UAAP Final Four chaos begins today!

AFTER completing the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Final Four cast this week, the remaining teams in the collegiate basketball tournament will begin their title pursuit in a double header at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

The Final Four will finally begin after a week or two of chaotic UAAP second round elimination basketball games. The four teams battling for a championship spot have demonstrated why they are the surviving teams during the season.

The ‘Battle of Katipunan’ between the ADMU Blue Eagles and the UP Fighting Maroons will kick off the double header at 2:00 p.m. The anticipated ‘Mayhem in Manila’ game between the DLSU Green Archers and the NU Bulldogs will take place at 6:00 p.m.

Given how unpredictable UAAP games may be, there are no clear favorites in this year’s UAAP Final Four. However, two questions will be answered following today’s games.

Which of the UAAP Season 85 finalists will remain?

The much-anticipated ‘Battle of Katipunan’ will be the highlight of today’s UAAP Final Four double header. As they battle it out this afternoon, both UAAP Season 85 finalists will strive to extend their stay in the finals.

The Katipunan-based squads split two of their elimination round encounters. In the first meeting, the Blue Eagles prevailed in overtime, 99-89, and handed the Fighting Maroons their first loss of the season. 

The Fighting Maroons, on the other hand, were quick to respond, as they were able to exact their revenge during the second round, securing a thrilling 65-60 triumph over the defending champs, who were plainly struggling throughout that time.

After meeting in three of the last four UAAP finals, the Blue Eagles and Fighting Maroons will meet early in this year’s Final Four. However, for the first time in league history, the reigning champions will be the underdog as the No. 4 seed.

Despite being the underdogs, Tab Baldwin told the Ateneans that his team will play with heart. “We’re definitely the underdog, UP won’t take us lightly. Our guys will come out with a lot of heart, and hopefully we’ll have a curve ball or two that can get us a bucket here and there, just try to hang on.”

“It’s win or go home, but it’s got to be about preparation. You’re not just gonna walk out on the court against a really strong UP team who’s rested,” they said of their thinking heading into their game versus UP.

“We’ll prepare, we know we’re going up against a real top team. We’re gonna have to see if we can pull some rabbits out of the hats, but it’s about preparation. It’s about three solid days of trying to be smart,” he added.

Ateneo will rely on their young core of Joseph Obasa, Jared Brown, Mason Amos, and holdovers Kai Ballungay, Chris Koon, and Sean Quitevis to win the game. UP can count on reigning MVP Malick Diouf, this season’s MVP candidate CJ Cansino, JD Cagulangan, Gerry Abadiano, and Harold Alarcon.

Whose finals drought will be broken in the DLSU-NU game?

The DLSU Green Archers and NU Bulldogs’ communities are excited as one of La Salle and National U will finally be able to end their UAAP Finals drought when they compete in the Final Four this evening.

La Salle hopes to snap a six-year Finals skid after losing to Ateneo in Season 80 during the Ben Mbala era. While NU is eager to make it back to the Finals for the first time since 2014, when it defeated Far Eastern University in three Finals games in Season 77.

The Bulldogs defeated the Green Archers in the first round of elimination by a score of 80-77. Quiambao recorded the league’s first triple-double in five years in the second round, scoring 17 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds to defeat NU, 88-78.

Despite a tied record versus the Bulldogs, the Taft-based club is brimming with confidence as they go to the semifinals after sweeping the second round of eliminations for the No. 2 seed with a twice-to-beat advantage.

“We always make sure that we take care of what we have control of. We’re gonna put all our energy and effort in making sure that we’re okay,” Green Archers head coach Topex Robinson said following his team’s triumph over the Blue Eagles.

“This is an uncharted territory for us, going into the Final Four, so we want to make sure that we’re gonna be ready. The only way we’re gonna be confident is we’re gonna come in prepared to whomever it is that we’re gonna face,” Robinson continued. “We just want to focus on us and try to make sure that we’re gonna be united come Final Four.”

On the other side, NU head coach Jeff Napa argued that while the Bulldogs did not secure the twice-to-beat advantage, they will continue to play the same way and with the same mindset heading into the Final Four.

“Ganun parin ‘yung magiging approach namin, ganun parin ‘yung magiging mindset namin. Ang sabi ko nga sakanila, if you want to be a contender, kailangan ‘yung performance must be higher than your previous performance. Hopefully makita ko yun coming on Saturday,” Napa says.

“Yun ‘yung gagawin namin, we’ll do the impossible things. Hopefully we’ll turn things around, at maging pabor ulit sa amin. Definitely, we will bounceback, we will go out strong talaga, then we’ll see whatever the result. At least hindi namin para pagsisihan talaga,” he added.

MVP frontrunner Kevin Quiambao, along with Evan Nelle, Mark Nonoy, Mike Phillips, and Raven Cortez are all expected to deliver for the Green Archers. While NU will rely on Kean Baclaan, Jake Figueroa, Omar John, Steve Nash Enriquez, and Jolo Manansala to force a rematch.

Given that the Final Four matchups between ADMU-UP and DLSU-NU both resulted in a split record during the elimination stage, it is an interesting day for UAAP fans, as no team will relent in their pursuit of a championship. 

All of these questions will be answered this afternoon, when the Final Four games begin. One thing is certain: the remaining teams will give their best for the pride and honor of the name on their jerseys.