Filtered by: Sports
Sports

UAAP Layup Lines - Season 76 Final Four predictions, take two


On the eve of the UAAP postseason, the Layup Lines crew is back to try their hand again at predicting the future, and divining which side will emerge from the pack to hoist the Season 76 trophy.

The last time this exercise was done, six of our nine panelists predicted an FEU championship, with one daring to venture that FEU would sweep both rounds. The rest of the draw saw two UST wins and one six-peat for Ateneo, the latter obviously, no longer attainable.

So now that the field has been narrowed to the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, the De La Salle University Green Archers, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws and the National University Bulldogs, who do our team members see winning it all? Read on, and if you agree or disagree with their picks, let us know in the comments, below.



Carlo Pamintuan, sports desk editor, GMA News Online




- "NU pulls this out in two. The Bulldogs bench is too deep for UST to handle. Kevin Ferrer can give Bobby Ray Parks some trouble and their imports can cancel each other out. The differencethen  will be NU's frontline."

- "DLSU in three. FEU is just too unpredictable to be effective in the Final Four. La Salle on the other hand toughened themselves with difficult wins in the second round."

- "This is really tough to call but I'll say NU in three games. NU and DLSU match up well against each other. I think the difference in this series is that Parks will show he's still the best player in the UAAP even if he's not the MVP."



Renee Fopalan
, writer, GMA News Online




- The NU point guards have had their way against UST in the elimination round and they will continue to do so. In their first meeting, the Bulldogs leaned on Gelo Alolino in the final quarter to pull out a 71-67 win. In the second game, it was Robin Rono who dropped four treys in the fourth for a 75-61 win.

- In the second round, FEU struggled against the other F4 contenders, including Ateneo. They faced a different Archers squad in the first round. Since then, DLSU has learned to get a grip defensively, fending off opposing teams' comebacks and sealing wins at the stripe. La Salle is riding momentum going into this series, and its pair of towers, plus the Perkins kicker, will be enough to get them through.

- DLSU will probably just let Parks have monster numbers and clamp down on the rest of the team. Mbe would have to face AVO and Norbert Torres, while Dennice Villamore and Glenn Khobuntin have to deal with the width of Jason Perkins. Unlike UST, NU point guards have to deal with legit counterparts from the green side. La Salle loves drama as well. And with the brouhaha surrounding their UAAP board members, they might just pull out a championship for some redemption.



Job De Leon, writer, GMA News Online




- This is a great match-up, but I'm going with NU in two games. I really wanna see Jeric Teng go out on top, but UST's difficulty in closing out high-pressure games could be a concern.

- DLSU in two games. FEU needs to force turnovers and get as much points in the open court as possible. Oh, and try to find a way around Perkins, AVO and Nobert. Easier said than done.

 

 



Chuck Araneta, From the Stands, contributor to GMA News Online Sports




- Every time Karim Abdul and Emmanuel Mbe square off, it's like a Kaiju going up against a Jaeger in the middle of a basketball court. These two dudes are so polished and are so familiar with each other's game, that it's so fun to see how they will be able to produce against each other. I'm giving the advantage to NU because Bobby Ray Parks should be able to dominate his match-up against Kevin Ferrer. Gelo Alolino has also been a steady floor general for NU, and should be able to dictate the pace as he flies on fast breaks with Parks. The sneaky good matchup is between old friends Jeric Teng and Jeoffrey Javillionar.

- The front court of DLSU will give FEU nightmares. It's going to be tough to deal with the unique skillset of all the bigs of the Archers, as Arnold Van Opstal, Jason Perkins and Norbert Torres are going to be a triple tag team of doom for the Tamaraws. I'm giving one game to the Tamaraws though because RR Garcia, former UAAP MVP, will not go quietly into the night. He will dominate his match-up against Thomas Torres or Almond Vosotros just to remind us of how good he is. But the Green Archers will be better.

- This is going to be a ridiculously fun Finals matchup to witness. If there's anyone who can keep the bigs of La Salle in check, it's Mbe. If there's someone who can match Jeron Teng shot for shot, it's Bobby Ray Parks. If there's anyone who can stay in front of Vosotros, it's William Porter (who just came out of nowhere to become NU's backcourt defensive stopper). Really at the end of the day the UAAP Champions will be the team that can execute under pressure and find a way to embrace the big stage and bright lights instead of turn away from it. There's no big, bad Ateneo to stand in their way; the field is wide open. If Bobby Ray Parks can fulfill the promise he made to his late father though, good luck to anyone in green and white who'll stand in his way.



