Player of the Week: Arwind Santos

FINISHING the threshing-out process in the PBA Governors Cup stronger than he started was Petron Blaze’s Arwind Santos, making him the unanimous choice as the Accel-PBA Press Corps’ Player of the Week for the period Aug. 1 to 7.

The 6-foot-4 Santos shone the brightest among the locals in the week that was, enabling the Boosters to notch back-to-back wins that helped propel them to the finals of the season-ending conference and perhaps redemption against Philippine Cup tormentor Talk N Text.

“Mahihirapan kaming marating ang kinalalagyan namin ngayon kung hindi sa napakalaking tulong ni Arwind,” said Petron coach Ato Agustin of the former shooting forward transplanted to the power forward slot due to key absences in the team.

“Masaya talaga ako para sa kanya dahil deserving talaga siya for the citation,” added Agustin.

Santos sure did deliver just when his team needed it most.

In victories over B-MEG and Talk N Text, the Angeles City native posted averages of 20.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocked shots, an assist and a steal.

Those numbers were even more impressive than when he normed 14.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and a steal in a similar two-game winning stretch that made him co-recipient, along with Tropang Texter guard Jayson Castro, of the honor on June 13-19.

All in all, Santos has been averaging 16.7 points, 14.5 rebounds, 11.1 assists, as many steals and 1.7 blocked shots going to the best-of-seven championship series.

He leads the import-spiced tournament in swatted shots, is tops among locals in rebounding and double-doubles (10) and fourth among locals in points production, making him one of the top prospects for the Best Player of the Conference award.

Santos just wants to focus on helping his team win the title over the same Talk N Text crew that beat them in six games during the Philippine Cup crown chase.

It should take a lot of doing since the Boosters are without the injured Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Jay Washington, Lordy Tugade and Joseph Yeo.

But Santos remains unfazed. “Mas gusto naming makabawi,” he said. “Sa ngayon iyon lang talaga ang focus namin.”(pr)

Players of the Week: Jason Castro, Arwind Santos

PICKING up the cudgels for sidelined teammates has netted Talk N Text’s Jason
Castro and Petron Blaze’s Arwind Santos some good results.
The two play different positions but similarly shone brightest for their hobbled
teams in the PBA Governors Cup, earning for them the Accel-PBA Press Corps’
Co-Players of the Week honors for the period June 13 to 19.
Castro made the Tropang Texters hardly miss the services of ace playmaker Jimmy
Alapag as he came off the bench twice to average 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and
5.5 assists in leading them to a 2-0 start in the tournament they aim to top to
realize a rare Grand Slam.
“With Jimmy out we were looking at him to provide leadership and he has been
delivering,” said Talk N Text coach Chot Reyes of his combo guard.
 Petron was worse off with more key players absent. But Santos rose to the
occasion by norming 14.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 1.0 steals in
helping the Boosters notch back-to-back wins after opening up their campaign on
a sour note.
“Isa siya talaga sa pinaka inaasahan ng team at I’m glad he’s been rising up to
the challenge,” said Petron coach Ato Agustin of the 6-foot-4 shooting forward
transplanted to the 4 slot by necessity.
Alapag suffered a sprain just four minutes into the second half and was
sidelined from thereon in their opening game against Alaska last Wednesday.
There was really no cause for immediate concern as Castro took over and scored
seven of his 11 points in the fourth period, ensuring the Texters complete their
101-75 rout.
The 5-10 spitfire was more fiery their next time out as he churned out 22
points, eight rebounds, as many assists and also had a steal and a block in a
120-108 win over erstwhile unbeaten Rain or Shine that put the Texters alongside
idle Meralco for the lead.
Injuries to his teammates also admittedly spurred Santos as he readily picked up
the cudgels for sidelined fellow frontliners Jay Washington (left foot), Danny
Ildefonso (knee) and Nonoy Baclao (knee), as well as point guard Denok Miranda
(foot).
With Washington suffering his injury just seven minutes into the game against
Air21 last Friday, Santos took it upon himself to work doubly harder in tending
the boards. Result was a career-high 21 rebounds, going well with his 15 points
and five blocks in Petron’s breakthrough 115-106 win.
He followed that up with 13 points, six rebounds, two steals, as many blocks and
an assist in the Boosters’ follow-up 100-89 victory over sister team Barangay
Ginebra last Sunday.PR

Arwind, Devance, Carey still in the hunt

What initially loomed as a duel for the Rain or Shine-PBA Philippine
Cup Elims/Quarters Top Performer Award between Alaska’s Joe Devance
and Talk ‘N Text’s Harvey Carey has turned into a three-way fight,
with a resurgent Arwind Santos of San Miguel Beer joining the fray.

Devance, the Aces’ 3-point shooting forward, and Carey, the Tropang
Texters’ hard-driving frontliner, appeared to have a lock on the
award, presented for the second time by the PBA Press Corps to the
best performing player in the All-Filipino Conference prior to the
best-of-seven semifinals.

But Devance, whose Aces fell to the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the
best-of-three quarterfinals, took a slide in his average statistical
points after the series, allowing Santos to reel in the early leader.

Talk ‘N Text and San Miguel skipped the quarters after clinching
outright Final Four berths for finishing No. 1 and No. 2 in the
classification stage of the elimination round.

Santos averaged 34.7 statistical points (SPs) after 15 games, Devance
finished with 34.5 in 17 matches, and Carey with 34.4 in 15 outings. A
second SMB player, Jay Washington, is in fourth with 34.1 average SPs.

Prior to his injury early this season, Ranidel de Ocampo, Talk ‘N
Text’s comebacking forward, was the runaway choice last season. But
the proximity to each other of the current pacesetters has made the
race much more heated than before.

The PBAPC also casts its vote for Best Player of the Conference and
the Most Valuable Player, and chooses the Finals MVP at the end of
each conference.

The award will be presented on Jan. 5 at the Araneta Coliseum by PBA
Commissioner Chito Salud, PBA vice chairman Mert Mondragon of Rain or
Shine, and the PBAPC.(pr)