They may have taken different paths, but the DLSU Green Archers and the UP Fighting Maroons are headed to the same destination: the UAAP Season 87 Finals.
The DLSU Green Archers and the UP Fighting Maroons are headed into the latest chapter of their new-age rivalry in the UAAP, once again set to compete in a best-of-three series for all the marbles in UAAP Season 87 beginning Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
Ahead of their exciting matchup where the two sides jockey to reach the top of the UAAP men’s basketball summit, we take a look at how each of the teams reached the Finals in a highly-competitive field.
DLSU: Champs are the team to beat
Eliminations record: 12-2 (1st)
Key players: Kevin Quiambao, Mike Phillips, Joshua David
It comes as no surprise that the DLSU Green Archers remain the team to beat in their title retention bid for UAAP Season 87.
With last year’s MVP Kevin Quiambao at the helm, it was clear that the Taft-based cagers were still formidable despite the departures of graduating players like Evan Nelle and Mark Nonoy.
In his final year with La Salle, Mike Phillips has continued to be a driving force inside the paint for the Green Archers, aiding Quiambao. Phillips is third in rebounding and also presents a threat on defense as the league’s 4th best blocker after eliminations.
Meanwhile, Joshua David has been a revelation as La Salle’s go-to playmaker. David is third in assists after 14 games in eliminations, with only veteran point guards Forth Padrigao and JD Cagulangan of UST and UP, respectively, ahead of him.
On the way to the Finals, Phillips and David played key supporting roles to presumptive MVP Quiambao’s consistent play, helping La Salle string together a 9-game winning streak in the middle of eliminations.
Quiambao, the league’s leading scorer with 16.64 points per game, has been the ever-reliable star for the Green Archers — including a team-high 14 points in their Finals clinching win over the Adamson Soaring Falcons after his latest stint with Gilas Pilipinas.
UP: Looking for a breakthrough
Eliminations record: 11-3 (2nd)
Key players: JD Cagulangan, Harold Alarcon, Quentin Millora-Brown
Gone are the dark days of the UP Fighting Maroons program as the Diliman-based team are on their fourth straight Finals, and the fifth in the last six seasons, as they established themselves as legitimate contenders.
But there is much left desired as those Finals appearances have only turned into one championship for UP — back in UAAP Season 84.
Which means that the Fighting Maroons are heading into Sunday’s Game 1 as the slight underdogs with something to prove. UP has suffered back-to-back runner-up finishes in Seasons 85 and 86, losing to Ateneo and La Salle, respectively, in those series.
With holdovers like veteran guards JD Cagulangan and Harold Alarcon, along with the addition of one-and-done big man Quentin Millora-Brown, there is no shortage of fire power as UP seeks that breakthrough championship once again.
Cagulangan has been a great two-way player for the Maroons as he leads the league in steals per game, apart from being second in assists. Millora-Brown, meanwhile, finds himself in the top-5 in rebounding, and is third in blocks, along with UP teammate Francis Lopez in 5th.
Despite being absent from the top stats leaders, Alarcon is arguably the hottest player for UP at the moment.
Apart from a career-high 33-point outing in UP’s eliminations closer against UE last month, he also had 16 points on 50 percent shooting in the Fighting Maroons’ Final Four win over UST to gain the Finals seat.
Though encountering a rougher road to the Finals compared to La Salle, both teams will be motivated to hit the ground running.
Finals schedule
- Game 1 - December 8 (Sunday) - Smart Araneta Coliseum
- Game 2 - December 11 (Wednesday) - Mall of Asia Arena
- Game 3 (if necessary) - December 15 (Sunday) - Smart Araneta Coliseum