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MANILA, Philippines - He slashes like a panther, can dance in the middle and shoots from afar with the flair of a battle-tested warrior. Not only he’s tough as a nail player but he’s also a consummate leader.

That’s RR Garcia, the sophomore guard of Far Eastern University.

Many times he rescued his team from the jaws of defeat – whether he will set a play for a teammate or do it all the way to make the winning shot.

For that, the 5-foot-10 guard from Zamboanga, according to a UAAP insider, is all poised to lift the coveted UAAP Most Valuable Player award.

The coronation, however, will have to wait since league officials normally award the MVP trophy in Game 2 of the Finals.

Garcia capped his brilliant show in the elims by helping the Tamaraws beat the Ateneo Eagles, 74-72 last Saturday, a win that enabled them to clinch the No. 1 spot in the Final Four.

He scored only eight points in that game but his booming three-point bomb with 42 ticks flattened the Eagles.

Garcia, who played all 14 games, led the league in scoring with an average of 16.8 points and had 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steals as the Morayta-based squad posted the best record with a 12-2 slate.

Barring any hitches, the 20-year-old native Garcia will be the first guard since ex-Tamaraw and basketball legend Johnny Abarrientos won it in 1991.

Other notable FEU cagers who bagged the MVP plum were Joselito Roa (1961), import Anthony Williams (1981), Garcia’s coach Glenn Capacio (1983) and Arwind Santos, the last Tamaraw to win the MVP in 2004 and 2005.

Garcia, according to a source beat out National University’s Cameroonian import Emmanuel Mbe and FEU teammate Aldrech Ramos in one of tightest MVP races in recent memory. League rules based the winner solely on statistics for the second straight season.

Though he struggled of late, Garcia still managed to compile 59.2 statistical points with Mbe finishing in second with 59.0 points. Ramos came in third with 58.7 points.

“Ilang beses kaming sinave ni RR sa season na ito so I’m happy for him,” said Capacio. “Lately tight siya dahil nandun yung pressure sa kanya pero ngayon at least nakuha na niya and hopefully lumabas pa yung laro niya.”