Should it have not been for an unsportsmanlike foul, Karim Abdul could have been MVP of Season 74.
Now, the prized University of Santo Tomas slotman is making up for lost time, leading the whole UAAP pack in the race to the MVP plum of the 75th UAAP men's basketball tournament.
It might have not been that obvious, but the main reason why the Growling Tigers sit atop the leaderboard at the end of the first round is Abdul's consistent play. Yes, Aljon Mariano, Jeric Teng, Kevin Ferrer, Kim Lo and Clark Bautista have all shone bright in a game or two, but Abdul's production has been there from Day One.
The six-foot-eight Cameroonian anchors both UST's offense and defense, allowing their bevy of sharpshooters to park in the corners or elbows waiting for that kickoff pass and drain a triple. He draws double teams, spaces the floor and has added that slick midrange jumper to that repertoire.
In seven games, Abdul has normed 17.6 points (second in the league), 13.6 rebounds (first), 1.6 steals (sixth) and 1.6 blocks (sixth), not bad for someone who just picked up a basketball a few years ago.
Opponents have been more brutally physical against Abdul this season, but unlike last year, the Engineering major has been better at handling the pushes, shoves and occasional cheap shots and has not let the physicality get the best of him. Abdul still vehemently complains about non-calls but it's not enough to take him off the flow of the game.
If the Tigers continue their run and Abdul continues to pile up the stats, we might be seeing the first foreigner UAAP MVP in recent memory. The hulking center will also be the first Thomasian to win the award since another hulking center in Jervy Cruz won it for UST in 2006.
Abdul, though, should not rest on his laurels as reigning MVP Bobby Ray Parks seem hell-bent on making it back-to-back after posting two straight 30-point games this past week. Ateneo giant Greg Slaughter is also right there with them, what with his nightly double-doubles and efficient shooting providing legitimate threats to Abdul's bid.
La Salle rookie Jeron Teng and Far Eastern University gunner Terrence Romeo, likewise, are contenders for the trophy, too, and a bad game or two from Abdul will allow these youngsters to rise up and overtake him.
This is turning out to be an exciting race for the MVP plum. We have a full-blooded foreigner (Abdul), a Fil-Am with a black father (Parks), a Fil-Am with a white father (Slaughter), a Fil-Chinese (Teng) and a pure Pinoy (Romeo) slugging it out for the honors as the country's most popular basketball league's best player.