Ateneo's Ange Kouame and Thirdy Ravena and Letran's Rhenz Abando will be recognized as the Basketball Players of the Year by the Collegiate Press Corps. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/Mix Gatpandan.
MANILA -- The Collegiate Press Corps' Awards Night will return after a three-year absence to honor the best athletes of the past collegiate seasons at Hummingbird Rooftop Bar in Quezon City on Monday.
This year's awards night will recognize the top student-athletes of UAAP Seasons 82-85 and NCAA Seasons 95-98, with Ateneo's Thirdy Ravena and Ange Kouame and Letran's Rhenz Abando leading the fray as the Collegiate Basketball Players of the Year.
Ravena will be awarded the 2019-20 edition of the plum presented by San Miguel Corporation after leading the Blue Eagles to a 16-0 sweep of the Season 82 men's basketball tournament, giving Ateneo a third straight UAAP championship.
Joining Ravena in the year's Mythical Five are Letran's Jerrick Balanza and Fran Yu, San Beda's Calvin Oftana and University of Santo Tomas' Soulemane Chabi Yo.
Abando, meanwhile, will take home the 2021-22 edition of the award after helping the Knights complete a sweep of their own in Season 97, all while accomplishing the rare feat of being both the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the process.
Letran teammate Jeo Ambohot joins Abando in that year's Mythical Team alongside University of the Philippines' Carl Tamayo and Malick Diouf and Ateneo's Kouame, who turned out to be the best collegiate cager in the following year.
Kouame will wrap up the troika of Collegiate Basketball Players of the Year awardees after a stellar showing in Season 85, bringing the crown back to Loyola Heights in his final year of eligibility.
Joining the Season 85 Finals MVP in the latest Mythical Five selections are College of St. Benilde's Will Gozum, UP's Diouf, Letran's Louie Sangalang and Adamson's Jerom Lastimosa.
The CPC will also honor the brilliant minds in the sideline, starting with former Knights coach-turned-Northport tactician Bonnie Tan collecting the 2019-23 NCAA Coach of The Year awards backed by Robinson's Supermarket, Robinson's Appliances and Handyman.
Tab Baldwin will be hailed as the UAAP's Coach of the Year for 2019-20 and 2022-23 while Katipunan rival Goldwin Monteverde of the Fighting Maroons is set to be the 2021-22 winner of the award.
The volleyball events from 2019-20 were unfortunately and prematurely shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, when the girls of the taraflex returned to the scene, they showed nothing but excellence, raising the bar for the future of Philippine volleyball.
The UAAP saw two straight seasons of an athlete bagging the rare Rookie-MVP citation in National University's Bella Belen and La Salle's Angel Canino, all while the NCAA was painted with Green and White for two years with the dominance of the CSB Lady Blazers.
Belen spearheaded the Lady Bulldogs to a dominant season sweep of Season 84's women's volleyball tournament, earning her the 2021-22 Collegiate Volleyball Player of the Year award presented by the Philippine Sports Commission.
Joining Belen as a recipient of that year's best ace on the volleyball court is Benilde's Mycah Go, who helped her team to a historic season sweep.
The following year was all for Taft as Canino and Lady Blazer Gayle Pascual co-won the annual honor backed by minor sponsors MNL Kingpin, Tinapayan Festival and Jockey.