Akowe leads Rookie of the Year race, to join Cabañero in Mythical 5

WITH FOUR more years of eligibility ahead of him, Collins Akowe is already making a significant impact for the Growling Tigers, emerging as a frontrunner for the UAAP Season 88 Rookie of the Year award and earning a spot in the Mythical Five.

The 19-year-old center is poised to become the Tigers’ first Rookie of the Year since Mark Nonoy in Season 82, the same year UST last reached the finals before falling to the Ateneo Blue Eagles.

For team captain Nic Cabañero, Akowe’s arrival signals a bright future for the España-squad

“I think he’ll continue to grow and be tougher — because imagine, he’s already the best FSA (foreign student athlete) and also the rookie,” Cabañero told The Flame after their 81-79 loss against the FEU Tamaraws in Round 2.

“Collins is something else, and I know that kid will continue to develop,” he added.

In Season 88, Akowe injected much-needed firepower into UST’s offense, finishing the elimination round as the league’s third-leading with 230 points and an average of 16.43 points per game.

The 6-foot-10 center also anchored the Tiger’s defense ending as the league’s second-best rebounder with 14.5 boards per game while ranking third in shot blocks with 22 blocks and 1.57 per game.

Before suiting up for UST, Akowe led the NU Bullpups to a silver-medal finish in Season 87, where he also joined the mythical team and clinched the inaugural Best Foreign Student-Athlete plum.

Second straight Mythical 5 spot

Graduating team captain Cabañero is likewise set to secure his second consecutive Mythical Five slot after finishing the eliminations as the league’s top scorer, amassing 235 points for 16.79-point average.

The longest tenured tiger, who once endured three consecutive cellar-dweller seasons with UST, now heads to his second straight Final Four appearance as well.

All eyes are now on the third-seeded Tigers as they attempt to dethrone the twice-to-beat defending champions UP Fighting Maroons in a win-or-go-home matchup on Wednesday, Dec. 3.

UST opened its Season 88 campaign with an 87-67 stunner over UP at their home turf, but the Maroons bounced back with a narrow 88-87 win in their Round 2 encounter.

“This is our step to enter the Final Four. We’ll focus on the Final Four and let’s see what will happen,” Cabañero said.

“But the goal is to be champions,” he added. F