NCAA stars weigh in on league’s new format for Season 101

Change is in the air for the NCAA, and no one feels it more than the players themselves.

From excitement over fresh challenges to concerns about tougher schedules, the athletes spoke up on the league’s revamped format.

Starting with Season 101, the men's basketball tournament will see the 10 teams divided into two groups where they play their group twice and the other group once.

The top three teams from each group will move on to the quarterfinals, with the first and second seeds enjoying a twice-to-beat advantage. The fourth- and fifth-ranked squads, meanwhile, will battle in a play-in match for the final playoff spot.

Both the semifinals and finals will follow a best-of-three format.

Under the new-look format, the league veered from the usual format with a double-round robin that sent just four teams to the next stage.

For many players, the changes signal a fresh start, with reigning MVP Allen Liwag and Season 99 MVP Clint Escamis welcoming the new format.

"Wala naman na tayo magagawa do’n e. Kumbaga hindi na natin control ‘yun," Liwag told GMA News Online lsat Friday.

"Ako, as a player, focus na lang ako sa paglalaro at kung sino ‘yung nasa harap namin. Sabi nila, exciting daw so tignan natin kung exciting."

[We can't do anything about it. It's not in our control... As a player, I'll focus on playing and who's in front of us. They say it's exciting so let's see if it's exciting.]

For Escamis, the change levels the playing field, giving every team a fair chance at the playoffs, unlike past seasons when the top four were practically locked in by the first round.

"Para sa akin maganda nga ‘yun kasi sabi nga nila, sa first round maraming nanonood tapos sa second round wala na masyado kasi parang alam na kung sino ‘yung one, two, three, four [teams] e," Escamis said.

"Ngayon, unpredictable. Kahit ‘yung nasa babang schools may opportunity na umabot sa Final Four."

[For me, it's good because as they say, lots of people watch the first round and then not as many in the second round because you already know who are the one, two, three, four teams... Now it's unpredictable. Even the teams near the bottom have an opportunity to make the Final Four.]

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Other players likewise embraced the revised format, though some raised concerns about scheduling as the elimination round will dropd from 18 games to only 13.

"Maganda siya for me kasi parang mas exciting ngayon ‘yung NCAA. Ang concern ko nga lang din is ‘yung scheduling ng games kasi baka in a week, maybe three games," San Beda University team captain Yukien Andrada said. 

"Might be a little too much for the players also, we need recovery also. But the format itself is really good for me."

[For me, it's good, the NCAA will be more exciting. My concern is the scheduling because in a week you might play maybe three games... Might be a little too much for the players also, we need recovery also. But the format itself is really good for me.]

Letran newcomer Jun Roque agreed, pointing out the faster pace of the elimination round but also seeing it as a chance for all teams to stay in the hunt for the finals.

"Parang sobrang bilis matapos ng season, tsaka parang kumbaga ‘yung ngayon, kahit wala kang panalo, puwede ka pumasok sa finals," Roque said. 

[It feels like the season will end really quickly, but now, even if you don't have a lot of wins, you can still make the finals.]

Patrick Sleat, making his NCAA debut with the Perpetual ALTAs, also welcomed the group-stage format but admitted it comes with both pros and cons.

"I think it’s gonna be exciting. Sa tingin ko Lahat mabibigyan ng chance even if kumbaga magma-matter the most talaga is the playoff games," the former FEU star said. 

"'Pag nag-playoffs kasi magpapalitan e so may pros and cons parehas."

[I think it's gonna be exciting. I think everyone will have the chance and what matter the most is really the playoff games... When the playoffs start, we switch so there are pros and cons for both.]

—JMB, GMA Integrated News