UST's Abdul leads MVP race after 1st round

University of Santo Tomas is showing the way in the team standings and so is the Growling Tigers’ Cameroonian import Karim Abdul in the UAAP Season 75 men’s basketball MVP race.

Emerging as a genuine force in the lane halfway through the eliminations, the 6-foot-6 Abdul has collected 81.7143 statistical points, spiked by a league-leading 13.6 rebounds, 6.4 coming off on the offensive end, plus 17.57 points anchored on 43.4 percent shooting from the field and 1.57 blocks per game averages.

Now on his second year, Abdul has been a big reason behind UST’s six-game winning streak and a league-best 6-1 mark at the end of the first round.

Reigning MVP Bobby Ray Parks of host National University remains hot on the heels of Abdul with 76.7143 SPs, buoyed by his league-best averages of 20.7 points, 5.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

Towering Ateneo center Greg Slaughter, the league’s leading shotblocker with 2.9 swats per outing, comes in at third with 68.1429 SPs followed by shifty guard Terrence Romeo of Far Eastern University with 66.1429

Sensational La Salle rookie Jeron Teng continues to live up to the pre-season hype, becoming the lone rookie in contention for the highest individual award with 58.257 SPs, good for fifth.

Aside from Abdul, two other Tigers have also made it to the Top 10, with gunner Jeric Teng at seventh with 56 SPs and forward Aljon Mariano in ninth with 53.8571.

Running at sixth is NU’s Emmanuel Mbe who has 57.4286 SPs while Ateneo forward Nico Salva is in eighth with 55. UST’s comebacking Aljon Marinao is ninth with 53.8571 SPs while last year’s Rookie of the year Kiefer Ravena rounds out the top 10 with 53.1429.

Salva was the best free-throw shooter at the end of the first round, converting on 30 of his 33 attempts for a 90.9% shooting clip, while UP’s Gelo Montecastro was tops in total field goal percentage, hitting 17-of-32 or 53.1%.

The best three-point shooter was UST’s Jeric Teng, who hit 12-of-25 from beyond the arc for 48% shooting, Teng, however, has played in only four games after injuring his knee. Jeth Troy Rosario of NUhad the ebst two-point field goal shooting percentage, making 13-of-18 for a 72.2% clip.