2 Bombers win NCAA MVP awards
Jose Rizal University made up for its post-season failure by sweeping the Most Valuable Player awards in both the seniors and juniors divisions in the 85th NCAA basketball tournament.
Clutch shooter John Wilson edged American rookie Sudan Daniel of reigning three-peat champion San Beda for the MVP plum while Light Bomber Louie Vigil copped the award in the high school side to complete the Kalentong-based school’s domination of the two highest individual awards.
The 6-foot-1 Wilson amassed average statistical points of 52.7 to beat the 6-foot-8 Daniel, who tallied 51.3 points.
Wilson thus became the first Bomber to win the award since Ernani Epondulan accomplished the feat eight seasons back and sixth overall.
The other former MVPs from Jose Rizal were Estelito Epondulan (1990), Philip Cezar (1972), Sixto Agbay (1969), and Roel Deles (1967).
Vigil, for his part, was the runaway winner in the juniors’ section after he finished with 68.2 average points, way ahead of Letran’s Jarelan Tampus (60.7) and Glenn Khobuntin (59.6), teammate Joshua Saret (57.6), and San Beda’s Baser Amer (57.3).
Vigil’s dominating effort was a follow-up to former teammate Keith Agovida’s snaring the MVP award last season making it two in a row for a school that lost its Final Four games.
Wilson and Daniel led the elite Mythical Five that included Arellano U’s Giorgio Ciriacruz (43.3), San Sebastian’s Calvin Abueva (42.6), and Letran’s RJ Jazul (42.3).
San Sebastian’s Jimbo Aquino would have been in Jazul’s spot but was disqualified from receiving any individual award for a disqualification foul he committed in the Stags’ playoff match with the Lions, who eventually won it, 71-65, Wednesday.
Daniel, who led the league in blocks by swatting a total of 75 shots or a whopping 53 more than closest pursuer San Sebastian’s talented rookie Ian Sangalang, is also the Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year, while Amer is Rookie of the Year and Vigil the Defensive Player of the Year in the high school section.




