INQUIRER Sports

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 15 SEASONS (and except when they did not play in 2006), the La Salle Green Archers face the possibility they won?t be in the UAAP Final Four party.

They need to snap a five-game slide and score big wins against Santo Tomas, Far Eastern and National U.

UST will try to bump them off the last seat when they meet on Sept. 3. NU, Adamson and UE try the same when La Salle battles them down the road.

Aside from the first two places that give twice-to-beat advantages in the playoffs, fourth place is the most coveted spot. For one, it guarantees you a chance, no matter how slim, to pull the rug from under the No. 1 team in the finals.

More importantly, making it to the Final Four at No. 4 is an indication that your season went well and there is much to look forward to in the seasons ahead.

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This season, it looked like Franz Pumaren?s young crew was all set to turn a corner after a four-game streak in the first round and a gutsy overtime stand against Ateneo. However, the guns of green missed their targets when they needed it the most in the second round and the Archers found themselves in a slump.

La Salle?s current struggles stem from the absence of gunners and slashers that can score quickly off their vaunted press and nail thunderous threes when the Archers need them.

There has always been that one player in past La Salle rosters?Renren Ritualo, Mac Cardona, Joseph Yeo, TY Tang or JV Casio?who could take over games with his offense.

The remaining veterans have been thrust into the role of scorers but have had spates of unbelievable bad luck.

The Inquirer?s Jasmine W. Payo tells me that in the 64-66 loss to the UE Warriors last Saturday, the Archers shot only six of 25 from three-point distance. They are seventh in the league from beyond the arc at 24.3 percent and last in total field goal percentage at 34.2 percent.

The Archers may not have the cohesiveness and consistency that are trademarks of past La Salle teams but with players like Joshua Webb, Hyram Bagatsing and Arvie Bringas, there is sufficient material to build on for the future.

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FEU has had a similar route.

While they did not figure in the finals for a while since the Arwind Santos era, the Tamaraws nurtured players like Mark Barocca, Aldrech Ramos and JR Cawaling.

And they are reaping the fruits of their labors with the Tamaraws set to pick up the second spot.

Unless UE and the fourth placer in the Final Four spring a few surprises, the Tamaraws and the Ateneo Blue Eagles are on a collision course for the finals.

College basketball is not only about winning championships every year, although the title runs of UST and La Salle in the past are definitely treasures for their communities.

What you really want is a program with the flexibility for improvement, one that will allow you to be competitive and to teach and build for the long haul.