Arwind Santos

Arwind Santos

Alias	"The Spiderman"
Jersey No.	29
Position	Swingman / Forward
Current Team	Petron Blaze Boosters
Personal Info
Country	Philippines
Born	June 10, 1981 (1981-06-10) (age 30) Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines
Height	6 ft. 4 in.
Weight	170 lbs.
College	Far Eastern University
Career Highlights
Draft	2nd overall, 2006 by Air21 Express
Pro Career	2006 – present
Also played for	Air21 Express (2006-2008) San Miguel Beermen (2008-2011)
Awards Received
2002 UAAP Rookie of the Year 2003 UAAP Finals Most Valuable Player 2003 UAAP Mythical First Five 2003 UAAP Defensive Player of the Year 2004 UAAP Most Valuable Player 2004 UAAP Mythical First Five 2005 UAAP Most Valuable Player 2005 UAAP Finals Most Valuable Player 2005 UAAP Mythical First Five 2004 PBL Most Valuable Player 2004 PBL Mythical First Team 2006 PBL Mythical Second Team 2006-07 PBA All-Rookie Team 2006-07 PBA Mythical Second Team 2006-07 PBA All-Defensive Team 2007 PBA Blitz Game MVP 2007-08 PBA Mythical First Team 2007-08 PBA Defensive Player of the Year 2007-08 PBA All-Defensive Team 2008-09 PBA Mythical First Team 2008-09 PBA All-Defensive Team 2009-10 PBA Mythical First Team 2009-10 PBA All-Defensive Team 2010-11 PBA Mythical First Team 2010-11 PBA All-Defensive Team 2010-11PBA Defensive Player of the Year 2011 PBA Governors Cup Best Player of the Conference 2011 PBA Governors Cup Finals MVP 4x PBA All-Star (2008-2011)

Arwind Santos (born June 10, 1981 in Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines) is a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association playing for the Petron Blaze Boosters. He also played college hoops at Far Eastern University in the UAAP and the Magnolia Ice Cream Spinners in the Philippine Basketball League. Santos was selected second overall by the Air21 Express in the 2006 PBA Draft.

Amateur career

High School Career

Santos played for Lubao Institute during his high school career. In 2000, he became well known during zonal competitions because of his hardwork on the basketball court.

UAAP career

Santos arrived at the UAAP scene in 2002 with the FEU Tamaraws where he won Rookie of the Year honors. With the Tamaraws struggling to enter the Final Four, Santos was still able to put a decent performance. One of the highlights of his freshman year was a game-tying three against eventual champion Ateneo Blue Eagles.

In 2003, Santos led the Tamaraws to the UAAP title for the first time in six seasons, sweeping the Blue Eagles in the process. Santos was a candidate to win the Most Valuable Player Award, but was beaten by University of the East star James Yap. However, by leading the Tamaraws to the title, he was named Finals MVP. He was also named Defensive Player of the Year and was part of the Mythical Five together with season MVP Yap, Rich Alvarez, Paul Artadi, and Reynaldo Mendoza.^[1]

Santos would win the Most Valuable Player plum the next season (2004) but the Tamaraws lost to the De La Salle Green Archers in three crucial games. However, with the controversy that surrounded the Archers, the title was then awarded to the Morayta-based team. He also made it to the UAAP Mythical Five alongside Mark Cardona, LA Tenorio, Paolo Bugia and Dennis Miranda.

In his last year (2005) in the UAAP, he again led the team to the title by sweeping the anticipated championship rematch against the Green Archers thereby giving the FEU Tamaraws a three-peat from 2003-2005. Santos was adjudged Season MVP and Finals MVP. He was also named to the Mythical Five with Isip, Tenorio, Edwin Asoro and Joseph Yeo.

He is one of the only two players in the FEU Tamaraws that had his jersey retired. The other was Johnny Abarrientos.

Philippine Basketball League

In 2003, Santos made his PBL debut for Viva Mineral Water, a team composed of fellow FEU teammates. After a slow start, he led the Water Force all the way to the PBL Unity Cup Finals, where they lost in five games to Hapee Toothpaste.

In 2004, Santos led Viva to its first PBL crown defeating Welcoat Paints in the 2004 Unity Cup. He was adjudged PBL MVP during the tournament and was part of the 2004 Mythical Five alongside former PBA players Jojo Tangkay and Chester Tolomia and teammates Dennis Miranda and Mark Isip.^[2] In 2006, he led Magnolia Ice Cream to the PBL Heroes Cup title, coming back from 0-2 deficit to defeat Welcoat Paints. In the PBL Unity Cup, Magnolia made an early exit. However, Santos still made the Mythical Second Team in his final PBL conference.^[3]

PBA career

Santos during his tenure with the Air21 Express.

In the 2006 PBA Draft, Santos was selected second overall by the Air21 Express. He later signed a deal to play his first three seasons with the team, playing alongside Ranidel de Ocampo, Yancy de Ocampo, and KG Canaleta. He chose to wear the number 29 since his usual number 19 was already worn by Wynne Arboleda.

