SCENARIOS: DLSU, ADMU, FEU Battle for UAAP Final Four
The UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament is down to its final playdate of the eliminations, and the race for the Final Four has tightened after a dramatic Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Ateneo knocked Adamson out of contention, while UST stunned NU to clinch a ticket to the semifinals. The standings heading into Wednesday’s games at Araneta Coliseum set the stage for several possible outcomes.
NU leads at 11-3 and has already secured the top seed. UP sits comfortably in second at 10-4 and is locked into a twice to beat advantage. The real action is in the cluster behind them, where UST, La Salle, FEU, and Ateneo are still jostling for position.
UST enters Wednesday at 8-5 and in good position to secure the third spot. A win over FEU guarantees the Tigers a matchup against UP regardless of other results. Even if they lose and La Salle beats Ateneo, creating an 8-6 tie, UST is positioned to win the tiebreaker through a superior quotient. Total points for minus total points against will be used because the teams split their season series and tied in all head to head scenarios. UST holds the advantage in this quotient and would likely remain in third.
If UST wins and Ateneo beats La Salle, the Green Archers and Blue Eagles will have a playoff matchup to determine who gets the number four seed.
FEU needs more help. A win over UST gets them to 7-7, but that alone is not enough. They must also see Ateneo beat La Salle, which would create a three way tie at 7-7 among FEU, DLSU, and ADMU. In that situation, all three teams enter a step ladder playoff to determine the fourth seed. The format places the sixth ranked team against the fifth, with the winner facing the fourth ranked team for the last Final Four slot against top seeded NU.
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The order of 4 to 6 is determined by quotient from the games among the three tied teams. Based on current numbers, FEU is at plus 3, Ateneo also at plus 3, and La Salle at minus 6. If Ateneo defeats La Salle on Wednesday, the quotient would most be clear, setting a ranking of 4. Ateneo, 5. FEU, 6. La Salle.
La Salle has the simplest path. A win over Ateneo takes them to 8-6 and automatically seals the fourth seed outright, eliminating all quotient and step ladder scenarios.
With NU and UP settled at the top, the league now waits for Wednesday’s results to finalize the picture. Whether it ends in a clean bracket or a chaotic step ladder, the last day of eliminations promises high stakes and heavy drama as four teams fight for two remaining seats in the Final Four.
