SUMMARY
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MANILA, Philippines — The other semis pairing of the 76th UAAP men’s basketball tournament kicks off on Sunday, September 22 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum as top-seeded National University takes on the gritty University of Santo Tomas in an exciting Final Four match-up.
#1 NU Bulldogs (10-4) vs #3 UST Growling Tigers (8-6)
Game time – 4:00 PM
Season series: NU won, 2-0
First round: NU 71, UST 67
READ: Parks, Mbe push NU past UST
Second round: NU 75, UST 61
READ: Sizzling NU tames UST for 4th straight win
Why NU will win: Coach Eric Altamirano believes this season is the Bulldogs’ ultimate chance to win it all. They swept UST in the eliminations with different heroes starring in each match. Ray Parks and Jean Mbe are averaging all-star numbers, Gelo Alolino has been one of the most effective point guards in the season and the Sampaloc-based squad are also getting solid support from their bench. Guys like Jeoff Javillonar, Robin Rono, Glenn Khobuntin, and Dennice Villamor are all contributing on both ends of the floor.
Why UST will win: The Growling Tigers never surrendered and now, they’re in for a bigger ride. They have battled through adversity and made it to the playoffs after knocking out the Blue Eagles.
Coach Pido Jarencio thinks Karim Abdul is having an MVP season and that is proven by his monster numbers (16.4 PPG, 12.1 RPG). Aljon Mariano and Kevin Ferrer have been solid while Jeric Teng was sitting out. And in UST’s two losses to NU, Teng was barely a factor. Now that he’s back in harness, the Espana crew will give the Bulldogs a better challenge.
Key match-up:
Karim Abdul (16.4 PPG, 12.1 RPG) vs Jean Mbe (14.9 PPG, 11.2 RPG)
Two of UAAP’s most dominant big men bang bodies in a heavyweight duel down the lane. Since their arrival in the league, both Abdul and Mbe have filled in their respective teams’ gaps inside and have provided them with the strength. It would be great to see them battling each other again for their squads’ survival. Abdul has a legitimate mid-range game while Mbe is a little bit faster. Whether in scoring, rebounding, or just giving their teammates the extra lift, Abdul and Mbe will play key roles in this Final Four match-up.
X-factors:
NU: Ray Parks
He’s the two-time UAAP MVP. Though he didn’t win the same distinction this year, he’s having another MVP season. However, Parks has never been in this situation before. NU did make the playoffs last year but fell to FEU. This time, they’re number one. They have the twice-to-beat edge and Parks should showcase the leadership he’s been delivering all season long.
UST: Kevin Ferrer
Ferrer has been known for his scoring back in high school but since he’s in a team loaded with scorers, the former UAAP Juniors MVP has become UST’s lockdown defender. Now, he’s up against arguably the best wingman in college basketball right now and he has to exert outstanding effort to limit Ray Parks.
What this game means:. This is it for National U. They’re sitting in a pretty good position and they want to end a 59-year title drought. For UST, they’ve shown the nerves of steel especially during do-or-die matches and here’s another match to decide if they can live for another day. It’s going to be a war from the start with all the much-anticipated match-ups and both teams are hungry to make it to the big dance.– Rappler.com
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