UAAP Final Four
Encyclopedia
The UAAP Final Four refers to the playoff
s of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) tournaments.
The term "final four" came from the National Collegiate Athletic Association
of the United States
' men's Division I basketball tournament
which is colloquially called as the "final four".
(1993–94). Previously the postseason was a championship series between the top two teams, with the #1 seeded
team holding the twice to beat advantage, i.e., they have to win only once to clinch the championship. The #2 team has to win twice.
The tournament is now conducted in three stages with the institution of the Final Four playoffs:
On the first year of the implementation of the Final Four playoffs, the University of Santo Tomas
swept the elimination round, and following the then existing rules, the Glowing Goldies were awarded the championship outright. After that season, the UAAP revised the rule so that the team that sweeps the elimination round will instead advance to the best-of-3 Finals automatically. While the #2 team will have the twice to beat advantage in the semifinals where it awaits the winner of the game between the #3 and #4 teams.
The revised postseason format was implemented in Season 57
(1994–95) but it was not until Season 70 (2007–08) that a team swept the elimination rounds. The University of the East
was the first to accomplish this feat under the new format, causing the sweep clause to be used. UE thus automatically advanced to the Finals but this reward became a bane as the Red Warriors had to wait for 21 days before the championship series can be started due to several factors, namely, the unavailability of the playing venue (Araneta Coliseum
), two tie-breaker games and two semifinal games. The Red Warriors became rusty, so to speak, causing them to lose the championship series 2–0 against La Salle (their last elimination round opponent). As a result, the Policy Board formulated the "bonus rule" in which the team that sweeps the elimination rounds will qualify for the Finals outright but will only need to win twice; the other finalist needs to win thrice. Thus, giving the sweeper a 1-0 lead in a virtual best-of-five.
For the men's tournament, ties among the semifinalists were broken by an extra game
, irrespective of the seedings. Ergo, in a tie for the 2nd seed, the game that will be used to break the tie serves as a de facto
game one of a best-of-three series. If two teams are tied for the fourth seed, the game that will be used to break the tie serves as a knockout game between the two. If three or more teams are tied, usually the team with the best points difference gets a bye to the final tie-breaker game against the winner/s of the teams with the lower points difference. In Season 72
(2009–10), the league abolished the tiebreaker games and instead will use "common sense" in determining seedings for the playoffs in case of ties.
In juniors' and women's tournaments, only ties for second and fourth are broken by an extra game. Ties for first and third are broken by the points difference of the tied teams.
Beginning year 2000, the UAAP Finals and the Final Four games, were broadcasted by ABS-CBN
's UHF
channel Studio 23
nationwide and produced by ABS-CBN Sports
. Prior to Studio 23, the games were broadcasted by Silverstar Sports on the state-controlled People's Television
VHF
channel 4. Since 2009, the UAAP is also aired in high definition through cable channel Balls
, via their subsidiary Balls HD. Upon signing a new contract at the conclusion of UAAP Season 72
, the Finals will be aired through VHF television channel ABS-CBN 2, beginning in 2010.
Prior to 2001, the games were also aired live on DZSR
Sports Radio 918-AM
; after ABS-CBN's takeover of broadcast rights, its Manila FM
station 101.9 For Life! aired updates during and after the games, but not blow-by-blow coverages. In 2010, radio coverage of the games were aired on DZRJ-AM
810.
Notes:
A victory of the #3 seed in a series is considered a big upset considering that the #3 seed has to win twice, not to mention the perceived superiority of the #2 seed when compared to the #3 seed.
In the finals, the advantage of the #1 seed isn't as pronounced since the competing teams have to win the same number of games:
*game went into overtime.
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
s of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) tournaments.
The term "final four" came from the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' men's Division I basketball tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
which is colloquially called as the "final four".
History
The Final Four in which the four teams (out of eight) with the best records qualify for the postseason playoff games was instituted in Season 56UAAP Season 56
UAAP Season 56 is the 1993–1994 season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, which was hosted by the Far Eastern University.-Men's basketball:...
(1993–94). Previously the postseason was a championship series between the top two teams, with the #1 seeded
Seed (sports)
A seed is a preliminary ranking that can be used in arranging a sports tournament. It is called a seed because of the analogy with plants where the seed might grow into a top rank at the end of that tournament, or might instead wither away...
team holding the twice to beat advantage, i.e., they have to win only once to clinch the championship. The #2 team has to win twice.
The tournament is now conducted in three stages with the institution of the Final Four playoffs:
- The two-round eliminations, where a team plays the other teams twice. The four teams with the worst records are eliminated.
- The semifinals, wherein the #1 seeded team plays the 4th seeded team and the #2 seeded team plays the 3rd seeded team. Both #1 and #2 seeded teams possess the twice to beat advantage, while the #3 and #4 teams have to win twice.
- The finals, which is a best of three series.
