By Ivan Saldajeno
IT'S on!
The UAAP enters its Final Four stage, and it kicks off with top-seeded La Salle taking on fourth-seeded Adamson, featuring a familiar face for the green side.
History: It has been five years since the Soaring Falcons last made the Final Four, but this time, despite having a twice-to-beat disadvantage, they have a good chance thanks to their new coach. A similar case goes for the Green Archers, who missed last season's playoffs as well.
What Now: It's kinda weird for La Sallians to see the architect behind their team's championship legacy coaching for the opposing side, but that's the case right now with Coach Franz Pumaren steering the underdog Adamson side to the semifinals. On the other hand, Coach Aldin Ayo has successfully moved his "House of Chaos" from inside the walls of Intramuros to the green pastures of Taft, even getting a new name for it: Mayhem.
Key Match-Up: Ben Mbala vs. Papi Sarr-No questions asked. They are the top two guys in the MVP race eventually won by Mbala. For Sarr, a statement could be in the offing. An honorable mention would be the scoring guard clash between rookies Jerrick Ahanmisi and Aljun Melecio considering recent discussions about the former's Rookie of the Year win.
What to Watch Out: Both Ayo and Pumaren employ a pressure-defense-oriented style of play, but these teams are capable of winning high-scoring games, so don't be surprised if offense could spell the difference here.
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