AT long last, an action-packed UAAP Season 86 men's basketball tournament has reached its penultimate phase — the Final Four.
Up and down the order they went but it all comes down to the last four contenders — the two reigning finalists and the two raging returnees.
With the coveted twice-to-beat incentives at their disposals, will one shot be enough for the University of the Philippines and La Salle to get the job done or will Ateneo and National University earn another crack at the leaders?
'Battle of Katipunan' with a twist
The recent history between neighboring sides UP and Ateneo in UAAP men's basketball has been nothing short of special and eventful.
In three of the last four championship series wherein the Katipunan squads contested the title, the Blue Eagles prevailed twice (Seasons 81 and 85) and the Fighting Maroons once (Season 84).
This year, after splitting their season series (Round 1 - Ateneo; Round 2 - UP), the storied rivalry will offer a completely new chapter unlike anything we've witnessed in recent past.
Not only are both sides flaunting much younger and rookie-laden rosters with hints of championship experience, but it'll be under different circumstances — the matchup being one round earlier in the semifinals and UP holding the twice-to-beat bonus.
READ: Cansino, Diouf vow to make championship experience count in playoffs
For UP captain CJ Cansino and reigning league MVP Malick Diouf, the task of facing Ateneo for a spot in the finals is far from a 'been-there-done-that' situation.
But experience will definitely be key, and as a former champion Maroon in Carl Tamayo recently told SPIN.ph, UP must make the most of its 'big chance.'
"I don't think you could teach experience but pwede mong ituro ang effort. Lagi namang sinasabi sa amin ni Coach Gold (Monteverde) na keep on pounding and kapag binigay namin ang best namin, kung ano man ang maging resulta, okay na kami doon basta alam naming binigay namin lahat," Cansino said.
"I'm not yet back like 100 percent but I'm trying to do my best. This tournament is really hard right now and being champion, going to the playoffs, is not easy. There are a lot of things happening and that is not what we can control so we have to play through it," Diouf added.
And although Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin has long embraced the underdog tag even before the season began, the reigning champs' 'win or go home' mentality will be the fuel to the fire they aim to reignite in their title retention bid.
READ: Battle of Katipunan for underdog Ateneo 'all about preparation,' says Tab
"It's win or go home, but you know, it's got to be about preparation. You're not just gonna walk out on the court against the really strong UP team who's rested. We're going up against a real top team and we're gonna have to see if we can pull some rabbits out of the hat.
"We're definitely the underdog and I'm putting the Blue Eagle flag directly in the underdog role," said Baldwin.
"(UP) will be ready to play, but our guys will come out with a lot of heart. Hopefully, we'll have a curveball or two that can get us a bucket here and there and just fight to hang on," the Ateneo coach added
A tale of two comebacks
On the flip side lies two teams mounting Final Four comebacks of varying magnitudes.
The Bulldogs return for a second successive semis stint as third-seeds while the Green Archers are back for their first Final Four trip since Season 84 after missing the playoffs thrice in the last five seasons.
And just like the other semis series, the two sides split their matches in the elimination phase (Round 1 - NU; Round 2 - La Salle).
With NU flexing its explosive core of young guns come playoff time, the prospective runaway MVP in Kevin Quiambao knows all too well what it will take for the Taft side to finish off its raring foes.
READ: Kevin Quiambao takes 'refuse-to-lose' mentality to Final Four
"Hinding-hindi na kami pwedeng matalo dahil ‘yung team namin on the rise na — ‘yung growth, ‘yung learning curve nando’n.
"Kung ano ‘yung nasa harap namin, talagang ifo-focus namin kung ano ‘yung pwedeng gawin. Trust lang din sa system ni Coach (Topex Robinson) and enjoy the moment kasi talagang nag-eenjoy lang kami maglaro and we have each other’s back," Quiambao told SPIN.ph.
"Heading into the playoffs, talagang bakbakan ‘to at intense na laban. Kung sinuman ‘yung makakaharap namin, hindi kami magpapatalo. Focus kami sa kung anong meron kami at kung anong kontrolado namin, then move on to the next one," he added.
READ: Napa urges NU to 'do the impossible' after losing out on twice-to-beat
While NU's immediate buildup to the Final Four was far from ideal upon absorbing back-to-back losses, NU head coach Jeff Napa took full responsiblity for the prelims home stretch that was and shifted the team's focus on the prospect of what could be.
"Very frustrating yung last two stretch ng games namin that didn't favor us (versus Adamson and UP). It's my fault, it's my responsiblity. I take full responsiblity sa dalawa na yun. We need to move forward and we need to prepare against La Salle.
"Pero ganun pa rin 'yung approach, ganun pa rin yung magiging mindset namin. Ssinabi ko sa kanila na if you want to be contenders, kailangan 'yung performance is much higher than your previous performances," said Napa.
"Ayokong mag-dwell sa kung ano man yung mga nangyari sa'min. It all boils down pa rin kung ano yung performance namin sa game (...) Ang pep talk ko sa kanila, 'do the impossible thing' and will see kung ano yung result come Saturday," he added.
UP and Ateneo will begin Final Four hostilities at 2 p.m. before La Salle and NU battle it out at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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