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Leaders for NCAA Season 99 Ultimate 4 groups. –NCAA PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines—A brand new king will likely be topped within the NCAA males’s basketball this season.
Early on within the season, defending champion Letran misplaced its bid for a four-peat which gave rise to 4 groups rising as title contenders for Season 99.
With Mapua, Lyceum, San Beda and Faculty of St. Benilde rising to the event, right here’s Inquirer Sports activities’ preview for the Ultimate 4 showdown that begins Tuesday at Mall of Asia Area.
LYCEUM VS. SAN BEDA’S STREAK: END OR EXTEND?
Lyceum Pirates’ Enoch Valdez. –NCAA PHOTO
The battle of second-seeded Lyceum and third seed San Beda will likely be one to look out for.
For one, the Crimson Lions ended the elimination spherical with probably the most momentum, using on a four-game profitable streak. They, nonetheless, might want to lengthen that string to 6 victories in the event that they wish to return to the promised land.
That’s as a result of the Pirates, who ended the eliminations with a 13-5 card, maintain a twice-to-beat benefit. Only one victory and so they’ll be nicely on their approach again to the Finals since 2018.
What’s extra fascinating, although, is the playing cards are evenly dealt for each squads, as they each maintain one win over the opposite on the finish of the primary and second spherical.
San Beda Crimson Lions’ Jacob Cortez. –NCAA PHOTO
Lyceum has been in a renaissance below PBA draftee Enoch Valdez and San Beda coach Yuri Escueta is aware of higher than to underestimate the Intramuros squad’s possibilities.
“We nonetheless must get higher and respect LPU,” mentioned Escueta after their season-ending win towards rival Letran at San Juan Area on Friday.
“Coming to the playoffs, we are able to’t begin like that figuring out how LPU is at all times at 110 %. We are able to’t begin video games gradual.”
The guard battle of Valdez and Jacob Cortez will likely be a sight to behold on Tuesday, as each gamers are within the race for the MVP spot.
BENILDE VS. MAPUA: MVP vs… MVP?
CSB Blazers’ Will Gozum.–NCAA PHOTO
After a Season 98 Finals look, Faculty of St. Benilde should climb a more durable mountain this time with reigning MVP Will Gozum.
Final 12 months, the Blazers held a twice-to-beat benefit over the aforementioned Beda after ending as the highest seed due to the efforts of an eventual MVP.
That scenario occurred as soon as extra this 12 months; an rebellion crew was carried behind the again of a participant who’s in prime place to be one of the best participant within the league.
Besides, this time, it isn’t the Blazers.
This time round, it’s Mapua which completed atop the ladder with a 15-3 file plus a twice-to-beat benefit to match behind the efforts of the highest contender for MVP, Clint Escamis.
Mapua’s Clint Escamis.–NCAA PHOTO
Escamis averaged 16.28 factors, 5.83 rebounds, 4.22 assists and three.78 steals per recreation for the Cardinals, pushing his agenda as this 12 months’s MVP even farther.
Now it’s a battle of the reigning and the upcoming as Gozum, who averaged 12.76 factors and 6.41 boards an evening, tries his greatest as soon as extra to push the Blazers again to the place they left off final season.
Like the two vs. 3 matchup, Benilde and Mapua even have a 1-1 file towards one another within the elimination spherical, which is able to immediate each tacticians Charles Tiu and Randy Alcantara to convey their A-game on Tuesday.
NCAA Season 99 Ultimate 4 Schedule of Video games
November 28, 2023
Mall of Asia Area
1:30pm Mapua Cardinals vs St. Benilde Blazers
3:30pm Lyceum Pirates vs San Beda Crimson Lions
December 1, 2023 **if needed
Good Araneta Coliseum
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1:30pm Lyceum Pirates vs San Beda Crimson Lions
3:30pm Mapua Cardinals vs St. Benilde Blazers
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