MANILA, Philippines – Mapua's Allwell Oraeme took the Rookie MVP honors of the 91st NCAA basketball tournament and became the first one to achieve such feat since fellow Nigerian Sam Ekwe of San Beda did it nine years ago.
The 19-year-old Oraeme won the awards after posting monster averages of league highs 20.28 rebounds and 2.94 blocks on top of 16.33 points a game while helping the Mapua Cardinals make their first Final Four stint after a four-year absence.
Oraeme thus became the league's third Rookie MVP winner after Ekwe and Phl Christian U's Gabby Espinas 11 years ago.
"Honestly I didn't expect to win the MVP award, I was really surprised," said Oraeme, who is incidentally a native of Lagos, Nigeria just like Ekwe, the last MVP winner.
Oraeme had a total Player All-Around Value (PAV) of 69.67, besting San Beda's Arthur dela Cruz (60.61), Perpetual Help's Earl Scottie Thompson (57.72), Arellano U's Jio Jalalon (55.67) and Perpetual Help's Bright Akhuetie (52.88), who all ended up as part of the First Mythical Team.
Oraeme also bagged the Defensive Player of the Year plum.
Michael Enriquez made it a twin celebration after he won the MVP juniors award to complete an MVP sweep.
The last MVP sweep was accomplished by San Beda in 2010 when American Sudan Daniel and Baser Amer won it.
Interestingly, Enriquez won it after La Salle-Greenhills' Ricci Rivero was disqualified.
Rivero led everyone with 57.35 PAV as against Enriquez's 48.50 but the former was ejected early in the season that made him ineligible to win any individual award.