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MANILA, Philippines – A clash of styles will kick off the UAAP Season 82 stepladder semifinals as the FEU Tamaraws face off against the UST Growling Tigers in men’s basketball on Wednesday, November 6, at the Araneta Coliseum.
On the green and gold side, the Olsen Racela-coached squad from Morayta could grind out games and realistically win with just 50 points.
Meanwhile, Aldin Ayo’s boys from España would launch 50 three-pointers as a team if that’s what it takes to win.
With this difference, however, comes interesting similarities that will surely make any contest between them a must-watch affair.
Just like how UST proudly parades its young guns led by Rhenz Abando, Mark Nonoy and Sherwin Concepcion, FEU also expects a lot from its collection of youngsters, with L-Jay Gonzales, Royce Alforque and Xyrus Torres leading the way.
Their respective veteran casts are also nothing to scoff at. If left unchecked, UST’s Renzo Subido and FEU’s Ino Comboy can both leave the opposition shell-shocked with an unrelenting barrage of long bombs.
The Tamaraws’ Ken Tuffin and the Tigers’ Zach Huang can also surprise people with occasional scoring bursts and a steady stream of hustle on both ends.
Will all these weapons canceling one another out, the difference-maker for both teams now lies in the foreign student-athlete matchup.
UST’s athletic freak Soulemane Chabi Yo is a consistent double-double threat, which is the main reason he’s an MVP frontrunner in just his first UAAP season.
FEU’s Pat Tchuente is nowhere near as polished offensively, but he has proven to be a defensive ace, which could spell problems for the undersized Chabi Yo.
Come Wednesday, the only real question for both sides is who will step up and who will fall apart in the knockout match.
The winner will advance against the No. 2 UP Fighting Maroons, who tote a twice-to-beat advantage.
As both FEU and UST need to win 3 straight do-or-die matches to reach the finals, the stepladder will be an uphill climb where failure is not an option.
Will UST make the most of its Final Four return or will FEU’s consistent playoff experience be the key down the stretch?
Game time is at 4 pm. Follow Rappler’s live updates below:
UAAP82: FEU vs UST – Curated tweets by RapplerSports
– Rappler.com
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