Cruz way ahead in race for MVP plum

Despite his failure to help steer UST to its title-retention bid, Jervy Cruz can look forward to a successful UAAP season with a victory in the MVP derby.

Cruz, a vital cog in the Tigers’ improbable title conquest last season, leads all comers in the MVP race after garnering 75.86 overall statistical points, which comprises 50 percent of the criteria used by the league in selecting the league’s top player.

The power-playing 21-year-old Cruz averaged a league best 15.4 rebounds, 16.7 points (No. 3), 1.4 shot blocks (No. 4), and a steal and an assist to power the España-based squad to the Final Four.

However, the Ateneo Eagles booted out the Tigers in a knockout game last week.

At distant second is Adamson’s Patrick Cabahug, the league’s scoring leader with a per match norm of 21.3 points for 62.57 overall statistical points while National U’s Edwin Asoro is in third with a 60.79.

La Salle ’s JV Casio and Rico Maeirhofer, the MVP of the Nike Summer League and Fil-Oil pre-season tournaments, are in fourth and fifth places with 55.79 and 53.43 points, respectively.

Rounding up the top 10 are Ateneo’s Ford Arao (51.93), University of the East’s Mark Borboran (51.21), Far Eastern U’s Mark Barcael (50.21), Ateneo’s Chris Tiu (49.14) and La Salle’s TY Tang (48.93).

However, to clinch the MVP plum, Cruz must also earn the nods of the media and players groups, which comprise the other half of selection process. – Joey Villar