On the first year of the implementation of the Final Four playoffs, the University of Santo Tomas
UST Growling Tigers
The UST Growling Tigers are the varsity team of the University of Santo Tomas in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The women's varsity team is called the UST Growling Tigresses. Originally called the Glowing Goldies, the name has been changed starting with the 1992–93 season....
swept the elimination round, and following the then existing rules, the Glowing Goldies were awarded the championship outright. After that season, the UAAP revised the rule so that the team that sweeps the elimination round will instead advance to the best-of-3 Finals automatically. While the #2 team will have the twice to beat advantage in the semifinals where it awaits the winner of the game between the #3 and #4 teams.
The revised postseason format was implemented in Season 57
UAAP Season 57
UAAP Season 57 is the 1994-1995 season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, which was hosted by the National University.-Men's playoffs:-Juniors' Division:-Seniors' Division:...
(1994–95) but it was not until Season 70 (2007–08) that a team swept the elimination rounds. The University of the East
UE Red Warriors
The UE Red Warriors is the men's varsity team of the University of the East in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The women's varsity team is called the Amazons, while the junior varsity team is called the Junior Warriors .-About UE:University of the East is one of the eight...
was the first to accomplish this feat under the new format, causing the sweep clause to be used. UE thus automatically advanced to the Finals but this reward became a bane as the Red Warriors had to wait for 21 days before the championship series can be started due to several factors, namely, the unavailability of the playing venue (Araneta Coliseum
Araneta Coliseum
The Smart Araneta Coliseum, known as The Big Dome is an indoor multi-purpose sports arena located in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines...
), two tie-breaker games and two semifinal games. The Red Warriors became rusty, so to speak, causing them to lose the championship series 2–0 against La Salle (their last elimination round opponent). As a result, the Policy Board formulated the "bonus rule" in which the team that sweeps the elimination rounds will qualify for the Finals outright but will only need to win twice; the other finalist needs to win thrice. Thus, giving the sweeper a 1-0 lead in a virtual best-of-five.
For the men's tournament, ties among the semifinalists were broken by an extra game
One-game playoff
A one-game playoff, sometimes known as a pennant playoff or play-in game, is a tiebreaker in certain sports—usually but not always professional—to determine which of two teams, tied in the final standings, will qualify for a post-season tournament...
, irrespective of the seedings. Ergo, in a tie for the 2nd seed, the game that will be used to break the tie serves as a de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
game one of a best-of-three series. If two teams are tied for the fourth seed, the game that will be used to break the tie serves as a knockout game between the two. If three or more teams are tied, usually the team with the best points difference gets a bye to the final tie-breaker game against the winner/s of the teams with the lower points difference. In Season 72
UAAP Season 72
-Awardees:* Most Valuable Player: Dylan Ababou, University of Santo Tomas* Rookie of the Year: Jeric Teng, University of Santo Tomas-Bracket:-Awardees:* Most Valuable Player: Analyn Almasan, Adamson University-Bracket:-Awardees:...
(2009–10), the league abolished the tiebreaker games and instead will use "common sense" in determining seedings for the playoffs in case of ties.
In juniors' and women's tournaments, only ties for second and fourth are broken by an extra game. Ties for first and third are broken by the points difference of the tied teams.
Format
- If no team sweeps the elimination round:
- Seeds #1 and #2 teams possess the twice to beat advantage
- Team #1 meets #4 while #2 meets #3 in the semifinals.
- The semifinal winners advance to the Finals.
- The team that wins 2 games in the Finals wins the championship.
- If a team sweeps the elimination round:
- Seed #1 advance to the Finals.
- Seed #2 advance to the semifinals with the twice to beat advantage.
- Teams #3 and #4 face off to meet #2 in the semifinals in a one-game playoff.
- In the finals, the #1 seed only has to win twice, while the other opponent has to win thrice.
- In case of two teams being tied, an extra game will be played to determine which seed they will possess.
- In case of three or more teams being tied, the team with the best head-to-head record usually possesses the best seeding, while the other teams will play an extra game to determine the second-best seeding,
Television and radio
The Final Four is the culmination of the UAAP basketball season and is heavily covered by the media. With the UAAP as one of the leading collegiate leagues in the country, the Final Four games are broadcast live throughout the country.Beginning year 2000, the UAAP Finals and the Final Four games, were broadcasted by ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN
ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ...
's UHF
Ultra high frequency
Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...
channel Studio 23
Studio 23
Studio 23 is a Filipino television network owned by the ABS-CBN Corporation. The network is named for its flagship station in Metro Manila, DWAC-TV, which is carried on UHF channel 23...
nationwide and produced by ABS-CBN Sports
ABS-CBN Sports
ABS-CBN Sports is the sports division of the Philippine media conglomerate ABS-CBN Corporation, which airs some of the notable sports events in the Philippines....
. Prior to Studio 23, the games were broadcasted by Silverstar Sports on the state-controlled People's Television
National Broadcasting Network
People's Television is the flagship government television network owned by the Philippine Government through People's Television Network, Inc. . Its head office, studios and transmitter are located at Broadcast Complex, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City .-History:The country's government...
