The UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament continues its unpredictable run high atop Manila’s neighboring mountains as the Ynares Center in Antipolo City hosts its first batch of collegiate basketball games in three years.
As all eight teams’ records evenly mirror one another from top to bottom, no squad is out of the woods just yet as preseason contenders like La Salle, Adamson, and FEU continue to play catch-up to the season’s overachievers such as NU and UE in their final first-round games.
UP (5-1) vs UST (1-5)
The UP Fighting Maroons continue to play with fire after yet another close shave in their last game, and the defending champions now strive to avoid getting burned by the win-starved UST Growling Tigers at 1 pm.
Losers of their last five games, the limping Tigers hope to find any sort of silver lining in their upset bid as head coach Bal David attempts to squeeze out any kind of meaningful production out of players not named Nic Cabañero.
Adamson (2-4) vs La Salle (3-3)
Expect a palpable sense of urgency in the 4:30 pm match as the Adamson Soaring Falcons and La Salle Green Archers both attempt to salvage a disappointing first round by ending on a winning note.
League-leading scorer Schonny Winston will attempt to bounce back after getting checked to a season-low 12 points in the Archers’ loss against the top-ranked NU Bulldogs, while floor generals Evan Nelle and Penny Estacio continue to shore up a backcourt lineup missing key cogs like Mark Nonoy and CJ Austria.
On the other end, head coach Nash Racela will have his work cut out for him as he continues to hone the skills of Falcon gunners like Ray Allen Torres, Joshua Yerro, and Joaquin Jaymalin, while lone star Jerom Lastimosa powers through endless double teams and blocked passing lanes.
Which teams will end the first round with weary, winning smiles on their faces?
