NCAA Player of the Week Barba leads LPU to Final Four

MANILA, Philippines -- After a season filled with uncertainties and injury setbacks, Lyceum of the Philippines University became the fourth and final team to punch a ticket to the NCAA Season 100 men's basketball playoffs.

Riding on a four-game win streak, the Pirates finished strong with a 10-8 record in the eliminations, edging out Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC), which ended up with a 9-9 slate.

Placing front and center is the Pirates' main man John Barba who earned the final Collegiate Press Corps' NCAA Player of the Week award, backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and minor sponsors Discovery Suites and World Balance.

Barba was instrumental in LPU's twin victories against EAC and De La Salle-College of St. Benilde in the final elimination week of the league from November 12 to 16.

"Sobrang saya ko, 'di ko maipaliwanag 'yung saya ko ngayon, pero 'yung saya namin today lang kasi job is not done eh," Barba said after their win against the Blazers.

"Papasok pa lang kami ng Final Four so kailangan naman paghandaan lalo 'yung magiging kalaban namin and good thing nakuha namin ang panalo and nagtulong-tulong kami lahat," he added.

Barba nosed out EAC's King Gurtiza, Mapua's Chris Hubilla, and Perpetual Help's JP Boral in the weekly citation adjudged by journalists from print and online media covering the country's oldest collegiate league.

The ace guard averaged 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 0.5 blocks in the twin victories, which netted the team an outright playoff berth.

Barba fired nine points, added nine rebounds, three assists and a steal in a 74-65 win against the Generals last Nov. 12.

Meanwhile, he unloaded a perfect 9-of-9 shooting clip, including an immaculate 5/5 from downtown en route to a 27-point outing in LPU's 82-81 win against the erstwhile top seeded Blazers last Nov. 15.

"Parang last game off ako, kung kailan pinaka-crucial na game," remarked the fourth-year guard.

"Sinabi ko sa sarili ko kailangan ko bumawi. Ang magandang nangyari is nakabawi ako and maganda 'yung nilaro ko and nakuha namin ang panalo," he continued.

The fourth-seeded Pirates will face top seed Mapua Cardinals, which will hold a twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals, on Saturday at the Cuneta Astrodome.