Former MVP winners Willie Miller, James Yap and Kelly Williams were among six players who emerged as official candidates for the Best Player of the Conference honors in the all-Filipino tourney which is about to end.

Arwind Santos, Joe De Vance and Mark Cardona also made the list, becoming contenders for the coveted award won last year by Miller.

With the statistical points (SPs) race over, the six players now dispute the BPC plum through balloting.

Based on the average SPs churned out by the players from the eliminations through the semis, Williams is on top with 40.6 points per game, followed by Santos (35.4), Miller (31.0), De Vance (31.7) and Cardona (30.7).

Yap failed to make the Top Five but was included in the candidates list for being the stats leader of his Purefoods Giants team, which reached the tournament finals.

Yap, the 2006 MVP winner, landed at No. 8 overall with Kerby Raymundo being the next best-placed Purefoods player at No. 13.

Raymundo was in the Top Five after the elims.

Narrowly missing the Top Five were LA Tenorio (29.8) and Gabe Norwood (29.0).

The Best Player of the Conference will be named before Game Four of the KFC PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven series. - www.philstar.com