Decision on Koga out soon

The top seeding that San Beda worked so hard to get in the 89th NCAA basketball tournament could go to No. 2 Letran if allegations that Lions guard Ryusei Koga suited up in another league turn out to be true.

The Lions could forfeit four victories  from the time of Koga’s alleged infraction on Sept. 17 and end up with a 11-7 record which is still good enough for them to reach the Final Four as fourth seed.

Koga sat out the Lions’ final game of the elimination round against Arellano last week because of an illness.

San Beda could also lose its twice-to-beat edge as a result of the forfeiture, while Koga will be slapped with a three-game suspension under the new league rules which were softened last season. Under the previous rule, Koga would have been slapped with a ban from the league, while San Beda would have forfeited all of its victories where Koga played this season.

The case has already been elevated to the NCAA Management Committee which created a six-school task force to investigate the allegations.

NCAA ManCom chair Dax Castellano of St. Benilde said a video evidence of Koga playing in a league in Parañaque was submitted to them during their meeting Tuesday night.

Castellano said the ManCom could come up with the decision today or tomorrow—a week before the Final Four tips off at Mall of Asia Arena.

“We’re still in the process of investigating the case,” said Castellano.

San Beda team manager Jude Roque remained tightlipped on the case.

“No protest has been filed yet so I can’t comment about it,” said Roque in a text message to the Inquirer.