NATIONAL UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS — UAAP/JULIUS DOMONDON

Games on Wednesday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
(U16 Boys’ Stepladder Semis)
8:30 a.m. – FEU-D vs UST
(Women’s Stepladder Semis)
10:30 a.m. – ADMU vs NU
(Men’s Final Four)
1:30 p.m. – NU* vs DLSU
4:30 p.m. – UP* vs UST
*Twice-to-beat

TOP-RANKED National University (NU) and reigning champion University of the Philippines (UP) try to maximize their incentives to arrange a quick finals date in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball Final Four on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Armed with twice-to-beat bonuses, the NU Bulldogs and the UP Fighting Maroons could advance in the best-of-three finale in just one swing against the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers and the De La Salle University Green Archers, respectively.

NU battles fourth-ranked La Salle to snap its back-to-back finals appearance at 1:30 p.m. followed by UP’s fifth straight finals bid against the third-seeded Santo Tomas at 4:30 p.m.

Berths in the finals via stepladder semifinals are also up for grabs in the women’s and U16 divisions. Defending titlist and second place NU battles No.3 seed Ateneo de Manila University at 10:30 a.m. for a shot at unbeaten Santo Tomas in the women’s finals while No. 2 Santo Tomas clashes with No. 3 Far Eastern University-Diliman (FEU-D) at 8:30 a.m. for the right to challenge undefeated NU-Nazareth School in the U16 finale.

Ateneo and FEU-D advanced to the next stepladder after eliminating Adamson University, 66-56, and 90-76, respectively.

But all eyes are on the remaining four squads in the centerpiece men’s hoop wars with NU leading the way in an attempt to change the UAAP hoops order.

The Bulldogs licked the wounds of their seventh-place finish last year and dominated the two-round eliminations with an 11-3 slate, unseating the usual top seeds UP and La Salle.

That, however, doesn’t mean satisfaction and fulfillment already for NU with now a closer shot at returning to the finals after a decade as its ultimate goal.

“Stay focused, stay hungry, stay humble. Those three key words are very important for us,” said head coach Jeff Napa, warning against any complacency from his wards.

NU swept the crippled La Salle in two encounters this season but the semis is an entirely different arena, especially with the expected full-swing return of Mason Amos and Kean Baclaan for coach Topex Robinson’s troops following their MCL injuries. Mr. Amos has played limited minutes since while Mr. Baclaan for the first time was in uniform in La Salle’s last two wins against UP, 87-82, and Ateneo, 78-72, to catch the last semis bus behind Jacob Cortez and Elite Team member Mike Phillips.

NU will also welcome back Gelo Santiago from a five-game suspension following his unsportsmanlike foul on Ateneo’s Waki Espina early in the second round for an added coverage to Elite Team member Jake Figueroa, Omar John, Jolo Manansala, Mark Parks, Steve Nash Enriquez and Paul Francisco.

Then there’s the titleholder UP, which anticipates a dogfight with host Santo Tomas after splitting their season meetings in a bid to extend their finale streak to five under master tactician Goldwin Monteverde. The Fighting Maroons barely beat the Growling Tigers in the second round, 89-88, after a shellacking 87-67 defeat in the opener.

“Our mindset every time is consistency. It’s back to zero in the Final Four,” said Mr. Monteverde, tasking captain Gerry Abadiano, Harold Alarcon, Francis Nnoruka and Gani Stevens to steady the ship for Diliman.

Standing on their way is a streak of Growling Tigers led by super rookie and Elite Team members Collins Akowe and Nic Cabañero alongside Forthsky Padrigao, Gelo Crisostomo and Kyle Paranada as the wards of coach Pido Jarencio fight to live another day. — John Bryan Ulanday

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