San Miguel’s Jay Washington is in the running for a rare back-to-back PBA Best Player of the
Conference citations.

Washington emerged among the official candidates for the 2010-11 PBA Philippine Cup top player together with teammate Arwind Santos, Talk n Text stalwarts Harvey Carey and Ali Peek and Alaska top gun Joe Devance.

The SMB Fil-Am forward has a good chance for a follow-up to his 2010 Fiesta Conference feat, being the stats leader among four BPC contenders to see action in the best-of-seven title playoff.

Washington has an average of 33.30 statistical points per game through the semifinals.

Santos, the leader after the quarters, has slid behind Washington with 32.52 followed by Carey with 30.33 and Peek with 29.52.

Devance had 34.24 through the quarterfinals. Devance and his Alaska team bowed to Barangay Ginebra in their best-of-five quarters showdown.

Washington, Santos, Carey and Peek make the final push in their respective bids in the first three games of the best-of-seven series starting with Game One Saturday in Victorias City, Negros Occidental.

The BPC winner will be named before Game Four at the Araneta Coliseum on Feb. 1. The conference’s best player automatically becomes a contender for the season’s MVP award.

Washington beat Devance and LA Tenorio for the BPC plum in the last Fiesta Conference and earned spot in the season’s Mythical Selection.

If ever, the 6-foot-7 do-it-all center/forward becomes the first player to win BPC citations in two
successive conferences since Danny Ildefonso won it five in a row in the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

Vergel Meneses was the only other player to reign supreme in successive conferences, winning the BPC plums in the 1994 Governors Cup, the 1995 all-Filipino and the 1995 Commissioner’s Cup.