MANILA – University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons center Bright Akhuetie’s hard work this season paid off – he will be conferred the UAAP Season 81 men’s basketball Most Valuable Player award Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The transferee from University of Perpetual Help Altas is the first UAAP MVP awardee from the Fighting Maroons since Fort Acuna captured the recognition 49 years ago.
“I feel blessed and happy that I made the decision to go to UP,” Akhuetie said. “I don’t know how it would have been if I went someplace else. I thank God I made the right decision.”
“I thank God I was able to bag [the award],” the Nigerian center added. “It’s been really rough, I won’t lie. I’ve been struggling from the start of the season, with injuries and all.”
Akhuetie was the runaway winner with averages of 18.9 points and 14.6 rebounds while helping the Fighting Maroons reach the final round for the first time since 1986.
He was also part of the Mythical Five along with teammate Juan Gomez de Liano, De La Salle University’s Justine Baltazar, University of the East’s Alvin Pasaol, and Adamson University’s Jerrick Ahanmisi.
Ivorian Angelo Kouame of Ateneo Blue Eagles was second in the MVP race but he was removed from the Mythical Five, as per UAAP ruling that there should be only one foreign player among the five honorees.
Instead Kouame gets the UAAP Rookie of the Year award, defeating University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers star Crispin John Cansino./PN
