CHICAGO - In a highly competitive, often unpredictable UAAP Season 89 men's basketball tournament, some clarity emerged.
The UP Fighting Maroons are the head of the class.
Finalists in four of the last five seasons, winning it all twice during that span, the state university is headed back to a familiar place yet again.
The Final Four.
READ: UP tightens grip on top seed after another triumph over Adamson
Well, it's not official yet, but it's imminent, unstoppable as a woman's tears.
SOLO LEADERS.
The Fighting Maroons raced to an 8-2 won-lost record on Wednesday by beating upset-conscious Adamson at the Araneta Coliseum.
Although the final score, 82-70, didn't reflect a blowout, it was as one-sided as an encounter between a tree branch and a wood chipper.
After taking a 45-31 halftime lead, UP inhaled some resistance before closing the show by holding the Soaring Falcons to just 12 points in the final 10 minutes of play.
Matt Erolon defiantly tried to lead Adamson to another one of its patented giant-killing sprees, but UP had more weapons than the AFP armory.
James Payosing had 15 points. Rey Remogat and Dikachi Udodo finished with 12 apiece while Elliot Dimacilangan chipped in 11.
Jacob Bayla and Veejay Pre combined for 13 to help UP snatch six wins in a row.
VERSATILE.
"Despite the departure of the Maroon 5, the pieces that took over as well as the rotation are even harder to guard (Remogat-Payosing-Poyos-Briones-Dinaculangan and others are all dependable)," a PBA champion coach told me.
And then there's Veejay Pre.
While top rivals Ateneo, sans former coach Tab Baldwin, and La Salle, orphaned by Motor Mike Phillips, are transitioning, UP remains a constant of dominance and excellence.
They don't crown UAAP champions in November but if healthy, it's awfully hard to deny UP the crown in December.
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