UAAP hails first MVP from UP in last 31 years

Nigerian Akhuetie played a major role in bringing his team into the semifinals with 18.9 points, 14.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. (Photo: Jim De Ramos/Facebook)

After making history last week with their first Final Four appearance in the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the University of the Philippines (UP) marked Season 81 to be one of their most remarkable years once again as import Bright Akhuetie is hailed as the season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).

Nigerian Akhuetie played a major role in bringing his team into the semifinals with 18.9 points, 14.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He totalled 82.50 statistical points. This is only the 6-foot-7 big man’s first season in the UAAP, recently transferring from the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) University of Perpetual Help then serving his one year of residency in the state university.

As for UAAP Season 81’s Mythical Five, joining Akhuetie are UP teammate Juan Gomez de Liano, University of the East’s (UE) Alvin Pasaol, De La Salle University’s (DLSU) Justine Baltazar, and Adamson University’s (AdU) Jerrick Ahanmisi. For UE’s Pasaol, this becomes the second time he entered the Mythical Five.

Ateneo de Manila’s (ADMU) rookie Angelo Kouame was in the running as well for the Mythical Five, placing second after Akhuetie for MVP with 14.4 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game, but the league’s rules state that only one foreign student-athlete can make the prestigious group. However, he is the probable recipient of the Rookie of the Year award, eligible after graduating from Philippine high school, Multiple Intelligence.

Rounding out the top ten in statistics for this season of the UAAP include CJ Cansino from the University of Santo Tomas (UST), AdU’s Sean Manganti and Papi Sarr, and ADMU’s Thirdy Ravena.

The last time a UP player won the Season MVP award was by Fort Acuna in 1969. The year before, Eric Altamirano was hailed Finals MVP (because there were no individual awards during that time.)