Panagbenga Cup MVP race heats up

THE race for the most valuable player plum in the fifth Panagbenga Cup basketball invitational tournament heats up with most of the brackets ending their first round in the tournament.

Former Air 21 playmaker Niño Marquez of Apayao Ymandaya will be among the top contenders in the MVP race for the open bracket after garnering 106 statistical points averaging 31 points per game including five rebounds and 2.5 assist per game.

PBA D-League bound Eric Suguitan, also of Ymandaya is at number two spot after averaging 17.5 markers per ball game with 11.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game and has earned 96 statistical points.

BCT’s Christian Galace who has 94 statistical points in the MVP plum averages 28.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assist per ball game to wrap up the top three contender in the open bracket with Johnny Pascua (17.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, and 1.5 blocks per game) and Art Advincula (17.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 5.0 apg, 2.0 spg) wrapping up the top five.

Golden Pine Hotel’s Sangyen Campos is on top of the MVP race for bracket B with an average of 28.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game with 154 statistical points while Jericho Junio of Curamed has an average of 23.3 points,5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals with 118 statistical points to run in second.

Coming in at number three is Paulo Abriol (Curamed 1) with an average of 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game with 103.0 statistical points while coming in at number four is Jeffrey Buton of Mustang (16.3ppg, 9.7rpg, 1.7apg, 1.3spg) while at number five is Danny Apostol (16.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.0 apg, 2.0 spg).

Three Uno player are vying for the MVP plum in bracket C led by Efren Mariano with 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 3.5 steals per game followed by Timothy Joseph Sibuma on a 29.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game average with Arman Pasion at fourth on a 19.0 markers and 10.8 rebounds per game.

Michael Hermosado of Itogon Archers is at number four with a 19.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.3 steals per ball game to complete the top four in the bracket.

Other MVP contenders in the other brackets are Beneco 2’s Arvin Gamboa in bracket d (20.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 3.3spg), Von Padilla of BMRP in bracket E (22.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.7 spg), Rodennis Illao in Bracket F of BDO CASH HUB (23.7 ppg, 12.7 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.0 spg, 2.3 bpg) and Willima Channas of Dagsian United in bracket G (23.5 ppg, 14.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, 3.8 spg). (Roderick Osis)