The UAAP and NCAA Press Corps will fete the top achievers of the two leagues when the 2007 Collegiate Basketball Awards presented by ANTA unfolds tonight at the Coral A Ballroom of the Manila Pavilion.
Coaches of the Year Franz Pumaren of La Salle and Louie Alas of Letran and Most Valuable Players Jervy Cruz of Santo Tomas and Kelvin dela Pena of Mapua lead the the major awardees in the ANTA-backed annual rites supported by the Philippine Sportswriters Association, San Miguel Corp., the Philippine Sports Commission, Harbour Centre and Hapee Toothpaste.Chito Loyzaga, a member of the San Beda team that won a back-to-back in 1977-78 and a member of the PBA All-Defensive Team eight straight times from 1985-92, will be the guest speaker in the night of festivities organized by a group of sportswriters from the country's leading broadsheets and tabloids covering the two leagues.San Beda's Ogie Menor and La Salle's JV Casio were the recipients of the San Miguel Scoring Champion plums while San Beda's Nigerian center Sam Ekwe and Ateneo's Nonoy Baclao the San Miguel Defensive Players of the Year.The highlight of the night, however, is the ANTA Collegiate Mythical First Team composed of Cruz, dela Pena, Ateneo's Chris Tiu, University of the East's Mark Borboran and San Beda's Yousif Aljamal.Other ANTA awardees were La Salle's Cholo Villanueva and Letran's RJ Jazul (Mr. Clutch), Ateneo's Ford Arao and Letran's Bryan Faundo (Most Improved), Far Eastern U's JR Cawaling and Mapua's Jonathan Banal (Rookie), UE's Paul Lee and Letran's Rey Guevarra (Sixth Man), La Salle's Rico Maierhofer and Jose Rizal's Marvin Hayes (Sixth Man), UE's Jorel Canizares and St. Benilde's Kris Robles (Sportsmanship) and La Salle's TY Tang (Super Senior).The group will also pay a special tribute to UST's Felicitas Francisco for her significant contributions in the league, NCAA and Jose Rizal president Dr. Vincent Fabella (Executive of the Year) and La Salle's Hero Yu and Terry Capistrano and San Beda's Mike Advani (Managers of the Year).To be honored with a posthumous award are former UE assistant coach Gido Babilonia and former Abante Tonite sportswriter Ace Pasco.Rounding up the honorees were Juniors MVPs Ryan Buenafe of San Sebastian and David Webb of La Salle-Zobel and Juniors top rookie Kiefer Ravena of Ateneo.
