UAAP Season 78 Final Four.
It may have started a little later than previous seasons but the UAAP Season 78 has come to arguably its most anticipated span—the Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four.
Half of the league is out of the competition and only University of Santo Tomas, Far Eastern University, Ateneo, and National University remain in the hunt of the trophy and the glory as champions.
With the games just a day away, Inquirer Sports presents seven things to watch out for in the UAAP Final Four.
1. Another possible Cinderalla run for the Bulldogs
Season 77 saw the improbable happen when the Bulldogs survived University of the East in the playoff for the fourth seed, upset top-seeded Ateneo, and rallied in a do-or-die against FEU for the trophy.
READ: NU Bulldogs prepare to fight to the last
National University has not won the title since 1954 before the incredible Cinderella story in 2014. For reference, the end of World War II was only nine-years-old and Ramon Magsaysay was the president of the Philippines.
Cinderella need not wait another 60 years for another date with Prince Charming if the Bulldogs can stamp another historical page in the UAAP annals.
2. It’s raining cats and dogs: NU vs UST
As per Final Four rules, it’s the first-seed versus the fourth-seed and by nature’s law cats have always disliked dogs which brings one half of the Final Four picture in a complete coincidence—Tigers versus Bulldogs.
It’s an interesting match-up, with what people expected as a dominant run for one team became the story of the other as UST roared to a dominant 11-3 record while NU was at a pinch going for a difficult 7-7 record, with a 0-3 start.
READ: Alolino spearheading NU’s Final Four push
Both teams, though, have Mythical Five members with UST’s duo of Kevin Ferrer and Ed Daquioag leading the Tigers while NU big man Alfred Aroga is the anchor of the defending champions.
Offense-wise, UST was the better team in the eliminations posting 73.9 points, good for second place but it would go against the top defensive team in NU who has held opponents to only 65.1 points in the double-round elims.
3. A different shade of green against the usual blue
Ateneo vs. La Salle may be over but the Blue Eagles will have the color green in front of them once more, though the green has a little yellow to it.
It’s a matchup of differing offenses as Blue Eagles head coach Bo Perasol said numerous times during the season he wants a “Kiefer-centric” offense while Tamaraws head coach Nash Racela preferred more of a team-based scheme.
READ: Ravena wants title for Ateneo not another MVP to end UAAP career
Both teams’ offense reflected on the individual awards as Kiefer Ravena won his second straight MVP award while no Tamaraw was included in the five-man list with Mac Belo being the only player from FEU who cracked the top 10 in statistical points at ninth.
Even before the season started, it was almost a unanimous choice for the other seven coaches that FEU would be the team to beat and the Tamaraws, despite landing as the second seed with an 11-3 record, proved it numbers-wise, at least.
Far Eastern University was the best-scoring team averaging 74.7 points in the eliminations and the second-best defensive team behind NU, holding opponents down to 67.6 points per game.
4. Rumble in the jungle
University of Santo Tomas may have the advantage in the wings, with the duo of Ferrer and Daquioag, but the main matchup would be in the post with Alfred Aroga once again renewing his rivalry with Karim Abdul, the same man who defended him when he shot NU’s game-winner over UST in the first round.
Second round, however, was the round of the Tigers as they avenged their 54-55 loss with a 65-57 triumph.
Aroga has the ups on individual stats over Abdul with as he averaged 13.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks across 14 games while the UST big posted numbers of 12.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks across 14 games.
5. Kiefer Ravena against the world
He now has a second MVP plum under him but it’s been a season of pressure for Ravena who almost single-handedly carried Ateneo to the Final Four.
Ravena averaged 18.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in 14 games as he did the bulk of pretty much everything in the Ateneo system.
Ateneo’s next leading scorer is Von Pessumal who averaged 12.9 points per game but the numbers of the third-best scorer, Aaron Black, plummeted to a mere 5.8 points.
READ: UAAP Season 78: Ravena wins 2nd straight MVP
Ravena and his Eagles would go up against a balanced-Tamaraw team who has three players averaging in double-figures and with the fourth-best scorer less than two points away from hitting 10.
Belo and guard Mike Tolomia have nearly identical scoring averages with the versatile forward averaging 12.7 points and the latter 12.4 points.
Roger Pogoy, FEU’s spitfire wingman, averaged 10.8 points while Raymar Jose, the fourth-leading scorer, posted 8.1 points across 12 games while also averaging 8.8 rebounds.
6. UST run: from paupers to princes
Just a season ago in Season 77, some fans were calling for the head of head coach Bong Dela Cruz, the man who replaced the charismatic Pido Jarencio as the architect of the Growling Tigers.
Dela Cruz’ first stint in the top seat only produced five wins against nine losses for UST and a huge public backlash came knocking down his porch and even The Varsitarian, UST’s official student publication, had an editorial cartoon pointing out several reasons why the Tigers lost and it was mainly because of the new coach.
READ: Ferrer wants championship and nothing less for UST
Then fast forward to Season 78, the Tigers are in the top seed with an 11-3 record and Dela Cruz has earned the rabid respect and love of the Thomasian community.
His second stint saw a deadlier Ferrer, a dangerously nonchalant Daquioag, a stable Abdul, and a myriad of players who immediately garnered headlines like veterans Louie Vigil and Kent Lao, and rookies Marvin Lee, Embons Bonleon, and Janus Suarez.
Not only did the Tigers change their fortune, they also have the chance to tie the Tamaraws as the winningest team in UAAP history as the Tigers gun for a 19th title so expect the “comeback cats” to go hard in another exciting match.
7. Tamaraw redemption
Far Eastern University came up short in Season 77 against the Bulldogs in the Finals, and the Tamaraws are three victories away from redeeming themselves from that setback.
While they have always the front runners in the past decade, the last time FEU won the title was in 2005 and so it won’t be a surprise if the hungry FEU side, with a core from the Finals’ run still intact, pounce on the chance to finally bring home the trophy this year.
READ: Despite win-once edge, FEU treats match vs Ateneo like KO game
They hold a twice-to-beat advantage over Ateneo, but don’t expect overconfidence from the Tamaraws’ side as head coach Nash Racela said that his guys are treating the game like a “knockout.”