After 38 games, the pairings of the UAAP Season 79 Men’s Basketball Final Four have finally been decided.
The league-leading De La Salle University Green Archers will hold the twice-to-beat advantage against the darlings of the season, the Adamson University Soaring Falcons. In the other bracket, the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles have launched themselves to the second seed and will hold the twice-to-beat advantage over defending champions Far Eastern University Tamaraws.
#1 Green Archers (13-1) vs. #4 Soaring Falcons (8-6)
The top offensive team in the league, La Salle swept their regular season series against the Adamson Soaring Falcons, 91-75 in the first round and 81-79 in the second round.
For Adamson, the top three-point shooting team in the league, they have no players who have playoff experience. Coach Franz Pumaren is just happy to be granted this opportunity, as it has fast-tracked his plans for the team.
“Kami, our mindset right now, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain, they should even be 14-0, with that kind of line-up, they should really be dominating the UAAP,” admitted Pumaren, who coached the Green Archers before.
“Being here’s already a success on my part. I thought we were able to fast-track everything, we were looking at 2017 but we’re here right now, enjoying the Final Four,” he added.
However, La Salle coach Ayo is not allowing his team to let their guard down, especially after having absorbed their first loss of the season in their penultimate game of the elimination round. He plans to re-establish his system with the Green Archers, who are gunning for their second crown in four years.
“I believe it will be a two-week break before the Final Four,” the first-year La Salle head coach said. “Actually isa yun sa mga iniisip ko, ang hirap magantay.
“Nakakainip pero again were going to establish our system going back to the basics to the small details. We’re going to cover them.”
#2 Blue Eagles (10-4) vs. #3 Tamaraws (9-5)
It will be a tactical match-up in the second bracket, as former National Team head coach Tab Baldwin and the Ateneo Blue Eagles take on former Gilas Cadets mentor Nash Racela and the defending UAAP Champions FEU Tamaraws.
Ateneo performed escape acts against FEU in their two regular season outings, 76-71 in the first round and 74-59 just seven days ago.
Baldwin remains wary of the challenge that comes with facing the best defensive team in the league, even saying that they are the underdogs going into the series.
“I think FEU is going to be a monster. Their players have experience and their coaching staff is experienced out there in these situations,” the American-Kiwi mentor said.
“For one second, I don’t think we are anything other than the underdogs.
“And yes, we are in a great position but just let one game slip and it all goes down to one game. We got to prepare like we have been preparing and we got to stay focused on FEU now and not think about anything else,” he declared.
Racela, on the other hand, remains confident with his team entering the Final Four. Even if the team lost three of their last four games.
“We are confident on who we’ll face. Ang problema ko is yung dream match-up. Because now people are putting it to people’s minds that there’s a dream match-up,” the 44-year-old mentor said.
“I know FEU and Adamson both want to be in the Finals and I think we are deserving to be there. We’ll try our best to deny that dream because I have a better dream.”
The Final Four is set to begin on Wednesday, November 23.
