The race to the last Final Four slot of the UAAP Season 84 Men’s Basketball Tournament will be an exacting one.
Heading into round 11 of the competition, Adamson University, Far Eastern University, and National University are tied in the Season 84 table, sporting identical 4-6 records.
The three universities all have 2-2 records as well in their heads-up match-ups with the Soaring Falcons, the Tamaraws, and the Bulldogs holding a win and a loss against each other.
Technically, the Soaring Falcons are at fourth as they have a plus-5 quotient followed by the Tamaraws (plus-3), and the Bulldogs (minus-3).
And ironically, all three squads all have the same opponents in their last four games, namely Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas, and University of the East.
Game of Momentum
It will definitely be a game of momentum for the three schools heading into the final stretch of the elimination round.
However, NU will be the school facing tough odds.
In the midst of a three-game slump, up next for the Bulldogs on Saturday will be the 10-0 Blue Eagles.
The Bulldogs though will have two full days to regroup before facing the Growling Tigers, a team they handily beat in the first round (81-52), on Tuesday.
They then take on the hapless Red Warriors on Thursday before closing out the round against the Green Archers on May 1.
Meanwhile, the Soaring Falcons and the Tamaraws face the Growling Tigers and the Red Warriors, respectively, on Saturday — trap games they can’t be complacent with.
Adamson’s remaining games after Saturday will be Ateneo, La Salle, and UE, in that order, while FEU has La Salle, Ateneo, and UST, in that order.
UAAP Play-In
In case the stars align and Adamson, FEU, and NU end the elimination round in a tie, a “play-in” system will take effect.
The three teams will be ranked based on quotient in case a tie happens with the fifth and sixth-ranked teams facing off in a knockout game.
The winner of the tiebreaker game will then meet the fourth-ranked team in a win-or-go-home match to determine the fourth seed.
That team will then face the top seed with a twice-to-beat disadvantage.
The same will be the case for a two-team tie with the teams knotted at fourth and fifth will be pitted against one another in a pennant tilt.
However, the road gets steeper If Ateneo sweeps the elimination round and a stepladder format takes effect.
If the Blue Eagles complete a 14-game wipeout of the elims, the fourth-seeded squad will then face the third-ranked team in another KO match.
The winner of that game will face the second seed with the latter holding the playoff incentive.
In either a Final Four or Stepladder, the Finals will remain as a best-of-three series.
Spoilers
Both UST and UE have a chance to play the role of spoilers to the aspirations of Adamson, FEU, and NU.
Well, the Growling Tigers still have a shot at gaining a Final Four berth as it is just a game behind those three teams.
UST will be facing Adamson, NU, University of the Philippines, and FEU, in that order, to close out their campaign.
The also-ran Red Warriors, meanwhile, are hoping to not end their campaign winless.
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