Romeo, Almazan lead mythical five in 2013 collegiate hoops awards

MANILA, Philippines – Terrence Romeo and Raymond Almazan headline the winners of the Collegiate Mythical Five award when the UAAP-NCAA Press Corps and SMART hold the 2013 Collegiate Basketball Awards on Dec. 15 in Saisaki-Kamayan EDSA.

Romeo and Almazan will be joined by De La Salle’s Jeron Teng, National University’s Bobby Ray Parks, and San Beda’s Ola Adeogun in the elite list of players who put up a fine showing in the recent collegiate basketball season.

Romeo had a UAAP Season 76 to remember when he won his first-ever Most Valuable Player trophy while helping Far Eastern University return to the Final Four. Almazan also captured the most coveted individual award in the NCAA Season 89 while leading Letran to a runner-up finish.

After their performance in the recent collegiate season, both players were sought after by teams in the professional ranks with Almazan and Romeo being picked third and sixth overall, respectively, in last month’s PBA Rookie Draft.

Meanwhile, Teng will also receive a Mythical Five honor given by scribes from national broadsheets, tabloids, and sports websites after being the lead guard in the Green Archers’ championship run this year, the team’s first since 2007.

Parks spearheaded NU’s season as his retooled play earned the Bulldogs the top-seed in the Final Four for the first time since the current playoff format was instituted in 1994.

Adeogun posted dominating numbers in points and rebounds for San Beda this year and his presence inside the paint was one of the factors in the Red Lions’ fourth straight conquest of the NCAA cage wars.

Juno Sauler and Boyet Fernandez will also be receiving the Coach of the Year award in the event supported by Smart Sports, Accel 3XV1, Gatorade, Meralco, Talk 'N Text, Filoil Flying V, UAAP Season 76 host Adamson, NCAA Season 89 host College of St. Benilde and the Philippine Sportswriters Association.

Sauler and Fernandez will be given the highest honor in the coaching ranks as the bench tacticians of La Salle and San Beda respectively in their successful title runs this season.