Three teams are set to battle it out to make the last dance while two other squads find themselves in a playoff game against each other for the last slot in the semis.
Teams surging, stunning upsets, and games postponed due to Typhoon Paeng have made Season 85’s Final Four picture a bit convoluted.
But don’t worry because we’re here to clear up where the semifinal stage of the Men’s Basketball Tournament stands at the moment.
(1) Ateneo vs 4-seed
Scoring huge wins in their last two elimination games, Ateneo secured the top spot going into the semis with the better 11-3 record. After a convincing victory against powerhouse UP, the Blue Eagles rode their momentum and came up with a gutsy 66-61 win over Adamson. BJ Andrade, Dave Ildefonso, Ange Kouame and Kai Ballungay–who had an 18-point, 14-rebound performance against the Soaring Falcons–all showed out as the Eagles stole the number one seed away from the Maroons.
ADMU, strutting out as the most impressive team to end the second round of the tourney, currently waits for the winner between the De La Salle Green Archers and the Adamson Soaring Falcons.
Playoff for 4-seed, DLSU vs AdU
De La Salle needed their rival Ateneo to win over Adamson in the final day of eliminations. But they took care of business on their end, defeating UST, 77-72. Thanks also to Evan Nelle’s season-high 25 points.
This W gave DLSU a 7-7 record and brought them to a deadlock with AdU for the fourth and fifth place, thus the playoff between the two Final Four hopefuls. Bank on the ballers from Taft and the hoopers of Ermita to put on a show in the win-or-go-home match, tentatively scheduled on December 4.
(2) UP vs (3) NU
Given how the recent matchups have unfolded, the 11-3 Fighting Maroons and the 9-5 Bulldogs are set to face each other with the former possessing the 3rd seed’s twice to beat advantage. Both teams are coming off a two-game skid so expect a war they look to get back in the win column. NU is in a must-win situation anyway. Plus, they don’t want to waste their first trip to the penultimate round in seven years.
As for the defending champs, to get back in the finals in one try, what they want is a strong start and another guy who’ll step up aside from the usual suspects.
No matter who’ll complete the cast, the upcoming version of the Final Four is bound to be one of the most stacked ever. For sure, we’re in for a brand new experience as we cheer our teams on to make the last dance. Without a doubt, this is college basketball at its best.