UNIVERSITY of the Philippines' Malick Diouf is set to claim the UAAP Season 85 men's basketball tournament MVP honors after topping the statistical points race at the end of the eliminations.
The Senegalese big man was one of the most consistent performers for the Fighting Maroons, posting 10.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.5 steals through 14 games for 73.857 statistical points (SPs).
He becomes the first MVP to come from UP since Bright Akhuetie in 2018.
See Cabanero top scorer, Faye top rebounder after UAAP elims
The Maroons, gunning for back-to-back titles, are the second-seeds after going 11-3 in the liminations, holding a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four against No. 3 National University.
Diouf edged fellow second-year Forthsky Padrigao of Ateneo for the honors after the Blue Eagle point guard garnered 71.571 SPs.
Completing the Mythical Team are University of the East forward Luis Villegas who had 69.857 SPs, Ateneo slasher Dave Ildefonso who got 64.929 SPs, and UP's Carl Tamayo who had 63.429 SPs.
Ange Kouame, last year's MVP, did not make the cut despite finishing third in the statistical ponts race due to technicalities which only allows one foreign student-athlete to make it to the Mythical Team.
La Salle guard Evan Nelle, who was fifth with his 68.091 SPs, was also ineligible after being suspended for one game this season.
Schonny Winston, the stats leader after the first round, dropped to joint ninth place with teammate Michael Phillips with 62.1 SPs. The Fil-Am guard played 22 seconds in his last three games in the second round as he dealt with a calf injury.
Kevin Quiambao won the Rookie of the Year honors with 56.615 SPs, good for 14th in the MVP race.
Quiambao's averages of 11.23 points, 6.54 rebounds, 3.23 assists, and 1.08 steals bested NU's Kean Baclaan, who is at 21st with his 51.0 SPs but is ineligible due to a one-game suspension, and UE's Gani Stevens, who is at 32nd with his 44.214 SPs.
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