MANILA, Philippines – Mapua’s Allwell Oraeme bested a host of local aces and fellow foreign players to win the MVP honors in the 91st NCAA men’s basketball tournament, becoming the first rookie to achieve the feat since 2006.
Oraeme, the 19-year-old find from Lagos, Nigeria, posted monster averages of league-highs 20.28 rebounds and 2.94 blocks on top of 16.33 points to power the Cardinals to their first Final Four appearance in five years.
“Honestly I didn’t expect to win the MVP award, I was really surprised,” said Oraeme, who thus matched the rookie MVP feat of compatriot Sam Ekwe nine years ago.
Oraeme had a total Player All-Around Value (PAV) of 69.67, besting San Beda’s Arthur dela Cruz (60.61), Perpetual Help’s two-time MVP Earl Scottie Thompson (57.72), Arellano U’s Jio Jalalon (55.67) and Perpetual Help’s Bright Akhuetie (52.88), who later formed the First Mythical team with Oraeme.
The Mapua ace, the league’s third Rookie MVP winner after Ekwe and Phl Christian U’s Gabby Espinas, who dominated the league 11 years ago, also bagged the Defensive Player of the Year plum.
Michael Enriquez made it a double celebration for the Muralla-based school after bagging the MVP award in the juniors division.
San Beda made the last MVP sweep in 2010 when American Sudan Daniel dominated the seniors play and Baser Amer reigned in juniors category.
Enriquez actually took the coveted plum after closest rival La Salle-Greenhills’ Ricci Rivero was automatically disqualified to vie for any individual award after getting ejected early in the season.
Rivero led the pack with 57.35 PAV as against Enriquez’s 48.50.