UAAP Season 88 Finals Preview: UP vs. DLSU

UAAP fans, it’s time. We’re in the endgame now. The Finals.

I stand by what I said last week about competitive balance in the league. Parity, however, doesn’t guarantee that universities with long championship droughts will compete in the Finals. That privilege belongs to teams that translate their rich postseason experience into tangible outcomes on the hardcourt.

With all that said, I won’t blame anyone for thinking that UP-DLSU Part III amounts to Thanos putting on the Infinity Gauntlet and declaring, “I am…inevitable.”

But there are no nanotech tricks here, folks. The Fighting Maroons and the Green Archers have collected their own Infinity Stones, the cosmos-bending forces of Season 88 that will now compete for the right to be named champion.

As we preview this Finals series, let’s go through the UAAP’s mightiest heroes and see the role that each of them plays in this cinematic conclusion.

Can anyone stop Jacob Cortez?

This past Saturday, Jacob Cortez looked at the NU Bulldogs and said, “I can do this all day.”

No matter which defender matched up with him (though he appeared to have a preference for targeting PJ Palacielo), Cortez never faltered in his confidence. More than any other game this season, the Cool Cub looked like a super soldier in crunchtime as he knocked down the biggest shots to overcome NU’s twice-to-beat advantage.

After watching that 29-point performance on a scintillating 68.8% shooting clip, UP’s braintrust will certainly be devising ways to contain Cortez. The question is, can they draw up the right combination of personnel and tactics to pull this off? Cortez doesn’t have a vibranium shield, but his mastery of pace and footwork effectively keeps defenders from influencing the shots he takes. In other words, defending the former NCAA champion is way easier said than done.

THROWBACK: ANALYSIS: How UP Brought the UAAP Title Back to Diliman

Will Harold Alarcon be the Finals hero that UP needs?

In the Goldwyn Monteverde phase of the Fighting Maroons’ saga, UP has fielded an illustrious list of go-to guys that have delivered in the biggest moments. Carl Tamayo, Malick Diouf, and JD Cagulangan are revered by UP fans like pop culture icons, but the reality is, none of them are wearing luntian at pula in Season 88.

This year, Harold Alarcon appears to have finally forged his iron suit, escaped his cave, and wielded repulsor blasts from his hands. Alarcon’s hot shooting has delivered multiple dramatic victories for the Maroons, and now, he has a chance to close out his UAAP career by carrying his squad to a second consecutive championship.

While UP has a spectacular scorer by the name of Rey Remogat, it’s possible that he’ll be far from home in his first-ever UAAP Finals. Remogat, in other words, is Spider-Man waiting in the wings to gain valuable experience. Meanwhile, Harold Alarcon is Tony Stark holding limitless power in his hands. Will he “snap” in the right way?

READ: The Heart of Archers: Amos and Baclaan’s Fight Back to the Finals

Will Kean Baclaan’s health hold up on the grandest stage?

Here’s another compelling story arc: a man who displayed brilliance in the world he used to inhabit, decides to move to another place for the sake of betterment, defies a debilitating injury that should have kept him out of commission.

Does that sound like Doctor Strange? Sure. I’m actually talking about Kean Baclaan.

Back in mid-October, the UAAP community was shocked to learn that Baclaan’s Season 88 would be coming to an end due to an MCL injury. Baclaan had served a year of residency after transferring from the NU Bulldogs, and ironically, he sustained the injury in a matchup with the boys from Jhocson.

Baclaan’s return in the Green Archers’ Final Four matchup (which, again, is a date of destiny with the Bulldogs) is nothing short of triumphant. The question is, how far can Baclaan push himself with a shot at the UAAP championship on the line? The only way to test his durability after his recovery is to field him on the court in the Finals, and La Salle fans are hoping that the athletic floor general will remain both safe and productive.

What will Francis Nnoruka bring to the table?

Heading into this season, the Fighting Maroons’ inside presence was a huge question mark. After Quentin Millora-Brown deftly filled the void left by Malick Diouf in Season 87, UP fans were wondering which frontcourt player would protect the rim and provide steady scoring in the interior.

Gani Stevens and Sean Alter have certainly chipped in, but UP’s new FSA made sure to let everyone know that he’s the big guy.

Francis Nnoruka has hulked out in his first season with the Fighting Maroons, but he doesn’t just bring brute force and physicality. Nnoruka can run the floor, catch the ball from multiple angles, shoot from the midrange, and block shots as a primary or weak side defender.

Now, Nnoruka has to prove that he can bring all those things to the table when it matters most. With all the mental warfare that will unfold in the Finals, UP needs him to be Smart Hulk, a towering presence that can smash the rim with dunks and stay three steps ahead of the competition.

Which supporting cast will save the day?

The pivotal role of the “others” can’t be understated. In order for go-to guys like Cortez and Alarcon to hit big shots for the win, their teammates have to do their part to ensure that they have a competitive chance to begin with.

Which role players will be stuck on another planet, and which role players will show up for the climactic Finals fight? In an alternate Earth, Mike Phillips and Rey Remogat would carry the title of franchise player for DLSU and UP, respectively. That’s how talented they are, and their production is indispensable if their teams are to win it all.

On the Green Archers’ side, versatile players like Earl Abadam, Vhoris Marasigan, Jcee Macalalag, and EJ Gollena are locked and loaded as they seek to bring the title back to Taft. In the Fighting Maroons’ camp, well-rounded athletes like Gerry Abadiano, Terrence Fortea, Jacob Bayla, and Gani Stevens have had their shining moments in UP’s bid to retain the crown.

When all these forces collide, who comes out on top? That’s for us to find out. UAAP fans, assemble.