He ranked first among rookies in scoring during the Philippine Cup and almost led the Express to a quarterfinals appearance only to lose against the Sta. Lucia Realtors in a knockout match. He wound up with averages of 14.2 points per game (ppg), 8.3 rebounds per game (rpg), 0.9 assists per game (apg), 0.8 steals per game (spg), and 1.2 blocks per game (bpg). Because of his sterling play, he made it to the Mythical Second Team as well as the All-Defensive Team.

Santos was one of the leading contenders for the Rookie of the Year (ROY) honors at the season's end with the likes of Sta. Lucia's Kelly Williams and Welcoat's Jay-R Reyes as among the possible winners. Williams eventually won the ROY award. But Santos was part of the All-Rookie Team together with Williams, Jay-R Reyes, Jireh Ibañez and LA Tenorio.

The next season, 2007-2008 season, Santos and Williams faced each other again for the Philippine Cup Best Player of the Conference (BPC) award by finishing No. 1 and 2 in the statistical points (SPs). However, despite trailing in the SPs department, Williams would win the award with Santos finishing No. 2 just like in the previous year's rookie race. Santos eventually posted numbers of 16.3 ppg (8th-best), 9.6 rpg (4th best), 1.7 apg, 1.2 spg (8th-best) and 1.5 bpg (2nd-best) on the way to earning a berth in both the Mythical First Team and All-Defensive Team. He also won the Defensive Player of the Year award. He led the Express team to a runner-up finish against Barangay Ginebra together with import Steve Thomas in the Fiesta Cup. At season's end, Santos and Williams battled it out again, this time for the MVP award, which went again to Williams (2762 points) as against Santos' 1775 points. This would be the third time that Williams edged out Santos in the race for a major award (2006-07 ROY and 2007-08 Philippine Cup BPC).^[4].

In the 2008-2009 season, Santos averaged 26.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.2 spg and 1.1 bpg. By virtue of his consistent play, Santos made it to the Mythical First Team for the second year in a row and the All-Defensive Team for the third straight year.^[5]. This year would prove to be his last year with the Express team.

During the off season Arwind Santos finally got his wish to play for the San Miguel Beermen, the winningest team in the history of the Philippine Basketball Association. None among the officials confirmed the trade although a highly-placed source revealed that Santos was shipped to the Beermen in exchange for two players – 6-foot-4 power forward Marc Pingris and 6-foot-6 sophomore Ken Bono, and San Miguel's 2010 first round pick.^[6][7]

In the 2009-2010 season, his first year with the San Miguel franchise, he shared stellar minutes with the likes of Jay Washington, Dondon Hontiveros, Danny Seigle and Alex Cabagnot. Because of this his averages dipped a bit as he posted averages of 14.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 7.2 apg, 1.1 spg and 1.2 bpg. He again made it to the Mythical First Team (3rd-straight) and All-Defensive Team (4th time in 4 years).

In the first round of the 2010-11 Philippine Cup, San Miguel compiled an 11-3 record while Santos averaged 16.6 points per game. In the 2011 PBA Governors Cup, he was awarded with the Best Player of the Conference. ^[8] He also led his team to an improbable championship in the Governor's Cup conference over the highly favored Talk 'N Text team who was aiming to complete a grand slam. In so doing, he was named the Phoenix Fuels-PBA Press Corps Finals MVP.^[9] Santos posted the following averages at season's end, 25.3 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 7.2 apg, 1.0 spg and 1.3 bpg on the way to earning berths in the Mythical First Team and All-Defensive Team for the 4th and 5th year in a row, respectively.

International career

He also suited up for the Philippine National Team a couple of times under coach Chot Reyes in 2006 and coach Yeng Guiao in 2008.

In August 2010, Santos, along with other PBA players, was considered as a possible reinforcement for Smart Gilas, as the developmental Philippine national basketball team was looking to make the squad more competitive.^[10]

Santos also suited up for the PBA All-Stars in the NBA-Asia Challenge 2009 dubbed as "NBA Generations vs. PBA All-Stars" held last September 11, 2009 at the Araneta Coliseum^[11]. The NBA Generations team featured NBA legends Dominique Wilkins, Tim Hardaway, Vlade Divac and Robert Horry and coached by NBA six-time MVP and Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Making up the PBA All-Stars line-up were PBA legends Alvin Patrimonio, Allan Caidic, Ronnie Magsanoc, Benjie Paras and Kenneth Duremdes and active players Santos, Wynne Arboleda, Japeth Aguilar, Dondon Hontiveros, Jay-R Reyes, Marc Pingris, Enrico Villanueva, Sonny Thoss, Willie Miller and Joseph Yeo.^[12] The NBA Generations defeated the PBA All-Stars 109-86 behind the efforts of Wilkins (28 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) and Horry (10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists). The PBA All-Stars were led by Caidic, Miller and Hontiveros with 15, 14 and 10 points, respectively while Santos scored 5 points.

