The Top Five #UAAP77 Small Forwards as of August 6, 2014

Who is the top SF in Season 77 so far?

When one talks of UAAP swingmen, it’s pretty obvious that guys like Jeron Teng, Chris Newsome, and Kevin Ferrer should be included in the conversation, right? Yes, but we also cannot leave out some of the other SFs who have been quite productive early in the season. I mean, guys like Roger Pogoy, Glenn Khobuntin, and Dave Moralde deserve to get noticed, too. So here they are, the top five small forwards in the UAAP so far.

You want something surprising, though? One of the top three guys I mentioned in that introductory paragraph didn’t even crack the top eight.

Without further ado, here they are – the top five UAAP small forwards as of August 6, 2014:

*These rankings are based on average Player Efficiency (EFF) calculations.

**EFF = {[(points + rebounds + assists + steals + blocks) – (turnovers + field goals missed + free throws missed)] ÷ # of games}

5. Moriah Gingerich (UP) – 4.6ppg, 3.2rpg, 1.0apg, .333 3pt%, .529 FG%, 6.6 EFF

- This Faith Academy alum isn’t exactly top of mind when talking about the league’s best swingmen, but the fact is Gingerich has a very specific role to play for UP and he plays it quite well. He’s certainly no Kirk Long, but, again, he’s effective at what he does, which is to play good defense and do the dirty work. He hardly scores any points, but he also makes very few errors, which basically means he’s quite the efficient player.

4. Dave Moralde (UP) – 12.0ppg, 1.8rpg, 1.6apg, 2.2 triples per game, .379 3pt%, 1.000 FT%, 7.0 EFF

- Whoa! Two Maroons in the top five?! Yep. Sure, Moralde moonlights as an off-guard, but his size and skill-set make him the perfect tweener-wingman for UP. He scores at about the same rate as Sam Marata, but he’s much more efficient, shooting 38% from beyond the arc and 100% from the line so far. Is he the savior UP has been pining for? Hell, no, but he might be the closest they’ll get this season. Now about those 3 turnovers per outing…

Former Bedan Dave Moralde has become UP's main offensive weapon.
(image from Nicki Rasgo/BurnSports)

3. Glenn Khobuntin (NU) – 8.3ppg, 8.0rpg, 2.3apg, 9.5 EFF

- The “more playing time leads to more production” effect seems to be applicable in Khobuntin’s case. The former Letran Squires star has always been some sort of a role player ever since joining NU in Season 73, but he’s definitely making the most of his chances this time around. He’s posting career-best numbers in most categories and, well, his Bulldogs are sitting pretty atop the standings.

2. Jeron Teng (DLSU) – 11.6ppg, 6.8rpg, 4.0apg, 9.6 EFF

- Teng hasn’t really been very impressive early in the season. Sure, his passing game has noticeably improved, but he hasn’t been doing well in terms of what’s most expected of him – scoring. His average of 11.6 points per game is a career-low so far, while his FG% has also hit rock bottom at just 29%. Still, Teng is the second-best SF out there because of his many other contributions for the Archers.

Jeron Teng's scoring has dipped, but he still contributes in other areas.
(image by Nicki Rasgo/BurnSports)

1. Chris Newsome (AdMU) – 12.0ppg, 8.0rpg, 1.6apg, 1.0bpg, 1.0 triple per game, .625 3pt%, .750 FT%, 15.4 EFF

- By all indications, Newsome is having a tremendous season so far. He regularly flirts with a double-double, and he’s showing a more polished perimeter game. He still goes strong to the basket and has displayed more confidence. And that’s even with most of his numbers dipping a little bit. Ateneo will need for this guy to be consistent, though, so the jury is still our on whether Newsome can keep his spot at the top.

Chris Newsome continues to put up big numbers for the Blue Eagles.
(image from Marlon Bernabe/BurnSports)

Outside looking in:

Roger Pogoy (FEU) – 6.4 EFF

Bong Galanza (UE) – 6.0 EFF

Jansen Rios (AdU) – 6.0 EFF

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