Polo Bustamante, From the Stands, contributor to GMA News Online Sports




- In the battle of the most polished imports, Mbe proves that he's superior. Karim will make him fight for it though.

- La Salle is peaking at the right time. They've figured out that they have the best inside scorers in the league. They're going to pound the skinny FEU frontline into oblivion.

- Bobby Ray Parks will have to fight until the very end for his first championship. La Salle is too good a team to be swept though, even by the best in the league.



Nico Baguio, owner and editor of HumbleBola, columnist for GMA News Online Sports




- NU is just the better team. UST's anemic and offensive rebounding-dependent offense will crumble under the weight of a bigger, better rebounding, better defending Bulldogs team.

-  Hard to say for sure since both teams are equally good (though in different facets) teams. La Salle has the deeper and bigger team and more often than not, size wins if you can muster it well. Their seven-game win streak is a testament to them finally learning how to make use of their size.

- Despite La Salle's best efforts, they'll have a hard time playing against the best offensive and defensive team in the league. This championship is NU's to lose. They have the two best players in this match-up (yes, I think Mbe is better than anybody wearing a green uniform) and they're coached well.

 

 



Carla Lizardo, contributor to HumbleBola and GMA News Online Sports




- NU in two games. UST is on fire right now, right after dethroning the five-time champs. I think their will to win will push them to a game one win, but NU will adjust accordingly and grab the second game.

- DLSU in two straight wins. After sweeping the second round, momentum is on DLSU's side. It's amazing how composed they have been as compared to their first round last-minute meltdowns. FEU will put up a good fight, but will lack the discipline to pull off a win. That is, unless all their last minute three-pointers go in, which, to be fair, is not an impossible scenario either.

- NU in two. I think that it's about time the Bulldogs took home the title - they've been playing exceptionally well, with outstanding teamwork. As long as they keep their composure, they definitely have the tools to dominate DLSU in the championship round.



Favian Pua, contributor to GMA News Online Sports




- The Bulldogs have learned a lot from last year's clash with the Growling Tigers. National U., armed with another year of experience and bolstered with offensive weapons that goes down eight-deep, have the edge if the series turns into a high-scoring affair.

- Though the Tamaraws and Green Archers split their series, there is a recurring theme. La Salle runs away with a big lead and then FEU makes a late comeback. FEU should advance, as they have enough height and heft to neutralize La Salle's size, the latter's trump card during the second round where they went 7-0.

- In a wide-open race to the title, superstars will most likely play each other to a stalemate. So the series will be more than just Romeo and Parks. FEU will have the upper hand provided that RR Garcia and Mike Tolomia will get enough touches, Mac Belo and Roger Pogoy stay glued to Dennice Villamor, and playmakers Gelo Alolino and Robin Rono are both kept in check. If the Tamaraws suddenly go berserk from downtown, that could swing the pendulum of the series their way, ushering in a post-Ateneo dynasty.



Aaron Valdez, contributor to GMA News Online Sports




- The Bulldogs not only have a twice-to-beat advantage and a chip on their shoulder after getting booted out of the Final Four by the same team last year, but also the confidence after beating the Growling Tigers twice this season, and in blow-out games at that. It's going to be fun seeing Abdul go up against Mbe, while Teng tries to measure up to Parks, so it's going to be a question of whether anyone outside of those four actually show up for their respective teams.

- FEU has at least eight players who have had Finals experience, dating back to Season 74. Other than that, both teams are fairly evenly stacked up against each other, both having rookie coaches, while one team boasts of the most offensively talented frontcourt, and the other relies on its guard-heavy attack. FEU, however, goes as far as Terrence Romeo takes them.

- NU in 3, but only because it seems like Bulldogs coach Eric Altamirano figured out how to control FEU's tempo in their second round meeting. FEU wins in high-scoring matches, while NU plays at a protracted pace, and latter has won a handful of its games around 60-80 points while the former usually goes past 70 or 80. NU has been the only team to have held them under 60 points in the season, and if Coach E can replicate that effort for at least two more games, then the Bulldogs clinch title number two after 58 years.



Summary:

  • Seven of our panel predicted an NU championship
  • One predicted a DLSU title
  • One predicted FEU winning it all



Who will be crowned champions of UAAP Season 76?



UST Growling Tigers

FEU Tamaraws

DLSU Green Archers

NU Bulldogs


Enter the code above:*    (Refresh code)


View result