The race for the 2011 UAAP Most Valuable Player is not yet over but many analyst and fans saying that they see only one player could get the MVP award. National University’s Bobby Ray Parks Jr., an 18-year old southpaw wingman, son of former seven-time PBA Best Import Bobby Parks, appeared to have edged out Ateneo’s Greg Slaughter in the race for the highest individual honor thanks to a couple of superb games last week. If Parks will win the MVP race then he will become the first player from a non-Final Four team to win the coveted UAAP Most Valuable Player award.
Parks had 25 points, nine rebounds and four assists in NU’s 56-40 triumph over La Salle before he followed it up with a 22-point, eight-rebound, six-assist and three-block performance in a 73-49 conquest of University of Santo Tomas at the close of the elimination round Sunday. Since 2009, the league relies solely on statistics to determine the MVP winner and Parks, barring any hitches, is expected to be named MVP during the finals.
The 6-foot-4 Parks averaged an impressive numbers of 20.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in the season although his efforts proved not enough to carry his team to the Final Four. NU finished the elimination round fifth with a 6-8 record. Parks had three 30-point games this season, including a 32-point explosion in a heart-breaking 84-82 loss to Far Eastern University on Aug. 27.