Santos was again selected to play in the NBA-Asia Challenge 2010 where the two teams, Red and White, were composed of a mixture of NBA and PBA legends as well as NBA D-Leaguers and active PBA players. Making up the Red team were NBA legends Glen Rice and Gary Payton, D-leaguers Darnell Lazare and Chris McCray reinforced by PBA legends Caidic, Vergel Meneses, Atoy Co and active players like Santos, Rico Maierhofer and LA Tenorio while the White team was composed of NBA legends Chris Webber and Mitch Richmond with help from D-leaguers Richie Frahm, who was also a former PBA import, and Mark Tyndale and PBA legends Paras, Magsanoc, Patrimonio and active players Hontiveros and Ronald Tubid. Santos fired 16 points along with Meneses as they supported Caidic who scored 54 points including 14 3-point shots as the Red team walloped the White team 177-167.^[13].

Achievements

UAAP

• 1-Time UAAP Rookie of the Year
  • 65th UAAP season
• 2-Time UAAP Most Valuable Player
  • 67th UAAP season
  • 68th UAAP season
• 2-Time UAAP Finals Most Valuable Player
  • 66th UAAP season
  • 68th UAAP season
• 3-Time Mythical First Five Member
  • 66th UAAP season
  • 67th UAAP season
  • 68th UAAP season

Philippine Basketball League

• 1-Time PBL Most Valuable Player
  • 2004 PBL Unity Cup
• 1-Time PBL Mythical First Team Member
  • 2004 PBL Unity Cup
• 1-Time PBL Mythical Second Team Member
  • 2006 PBL Unity Cup

Philippine Basketball Association

• 4-Time PBA Mythical First Team Member
  • 2007-2008 PBA Season
  • 2008-2009 PBA Season
  • 2009-2010 PBA Season
  • 2010-2011 PBA Season
• 5-Time PBA All Defensive Team Member
  • 2006-2007 PBA Season
  • 2007-2008 PBA Season
  • 2008-2009 PBA Season
  • 2009-2010 PBA Season
  • 2010-2011 PBA Season
• 4-Time PBA All-Star
  • 2007-2008 PBA Season
  • 2008-2009 PBA Season
  • 2009-2010 PBA Season
  • 2010-2011 PBA Season
• 2-Time PBA Defensive Player of the Year
  • 2007-2008 PBA Season
  • 2010-2011 PBA Season^[14]
• 2-Time PBA Mythical Second Team Member
  • 2006-2007 PBA Season
  • 2010-2011 PBA Season
• 1-Time Best Player of the Conference
  • 2010-2011 Governor's Cup
• 1-time PBA Finals MVP
  • 2011 Governors Cup

References

1. ^ http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t35602.html
2. ^ http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=254200
3. ^ http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/manila-bulletin/mi_7968/is_2006_June_11/devance-pbl-mvp/ai_n34330438/
4. ^ http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/the-long-tangled-history-of-arwind-santos-and-kelly-williams
5. ^ http://www.pba-online.net/profile/Arwind-Santos/
6. ^ Santos to San Miguel Finalized
7. ^ Galvez, Waylon (July 28, 2009). "BK’s Santos traded to San Miguel". Manila Bulletin. http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/213222/bk-s-santos-traded-san-miguel. Retrieved January 10, 2011. 
8. ^ http://www.pba.ph/news/entry/1095
9. ^ http://www.pba.ph/news/entry/1107
10. ^ Galvez, Waylon (August 17, 2010). "Smart-Gilas now wants Yap, Santos". Manila Bulletin. http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/272850/smartgilas-now-wants-yap-santos. Retrieved January 10, 2011. 
11. ^ http://www.gmapinoytv.com/article/158/NBA-Asia-Challenge-2009
12. ^ http://www.philstar.com/thedeanscorner/articlescontent.aspx?articleid=498541&publicationsubcategoryid=69
13. ^ http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/08/28/10/triggerman-steals-show-nba-asia-challenge
14. ^ http://www.pba.ph/news/entry/1147

External links

• UBelt.com Arwind Santos profile
• Air21 Arwind Santos profile

Preceded by Mark Cardona	UAAP Men's Basketball Rookie of the Year 2002	Succeeded by JV Casio
Preceded by Larry Fonacier & Wesley Gonzales	UAAP Men's Basketball Finals Most Valuable Player 2003	Succeeded by Mark Cardona
Preceded by James Yap	UAAP Men's Basketball Most Valuable Player 2004-05	Succeeded by Ken Bono
Preceded by Mark Cardona	UAAP Men's Basketball Finals Most Valuable Player 2005	Succeeded by Jojo Duncil
Preceded by Wynne Arboleda	PBA Defensive Player of the Year 2007-2008	Succeeded by Wynne Arboleda
Preceded by Rey Evangelista	PBA Governors Cup Best Player Award 2011	Succeeded by incumbent

Persondata
Name	Santos, Arwind
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	July 10, 1981
Place of birth	Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines
Date of death
Place of death