in crunch time. This kid is a star in the making.

Coach of the Year – In my opinion, this award should be given to FEU Coach Glen Capacio. With an almost entire line-up of new players, he was able to steer the FEU Tamaraws to a possible Final Four appearance. Capacio was able to get the most out of his players. At the beginning of this season, I picked FEU to make the Final Four. Coach Capacio will definitely bring this young talented FEU team to a number of very fruitful seasons.

Clutch Player of the Year – I don’t think that there has been a player involved in as many clutch plays as Ateneo’s Chris Tiu has. Whether it’s finding the open man or hitting the winning shot, Tiu has proven to be the man to go to. No matter how bad he is playing in a game, he will deliver when it is needed most.

Most Improved Players of the Year – I actually could not decide among 3 players in this category. After being in the shadows of big name players for a number of years, Ateneo’s Ford Arao has emerged as Ateneo’s main scoring option. His averages have soared this year. Also worth mentioning in this category are Marnel Baracael of FEU and James Martinez of UE.

Student Athlete of the Year – I have been trying to find out from the different teams who among their players played significant minutes and at the same time were outstanding students. The one name that cropped up was La Salle’s Kish Co, who played a significant amount of time for the Green Archers and also managed to be in the Dean’s List of DLSU.

Off the Bench Players of the Year – The players that best fit this award would be UE’s Paul Lee and Hans Thiele. These guys would be starters on any other team. They are instant contributors off the bench. Whether it would be on defense or offense, Lee and Thiele would be the spark that a player coming off the bench should be.

Team of the Year – This distinction is for the school that worked best as a team and hands down this should be the UE Red Warriors. With a wide selection of players, Coach Dindo Pumaren’s team showed what the phrase “playing as a team” really means. UE had no individual player who dominated all through the season, but rather relied on teamwork, which is why they beat many teams by huge margins.

Surprise of the Season – Hands down, this has to be the 14-0 regular season record posted by UE. With the level of competition this year, that feat is even more amazing.

Mythical Five – This will be a very hard pick since many players had a great season. I’m sure there will be many variations of this. My picks are: Guards – UST’s Japs Cuan and Adamson’s Patrick Cabahug. Big Men –Ateneo’s Ford Arao, UST’s Jervy Cruz and UE’s Kelvin Gregorio.

Most Colorful UAAP Personality – Undoubtedly this has to go to UST Coach Pido Jarencio. Whether it was on the court or off the court, Coach Pido’s passion was evident. He would shoot the imaginary foul shot every time Japs Cuan would be on the foul line. He would never hide his emotions, whether raising his hands in disgust or dancing after a win. He is so much fun to watch and listen to. Let’s not forget that Coach Pido is also a very good coach.

Here are other distinctions that may not be too complimentary but definitely worth mentioning.

Best 38 Minute Team of the Year – Undoubtedly this has to go the De La Salle Green Archers. Three out of their four loses came about in the last 2 minutes of the game. The most bitter of these was the loss to UST, where they squandered a 12 point lead in the last 2 minutes of the game and lost in overtime.

Most Underachieving Team of the Year – Many expected (this writer included) that the NU Bulldogs would be thick in the fight for a Final Four slot. This year’s team was one of the best they have had in a long time. However, this team could not win back to back games all throughout the season. They could play awful or play great. They almost beat league leader UE, but did not have the composure to pull it off.

Letdown Players of the Year – My pick for this dubious award is NU’s Edwin Asoro There were high expectations for him to be a power for the Bulldogs. Considering that he has been in the league for quite awhile, Asoro showed that he still has a long way to go to get to the next level.

Also totally lost this season was Migs de Asis of UP. His nickname “The Assassin” became “The Maasim”

Goon of the Year – This dubious honor is reserved for none other than La Salle’s Brian Ilad. His actions during La Salle’s game against UE, was absolutely appalling.

Well I’m sure everyone has an opinion on the above. So come on make your own choices.