MANILA, Philippines – Breakout games in the UAAP Season 85 men's and women's basketball tournaments were the catalysts to much-needed wins in the past week.
After a winless campaign last season, UE now holds a 3-2 card — with back-to-back wins to boot — courtesy of the impressive play of versatile forward Luis Villegas.
The first-year player is proving to be a rising star for the Red Warriors with averages of 16.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals in key wins against La Salle and UST.
Meanwhile, another rookie in Ateneo's Kacey Dela Rosa also turned heads with a stupendous stat line of 30 markers on 10-of-13 shooting, 20 boards and seven blocks in the Blue Eagles' 67-61 victory vs. UP.
Behind their breakout games, Villegas and Dela Rosa were hailed as the Collegiate Press Corps UAAP Co-Players of the Week presented by the Philippine Sports Commission.
"It's not an easy league to play (in). Every team is competitive and the physicality is real. It's a little bit difficult, but I feel like it's a better transition. For sure, this is a tough league," said Villegas.
For his part, Ateneo head coach LA Mumar was optimistic he'll see more top-flight performances from a young big he likened to an NBA legend.
"First of all, we really expect a lot from Shaq and Kobe. That's what I call them. They're really skilled and talented," he said, talking about Dela Rosa — the Shaquille O'Neal in the analogy — and veteran guard Jhazmin Joson — playing the role of Kobe Bryant.
"I'm very confident with their talent. I think they're such a deadly 1-2 combo. It gives us a chance every game to win," he added.
Villegas bested UP's Carl Tamayo, NU's Steve Nash Enriquez, and La Salle's Schonny Winston, while Dela Rosa bested Ateneo teammate Joson and NU's Mikka Cacho for the award also backed by MNL Kingpin, Tinapayan Festival, and Jockey.
In the history of the weekly citations decided and deliberated upon by scribes from print and online regularly covering the league, this is the third time that two players shared the honor.
The first was NU's Ria Nabalan and Ateneo's Ange Kouame in October 2018 followed by UST's CJ Cansino and Adamson's Mar Prado in October 2019. The group also handed out Co-Players of the Week honors in the NCAA with San Beda's Robert Bolick and Letran's Bong Quinto in August 2018.