NCAA Season 91 is in its final playing date, but so far, only San Beda is assured of a Final Four spot with five teams still vying for semifinal incentives and playoff positioning.
What’s sure is that playoff matches will be held regardless the results of Friday’s tripleheader that will feature Jose Rizal University against San Sebastian, Mapua against Emilio Aguinaldo College, and Letran against Perpetual Help.
Under league rules, ties between two teams will be broken by a playoff match while ties among three or more teams will require a multiple playoff with the highest to lowest squads based on quotients playing in stepladder series.
Spin.ph tried its best to try and sort out the complicated race and we came up with eight possible scenarios. We clarify, however, that the computations are unofficial.
Scenario 1
JRU beats SSC-R
EAC beats MIT
CSJL beats UPHDS
Arellano faces JRU in a playoff for No. 3 spot while San Beda and Letran will battle for the No. 1 spot.
Scenario 2
SSC-R beats JRU
MIT beats EAC
CSJL beats UPHSD
Arellano battles Mapua for No. 3, while San Beda and Letran collide for the No. 1.
Scenario 3
SSC-R beats JRU
EAC beats MIT
CSJL beats UPHSD
Perpetual Help and Mapua will battle in a playoff, the winner of which will play Jose Rizal University for the No. 4 spot.
Scenario 4
JRU beats SSC-R
MIT beats EAC
CSJL beats UPHSD
There would be a stepladder for the No. 3 spot among three teams with Arellano and Mapua, teams with the lower quotient, battling each other for the right to take on JRU. The winner of that match becomes the No. 4 team and will take on the winner of the San Beda-Letran playoff for No. 1 spot
Scenario 5
SSC beats JRU
EAC beats MIT
UPHSD beats CSJL
With JRU and Mapua out due to their defeats, Letran, Arellano, and Perpetual Help will play a stepladder playoff. The match-ups will, however, be determined depending on the winning margin of the Altas over the Knights.
a. Perpetual Help wins by 14 points or more
The Altas will get the best quotient and will face the winner of the Letran-Arellano match.
b. Perpetual Help wins by 13 points or less
The Knights will have the best quotient and will take on the winner of the Perpetual Help-Arellano game.
Scenario 6
JRU beats SSC-R
EAC beats MIT
UPHDS beats CSJL
The opponent of the Arellano-JRU first stepladder match winner will depend on the winning margin of Friday’s Perpetual Help-Letran match.
a. Perpetual Help wins by 19 points or more
The Altas get the best quotient among the four teams with the Knights going to second. Hence, Letran will face the winner of the Arellano-JRU first stepladder match, the winner of which takes on Perpetual Help for the last twice-to-beat edge in the Final Four
b. Perpetual Help wins by a margin of 12 to 18 points.
The Knights take the best quotient among the four teams and will await who will emerge from JRU and the winner of the Perpetual Help-Arellano match.
Scenario 7
SSC-R beats JRU
MIT beats EAC
UPHDS beats CSJL
a. Perpetual Help wins by five points or less
Arellano and Mapua will battle in the first stepladder with the winner taking on Perpetual Help, the winner of which will take on Letran for the No. 2 spot.
b. Perpetual Help wins by six to 16 points
It will be Perpetual Help which will wait with Letran facing the winner of the Arellano-Mapua match.
c. Perpetual Help wins by 18 or more points
Perpetual Help will also wait for its opponent for the No. 2 spot. Letran will drop to a first stepladder playoff with Arellano with the winner facing Mapua.
Scenario 8
JRU beats SSC-R
MIT beats EAC
UPHDS beats CSJL
a. Perpetual Help wins by a margin of 17 points or less
Letran will fight for the No. 2 spot. Arellano and Mapua begin the stepladder with the winner facing JRU, which will then take on Perpetual Help
b. Perpetual Help wins by 19 to 21 points
Perpetual Help will the waiting team. Arellano and Mapua play the first stepladder match, the winner facing JRU. Letran will face the winner of the aforementioned match for the right to play the Altas.
c. Perpetual Help wins by 22 to 27 points
Letran will drop to the second stepladder match which will play the Arellano-Mapua contest. The winner faces JRU for the right to play Perpetual Help.
d. Perpetual Help wins by 29 points or more
Letran will be forced to play the first stepladder playoff against Arellano, the winner of which will take on Mapua. JRU will come next before going up against Perpetual Help.