The La Salle Green Archers and UP Fighting Maroons are set to continue their budding rivalry in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball finals.
When the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball finals tips off this December 8, there will be much more at stake for the UP Fighting Maroons and La Salle Green Archers on top of the collegiate men’s basketball title.
Legacies will be on the line as each team looks to prove their mettle under the bright lights of the SMART Araneta Coliseum and Mall of Asia Arena. Not to mention that we’ll have veterans looking for a storybook ending to their collegiate careers.
Should La Salle defend their crown, Head Coach Topex Robinson will become the first Green Archers coach to go back-to-back since Franz Pumaren’s eventual four-peat in the early 2000s, which would further solidify his elite caliber as a collegiate basketball head coach.
Meanwhile, Monteverde’s UP will be hell-bent on avoiding a third-straight runner-up finish as they try to snag the program’s fourth UAAP championship. Following their Season 84 title, the Fighting Maroons fell to a resurgent Ateneo Blue Eagles in Season 85, and the revamped Archers in Season 86 to settle for silver-medal finishes.
After going through the tale of the tape, here are five intriguing storylines that can define another UAAP finals series between the Fighting Maroons and Green Archers.
Can UP finally crack the La Salle puzzle?
Monteverde’s UP currently holds a 2-5 record against Robinson’s La Salle core in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament. When broken down, this includes their split elimination round games in Season 86, and the Archers’ championship-clinching comeback in Games 2 and 3 of that season’s finals.
An elimination sweep followed in Season 87, where the Maroons suffered double-digit losses against the Archers. Ahead of the finals, pressure is now on the Fighting Maroons whether or not they can sufficiently resolve their lapses against a familiar foe.
“Samin naman, syempre from the last season, ‘yung nangyari samin, we took that into heart and I believe we started naman nung first day of practice this year. We as a team, kumbaga ‘yung goal namin is to take it one game at a time, umabot kami sa finals and now nandito na kami,” UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde said following their 78-69 victory against UST in the Final Four last weeekend.
“‘Yan ang maganda sa finals, magsa-start naman ‘yan 0-0. It’s a best-of-three series so we’re looking forward to prepare and play our best sa series.”
A complete cast this time around
UP and La Salle played their elimination round games with some key Fighting Maroons sitting out. Cagulangan missed Round 1 due to an illness, while one-and-done big Quentin Millora-Brown sat out Round 2 to mourn the passing of his late grandfather Angel in the United States.
Barring any changes, both Cagulangan and QMB are expected to suit up for the Season 87 Finals series. And if it does happen, we’ll finally see a full-strength battle between the Fighting Maroons and Green Archers.
The graduating Cagulangan provides high-level playmaking and scoring to the Fighting Maroons, while Millora-Brown’s veteran finesse down low has given UP a formidable inside presence throughout Season 87.
“Again, what’s obvious during those first two meetings was UP didn’t have a complete lineup. I guess that’s one thing that we haven’t seen. Going back to our FilOil [EcoOil Preseason Cup] meetings, they beat us twice so that’s one thing that we have to remember,” La Salle head coach Topex Robinson said after their own 70-55 win over the Adamson Soaring Falcons in the Final Four.
The super seniors’ last dance
Once upon a time, JD Cagulangan and Joshua David formed a star backcourt duo in the high school ranks with the La Salle Greenhills Greenies. Today, both are in their fifth and final year in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament as their teams’ respective veteran leaders.
And as they enter their last dance, their younger teammates are highly determined to give them a storybook exit.
“Josh is someone who I personally draw inspiration from. I always say this, that ever since I first came here to La Salle, he was like a kuya to me. We all got to witness his fight and his struggles with his injury,” said La Salle’s Mike Phillips. “Josh’s time in La Salle may come to an end, but what he’s leaving will stay behind for years.”
Apart from their veteran presence, Cagulangan and David are among their teams’ key contributors. As mentioned, Cagulangan’s play for Season 87 landed him a Mythical Five spot thanks to high-level scoring and playmaking.
Meanwhile, it wasn’t until Season 86 that David made his UAAP debut due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. Still, he went from being Evan Nelle’s understudy to becoming an all-around contributor as the Archers’ starting point guard for Season 87.
Now, it remains to be seen as to which senior will exit the UAAP with two championships under his belt.
X factors?
Behind UP and La Salle’s leaders such as Quiambao, Phillips, and Cagulangan, is a deep supporting cast that was among the most productive throughout UAAP Season 87. Simply put, every bit of effort will be needed from each and every player in their respective teams’ bid to secure another UAAP title.
Given this, it’s now a matter of who will step up alongside the usual contributors. Top of mind, will UP’s Harold Alarcon continue his hot shooting along with Terrence Fortea’s steady hand? How about captain Gerry Abadiano breaking out of his slump?
For La Salle, co-captain David seeks to continue his mastery over the Fighting Maroons, while CJ Austria might just find his rhythm to put up some points. Of course, there’s also big man Raven Gonzales who benefits from the Archers’ playmaking, along with third-year guard JC Macalalag.
But again, which of these names (and more) will thrive under the spotlight starting December 8?
How intense will this rematch be?
It’s hard to overlook the tension when discussing this La Salle-UP rivalry, especially with the controversy that hounded the two teams earlier in Season 87. Sure, the issue has died down, but their Round 2 rematch showed that heads haven’t fully cooled down, either.
Yes, there were moments of sportsmanship at the time. However, chances are, some form of dislike will remain indefinitely between these two champion programs. More likely than not, an added layer of security will remain as these teams make their way around the Araneta Coliseum and MOA Arena in their much-anticipated rematch.
And with a UAAP title on the line, we’re bound to expect a series of highly intense matchups between the two teams. Hopefully, such intensity will only be on the hardcourt, in a bid to win two grueling games for a taste of championship glory.
Banner image courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.