AS crazy as this Final Four race has been this UAAP Season 88 men's basketball tournament, the only thing certain at this point is that National U is locked in for a top two spot.
READ: This is why twice-to-beat matters most of all to National U
The Bulldogs, magnificent all year long under the lead of Jake Figueroa, have created some separation from the field at 11-2 to lock in a twice-to-beat bonus in the postseason.
The question now is who will get that second spot?
UP (9-3)
The good news: the University of the Philippines actually has the inside track for a top two berth after its 70-65 win against Adamson on Sunday.
The bad news: it also has the toughest schedule with Ateneo and La Salle still coming.
What's working for State U is that it's already into the next round, meaning that one more win from those games can secure it at least a playoff for the twice-to-beat advantage.
Claiming the top spot is also doable for UP if it sweeps those last two games and if NU loses at least one of its remaining assignments.
Safe to say, that top two berth is the defending champions' to lose.
UST (7-5)
Despite the harrowing skid it endured, University of Santo Tomas still has a chance to move up the ranks.
But the hosts also need to get help from the others for that to be a reality.
The Growling Tigers first have to first beat the league-leading Bulldogs - a task that so far, only the Fighting Maroons have accomplished.
If they accomplish that, though, they then have to take care of business against a dangerous Far Eastern University squad to cap off their elimination assignments.
Unfortunately, UST will also have to be the biggest booster for the Blue Eagles and the Green Archers, as the black-and-gold will root for UP to go 0-2 in its last games to at least force a playoff for No. 2.
La Salle (6-5)
Of the three teams, La Salle has the toughest task at hand after its shock 84-83 defeat to the Tamaraws on Sunday.
Good thing then the Green Archers have three games left in their schedule: with Adamson, UP, and Ateneo on deck for them.
What's not working is that it has no more room for errors, as the Taft side has to sweep its remaining games and hope that the Fighting Maroons also lose to the Blue Eagles.
If that happens, we're bracing for a virtual best-of-three, with La Salle and UP facing off for a playoff for No. 2 first, before the traditional Final Four duel.
The Green Archers will also have the best odds in the event of a three-way tie at 9-5 with UST and UP. That would see the Growling Tigers and the Fighting Maroons first facing off, with the winner taking on La Salle for the second seed.
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