The sons also rise and that was proven by Ray Parks and Paolo Hubalde who led the way in the statistical categories in the MPBL Datu Cup.
Parks, son of the late seven-time PBA Best Import Bobby Parks, paced the scoring department as he averaged 21.3 points per game. The star player of the Mandaluyong El Tigre-Dataland took over the scoring leadership from Michael Juico of the Pampanga Lanterns, who dropped to second with an average of 21.1 ppg.
But Parks, who expressed his intention to join the coming PBA Rookie Draft, proved to everybody that he’s more than just a scorer as he wound up fourth best in assist with seven assists per game and is eighth in steals with 1.9 per game.
Parks’ overall performance had a huge impact on Mandaluyong, which won six in a row to end up in second spot of the Northern Division of this event put up by Senator Manny Pacquiao with PBA legend and former MVP Kenneth Duremdes serving as commissioner.
Also cracking the top five in the scoring leaders list were Reed Juntilla of the Zamboanga Valientes-Family’s Brand Sardines, Patrick Cabahug of the Cebu Sharks-Casino Ethyl Alcohol and Gab Banal of the Bacoor Strikers.
Juntilla averages 19.5 ppg to end up at third spot while Cabahug made it to no. 4 with an 18.9 ppg average. Banal, son of multi-titled player and coach Joel Banal, made the top five by averaging 18.5 ppg.
Hubalde was the best playmaker in the tournament and he proved that when he led in assists.
Signed to a lifetime contract by the Valenzuela Classic-CDO Idol Cheesedog, Hubalde averaged 8.5 apg. The son of former PBA MVP and 40 Greatest PBA Players member Freddie Hubalde also proved that he’s one of the best hustling players, ending up second best in steals with 2.8 spg.
Frontliners who did the dirty job for their respective teams also gained the spotlight as Felix Apreku of the Muntinlupa Cagers-Angelis Resort and Jeff Morillo of the Quezon City Capitals-Black Mamba made the list.
Apreku led the tournament in rebounds, grabbing 13.4 rebounds per game while Morillo, a 6-foot-6 center, is swatting away 3.4 bpg and emerged as the human eraser of the MPBL Datu Cup.
In rebounds, undersized forward Mark Montuano of the Bacoor Strikers places second behind Apreku with 11.6 rpg followed by Bernzon Franco of the Pasig Pirates with 11. 3 rpg.
Rounding out the top five in rebounds are JR Taganas of the Bulacan Kuyas-Mighty Sports with 10.9 rpg at no. 4 while Harold Arboleda of the Parañaque Patriots-F2 Logistics ended up at no. 5 with 10.1 rpg.
Arboleda, however, led the league in most double-double outputs with 10.
Ex-pros Mikee Reyes of the Bacoor Strikers and Jerick Cañada of the Bulacan Kuyas cracked the top five in assists. Reyes, former guard of TNT, averages 7.1 apg at no. 3 while Cañada placed fifth with 6.5 apg.
The MPBL Datu Cup also had a new steals leader in Chris Masaglang of the Gen San Warriors-Golden State College, who averaged 3.3 spg.”‹
