UAAP 74: Sweep, stepladder or Final 4? Answer known this week

While Ateneo is practically enjoying the view from the top of the standings and is one win away from an outright finals berth in the 74th UAAP men's basketball season, the race for the second spot has intensified as three teams have a possibility of claiming the twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four. Falcons soaring Adamson is currently ahead of the race for the number two spot, which enjoys a twice-to-beat edge, with a 9-4 slate but the door is open for two teams to claim that coveted incentive—Far Eastern University and University of Santo Tomas. FEU is one game behind Adamson as it owns an 8-5 win-loss slate following its victory over University of the East, 78-69, last Sunday. UST got a big win over Adamson last Saturday, 74-58, and it remained on track for the twice-to-beat edge in the Final Four with a 7-5 win-loss card. It will be a crucial final two weeks for all three teams as they try to gain the number two spot starting off with FEU meeting UST on Thursday and Adamson taking on Ateneo on Saturday. If UST wins its two remaining games, FEU wins its last assignment against La Salle and Adamson loses to Ateneo, all three teams will have a 9-5 win-loss card to set up a "mini-playoff" to determine the placings for the step-ladder phase of the tournament. In the mini-playoff, the two teams with inferior quotient will face each other for the right to play the team with the superior quotient where they will battle for the number two spot. FEU and UST both on a roll FEU and UST are both on a winning streak with the Tamaraws on a four-game roll while the Growling Tigers have won three straight. "Ang number two, nasa kamay na uli namin. Kaya kailangan naming trabahuin kasi binigay uli sa amin. Sana hindi na namin mabitawan (The number two spot is within our reach. But we need to work on it. Hopefully we can get that chance)," said FEU coach Bert Flores. "Ang momentum nasa amin pero hindi natin masabi kung saan ang magiging placing namin. Basta kami, one game at a time, ok na ako dun basta may desire silang manalo (The momentum is on our side but I can't tell where our final placing will be. We're just going to take it one game at a time, as long as they have the desire to win)," said UST coach Pido Jarencio. La Salle still has a shot But although FEU and UST are riding the momentum of their winning runs, Adamson's chances of taking the number two spot is within their hands with the Falcons needing to beat league-leading Ateneo. A win by Adamson will secure for the Falcons second place and will avert the Blue Eagles' quest for an elimination round sweep. Ateneo will also have to pass through the Final Four in their quest for a fourth straight championship. "We are still in a better position than FEU and UST. Worse comes to worst, there will be knockout games but if we win against Ateneo, all of the possible scenarios will be gone because we will have the number two spot," said Adamson coach Leo Austria. Meanwhile, La Salle still has a shot at the fourth and last semis spot in the Final Four but the Green Archers, toting a 5-7 win-loss card, need to win their last two assignments against National University and FEU and pray that UST loses its two remaining games. — OMG/JVP, GMA News