After a grueling play-in round and the quarterfinals, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four is finally upon us. 

Four schools remain and will slug it out for a chance to play for the NCAA Season 101 title.

The penultimate stop: the semi-finals. 

The protagonists: Group A leader University of Perpetual Help System-Dalta against the odd-defying Colegio de San Juan de Letran; and Group B conquerors San Beda University in a familiar semis clash with last season’s tormentor De La Salle-College of St. Benilde.

Unlike the traditional Final Four format in collegiate basketball where the No. 1 and the No. 2 seeds lead the third and fourth-ranked teams with a twice-to-beat cushion, the NCAA’s newly introduced tournament template runs a best-of-three semifinal round. 

That means no team in the Final Four will carry the customary edge in a virtual race-to-two– both sides start from zero. 

As the saying goes, it’s all back to square one. The team to strike first will gain an all-important momentum, and will be relieved from the pressure of overcoming a do-or-die. Which is why Game 1 is as crucial as it gets. 

PERPETUAL ALTAS (GROUP A #1) VS LETRAN KNIGHTS (GROUP B #3)

The Perpetual Altas finished the classification round atop Group A with 9 wins and 4 losses, while the Letran Knights placed third in Group B with an 8-5 slate.

Perpetual is the more well-rested team compared to Letran, with the former making good use of their twice-to-beat edge in the quarterfinal round after a quick disposal of JRU. 

Letran, on the other hand, clawed their way to the Final Four by going through and winning two straight win-or-go-home dogfights against the gritty T-Mc Ongotan-led Arellano Chiefs. 

Perpetual and Letran fought only once during the inter-group phase in the classification round, which took place last October 15, 2025. 

The then 4-0 Altas absorbed their first loss in the hands of the Knights, who at that time were slowly getting into their groove after a subpar 0-3 start to their campaign.

What to watch in this semi-finals clash? Veteran forward Patrick Sleat’s steady playmaking will be one of the most crucial elements if Perpetual were to get the better of this matchup. 

The ace recruit from Puerto Galera has been Coach Olsen Racela’s ever-reliable performer throughout the Altas’ impressive season. He’s been the go-to guy whenever they needed to stabilize things, or regain control of the momentum. The multiple-time BPG awardee averages 10.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Super sophomore Mark Gojo Cruz will also have to sustain his consistent scoring contributions in the heavyweight clash. The Bulacan native leads all Perpetual scorers with 13.6 points per game laced with 4 rebounds and 2.3 dimes. 

Countering the Sleat-MGC tandem is Letran’s own version of a one-two punch in Titing Manalili and Jimboy Estrada. 

Cebuano rookie Jonathan ‘Titing’ Manalili has been stellar all year long with a league-best 9.13 assists alongside 13.4 points (8th), 5 rebounds, and 2 steals per contest.

Despite Letran's forgettable losing streak at the start of the season, the crafty point guard kept at it and maintained an upward rhythm to his game, instantly becoming a crowd favorite for his showtime dimes and all-around brilliance. 

Arguably the most watched hooper in all of college basketball today, the 6-foot-1 phenom from Cebu City dropped a historical triple-double sometime in October when he collected 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists in an overtime win against LPU. 

But the league’s best passer will have no shortage of star power to bank on. Running mate Jimboy Estrada is the NCAA’s third best scorer with a 14.5-point average alongside 4.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists on a productive 40% field goal clip and 80% from the free throw line. 

SAN BEDA RED LIONS (GROUP B #1) VS. BENILDE BLAZERS (GROUP B #2)

San Beda ran over what many considered as the group of death, securing the top seed in Group B with a 9-4 win-loss record, while Benilde sat in second place despite catching up in the standings due to their head-to-head differential. 

Benilde had a relatively tougher route to the semis after losing their twice-to-beat edge and having to fend off no less than defending champs Mapua in a knock-out Game 2. San Beda, meanwhile, wasted no time in their quarterfinal date with a 91-67 ouster of LPU. 

As groupmates, the Red Lions and the Blazers played each other twice in the classification round. The red-and-white of Mendiola won both outings.

The first came on opening day (October 1, 2025) where San Beda pummelled Benilde with a 96-85 win on account of Bryan Sajonia and Janti Miller’s 32 combined points. 

The second happened last November 7, with San Beda settling with a closer 80-76 victory behind Yukien Andrada’s 23-point explosion. 

In both games, San Beda capitalized on scoring outbursts in the middle quarters (second and third) to keep Benilde at bay, outscoring the Blazers 22-15 and 23-16 in their first match, and 26-14 and 25-17 in the second. 

Benilde also gifted San Beda with a ton of free throw attempts (59 total FTAs compared to Benilde’s 33). 

What to watch in this semi-finals clash? Janti Miller will be a marked man in this semi-finals slugfest. San Beda’s super rookie–  this season’s undisputed scoring champion (19.64 PPG) – has been torching the NCAA with ‘Miller buckets,’ that is, facing off with anybody and everybody and putting the ball in the hoop with ease.

Miller leads the league in total field goals made (95) and is currently no. 8 in total threes made. 

Bryan Sajonia will be a serviceable contributor and pace-setter for Coach Yuri Escueta. The 5-foot-11 veteran guard’s ability to score alongside Miller, and, more importantly, when the latter is resting on the bench, will be a valuable asset as Benilde’s defense keys in on the scoring champ. 

Team captain Yukien Andrada will also have to step up and drop his usual production of 10.4 points and 4 boards a game. 

Benilde, meanwhile, will also rely on their three main guys averaging in double digits: reigning MVP-DPOY Allen Liwag, versatile forward Justine Sanchez, and charismatic guard Tony Ynot.

Despite playing only nine games with six starts this season, Liwag will be Benilde’s most formidable force to lean on. The Season 100 MVP from Cavite will need to do what he does best, that is, man the paint and be an intimidating presence down low on both ends, in order to counter the pace of high-scoring Red Lions.

Amid an injury-plagued season, the 6-foot-6 center is averaging irreplaceable numbers of 14 points and 9.2 rebounds per contest.

Sanchez’s 12.5 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists will also be pivotal to attract the defense and space the floor out, as the do-it-all forward can give San Beda’s defenders different looks that can make Benilde’s offense more unpredictable.

Tony Ynot and his frenzied style of play will also be a major difference-maker against the Red Lions. The former San Beda standout is good for 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 4.6 dimes per contest, and can be an instant spark plug through both his production and his antics on the floor. 

NCAA SEASON 101 SEMIFINALS 

Catch the NCAA Men’s Basketball semifinals as it get underway tomorrow, December 2, 11AM, at the Araneta Coliseum, live on GTV and Heart of Asia, with digital livestreaming on NCAA Philippines and GMA Sports PH (Facebook and Youtube).

Game 1 between Perpetual and Letran starts at 11:00 AM, while the San Beda-Benilde clash is slated at 2:30 PM.