Kirby Mongcopa is the real deal.

The 6-foot-4 forward has been the FEU Tamaraws’ best player in UAAP Season 89, and that continued in their 93-70 win over the ADMU Blue Eagles, where he had 19 points, six rebounds, seven assists and two steals. That he looks like FEU’s top option this season says plenty on a roster that also includes reigning UAAP MVP Janrey Pasaol.

The numbers back up the eye test. Through five games, he is averaging 16 points, 7.8 rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes per game while shooting 41.4 percent from the field. His scoring leads the Tamaraws and ranks third in the UAAP, behind Topher Lagat of the UE Red Warriors and Amiel Acido of the UST Growling Tigers, although both play for teams with losing records.

His only rough night came in the opener, a 56-53 loss to the AdU Soaring Falcons, when he scored four points on 2-of-11 shooting and committed six turnovers.

Since then, he has looked like a completely different player, averaging 19 points across four wins, highlighted by a season-high 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting in a statement win over the UP Fighting Maroons last week. He also posted 13 points, 13 rebounds and six assists against UE and scored 20 points against the reigning champion DLSU Green Archers.

What makes this FEU team special is that it is far from a one-player story. Mo Konateh, Jorick Bautista, Pasaol and rookie Cabs Cabonilas are all averaging at least nine points, and Pasaol being only the fifth-leading scorer on a team sitting atop the league at 4-1 shows how deep this group is.

Defense is the foundation of that success. The Tamaraws’ scoring margin of 13.2 points per game is the best in the league, and they allow the second-fewest points behind AdU’s 67, tie for first in perimeter points allowed (21) and rank third in opponent field-goal percentage (40.2 percent). They also allow the fewest assists (11.2) and second-chance points (9.6) and rank second in rebounds (47.6).

That defense feeds the offense, with FEU tied with the NU Bulldogs for first in assists (18) and first in both free-throw attempts (25.8) and starters’ points (58.4).

The Tamaraws must be respected as a legitimate contender this year, and if Mongcopa keeps playing like this, he just might win the MVP award himself.

That is a far cry from the outlook before last season, when many believed FEU’s title aspirations in the coming years would be diminished by the departure of forward Veejay Pre for UP. Instead, Pre’s exit opened the door for Mongcopa to slot into a major role as early as his rookie season, allowing him to blossom into arguably the best forward in the UAAP today. What’s scary for the rest of the league is that he is still just in his sophomore year, so this is clearly just the beginning for Mongcopa.