Defending champ Ateneo de Manila looks to complete the UAAP Season 86 men's basketball tournament Final Four cast when it sees action at the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday, November 15.
For the fourth-running Blue Eagles to clinch the last semifinals berth, they need to beat the UE Red Warriors in the curtain-raiser of a quadruple-header at 11 a.m., and hope that the fifth seed Adamson Soaring Falcons yield to the NU Bulldogs in the main event at 6 p.m.
Materialization of such scenarios would enable Ateneo to rise to 7-6 and shut the semis doors on Adamson, which would drop to 5-8 and thus would no longer be able to catch up to the former even if it wins its 14th and last game in the elimination round.
A loss by the Blue Eagles and a win by the Soaring Falcons, however, would keep the the doors open not only for Adamson but also for the sixth seed UE to sneak into the Final Four with still two game days left after this one today.
Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin, whose team beat Adamson last Sunday, 62-58, said they need themselves to control their Final Four fate and not rely on other teams for them to enter the semis.
They can control their destiny and keep that separation from Adamson and UE if they at least repeat on the Red Warriors.
"Adamson is still in the hunt but they have a tough game [coming up] against NU. As I've said before the season, NU, they're really a tough team. That's going to be a hell of a game," said Baldwin, whose Blue Eagles beat the Red Warriors in the first round, 76-69, on October 11.
"I think if we didn't win today [against Adamson last Sunday], I think we would have to rely on other people but right now our destiny is still in our own hands and that's where we want to keep it. We just look at UE now and make sure we don't have a letdown. We have to come out, like Jo [Obasa] said, we have to earn the right to continue playing this season."
Unlike the Blue Eagles, the Soaring Falcons no longer control their destiny within their hands but the Nash Racela-mentored team can stay in the hunt for that last semis berth or at least a playoff for that last semis spot if they beat the Bulldogs.
"At least we have two more games. Hopefully, we do our part. It's still mathematically possible. It will maybe harder than today. I don't know their—whatever they want, I don't know what they want but we'll do our part. That's all we can say, we'll try to win games," said Racela.
If Ateneo, Adamson, and UE are fighting for survival, UP, NU, and La Salle, the first, second, and third seed teams, in that order, on the other hand, have already clinched their Final Four spots but are still shooting for that top two finish in the eliminations, which merits a twice-to-beat semis incentive.
Sporting identical 10-2 slates, the Fighting Maroons and the Bulldogs could secure finishing as top two teams should they beat UST at 1 p.m. and Adamson at 6 p.m., respectively.
UP and NU also need the Green Archers to succumb to the FEU Tamaraws at 4 p.m. to clinch those top two spots. A win by the 9-3 La Salle, however, would keep the race for that twice-to-beat incentive open for the Taft-based team.
