THE UAAP Season 76 men’s basketball tournament is down to its final two playdates of the eliminations but much is still at stake for the five teams still in the hunt ahead of the Final Four.
University of Santo Tomas and Ateneo are still battling it out for the last seat in the Final Four with last year's finalists set to face each other in their last game of the eliminations.
National University, meanwhile, has clinched a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four for the first time in school history but is still waiting to find out where it will end up at the close of the eliminations.
Far Eastern University has returned to the Final Four after a disappointing 2012 season but is still unsure on whether it becomes the No. 1 seed or go through a playoff for the No. 2 seeding - and the twice-to-beat advantage that goes with it.
Despite being a win away from sweeping the second-round hostilities, De La Salle can still go from No. 2 or fall to as low as No. 4 - a spot in the Final Four where no team has ever come out of to win a UAAP title.
Here are the different scenarios that may happen at the end of the eliminations.
The team standings are as follows before Saturday’s match.
FEU 10 4
NU 10 4
DLSU 9 4
UST 7 5
ADMU 7 6
The game schedules that matter in the Final Four standings are as follows:
Saturday: UST vs. DLSU
Wednesday: Ateneo vs. UST
Scenario One: DLSU and UST win
FEU 10 4
NU 10 4
DLSU 10 4
UST 8 6
ADMU 7 7
A three-way tie for first place ensues, with NU grabbing No. 1 spot due to a superior quotient. La Salle and FEU, meanwhile, battle in a playoff where a twice-to-beat advantage is at stake in the Final Four, making it a virtual best-of-three series between the two teams for a final spot. UST takes the No. 4 slot while ending Ateneo's shot at a sixth consecutive championship.
Scenario Two: UST wins over DLSU, Ateneo wins over UST
FEU 10 4
NU 10 4
DLSU 9 5
UST 8 6
ADMU 8 6
FEU and NU share first place in the standings but the Tamaraws take the No. 1 spot over the Bulldogs due to a superior quotient (+3). The Bulldogs, holding a twice-to-beat advantage, will face De La Salle in the Final Four while Ateneo and UST play off for the No. 4 spot in the Final Four.
Scenario Three: DLSU wins, ADMU wins (UST loses all games)
NU 10 4
DLSU 10 4
FEU 10 4
ADMU 8 6
UST 7 7
NU grabs No. 1 spot due to a superior quotient over La Salle and FEU, which will face off in a playoff for the other twice-to-beat berth. Ateneo takes the No. 4 slot, eliminating UST.
Scenario 4: UST wins all games
FEU 10 4
NU 10 4
UST 9 5
DLSU 9 5
ADMU 7 7
FEU and NU share first place in the standings but the Tamaraws take the No. 1 spot over the Bulldogs due to a superior quotient (+3). UST grabs No. 3 due to its 2-0 sweep of their season series with De La Salle, which gets the No. 4 spot. Ateneo is eliminated.
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