VHF
Very high frequency
Very high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency...
channel 4. Since 2009, the UAAP is also aired in high definition through cable channel Balls
Balls (TV channel)
Balls is a Filipino sports television network owned by Creative Programs, Inc., a subsidiary of ABS-CBN. It is managed by the sports division of ABS-CBN Corporation, ABS-CBN Sports. The channel operates non-stop 24/7.-History:...
, via their subsidiary Balls HD. Upon signing a new contract at the conclusion of UAAP Season 72
UAAP Season 72
-Awardees:* Most Valuable Player: Dylan Ababou, University of Santo Tomas* Rookie of the Year: Jeric Teng, University of Santo Tomas-Bracket:-Awardees:* Most Valuable Player: Analyn Almasan, Adamson University-Bracket:-Awardees:...
, the Finals will be aired through VHF television channel ABS-CBN 2, beginning in 2010.
Prior to 2001, the games were also aired live on DZSR
DZSR
DZSR Sports Radio 918 is an AM station owned and operated by Philippine Broadcasting Service in the Philippines. The programming and the format of the station is Sports. the station's studio is located at 4th Floor, PIA Building, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, and the transmitter is located...
Sports Radio 918-AM
Amplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
; after ABS-CBN's takeover of broadcast rights, its Manila FM
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
station 101.9 For Life! aired updates during and after the games, but not blow-by-blow coverages. In 2010, radio coverage of the games were aired on DZRJ-AM
DZRJ-AM
DZRJ-AM , also known by its tagline The Voice of the Philippines, is an AM radio station of the Rajah Broadcasting Network, Inc. in the Philippines. The station was located on the roofdeck and tower of the J&T Building along Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard...
810.
Appearances
| Team | Semifinal appearances | Last semis appearance | First semis appearance | Finals appearances | Highest seed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2011 | 2006 | - | 2nd | |
| 13 | 2011 | 1999 | 8 | 1st | |
| 15 | 2010 | 1994 | 13 | 1st | |
| 14 | 2011 | 1994 | 8 | 1st | |
| 1 | 2001 | 2001 | - | 4th | |
| 12 | 2009 | 1994 | 2 | 1st | |
| 2 | 1997 | 1996 | - | 3rd | |
| 12 | 2011 | 1994 | 5 | 1st |
Notes:
- Number of appearance excludes 4th seed elimination games.
Best performances
| Champion | |
| Runner-up | |
| Twice to beat advantage | |
| Semifinalist | |
| Qualified for 4th-seed playoff | |
| Suspended | |
| Not in the league | |
| 1 | Semifinals seed |
| x | Did not Qualify |
| School | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 4 | x | x | x | 3 | 2 | ||
| x | x | x | x | x | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | x | 4 | x | |||||
| 4 | 4 | x | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | x | 2 | 1 | 1 | x | x | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 4 | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| 2 | 3 | 4 | x | 3 | x | x | x | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | x | x | |
| x | x | 3 | 4 | x | |x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | x | 4 | x | x | x | 3 | 4 | x | 4 | x | 4 |
Semifinals
| Team | Pld | W | L | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 13 | 2 | 0.867 | |
| 13 | 8 | 5 | 0.615 | |
| 14 | 8 | 6 | 0.571 | |
| 12 | 5 | 7 | 0.417 | |
| 11 | 1 | 10 | 0.091 | |
| 3 | 0 | 3 | 0.000 | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
Finals
| Team | Pld | W | L | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | 1 | 0.800 | |
| 8 | 5 | 3 | 0.625 | |
| 13 | 6 | 7 | 0.462 | |
| 8 | 3 | 5 | 0.375 | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | |
| 0 | -- | -- | -- | |
| 0 | -- | -- | -- | |
| 0 | -- | -- | -- |
Finals statistics
- Most lopsided game: La Salle 72-47 FEU, 1998 Game 1 (25 points)
- Closest game: Several games, all one-point leads:
- UST 77-76 La Salle, 1994 Game 3
- FEU 65-64 La Salle, 1997 Game 2 (championship clincher)
- Ateneo 73-72 UST, 2006 Game 1
- La Salle 64-63 UE, 2007 Game 1
- Finals appearances: La Salle, 12
- Consecutive finals appearances: La Salle, 9 (1994–2002)
- Championships: UST (1993–96, 2006), La Salle (1998–2001, 2007), and Ateneo (2002, 2008-2011), 5 (including UST's 1993 sweep)
- Consecutive championships: UST (1993–96), La Salle (1998–2001), and Ateneo (2008-2011), 4
- As of 2011, the winner of Game 1 won the championship 13 times out of 18.
Semifinals statistics
- Most lopsided game: La Salle vs NU, 111-85, 2001 (26 points)
- Closest game: Several games, all one-point wins.
- Semifinal appearances: La Salle, 14 (1994–2005, 2007–08)
- Consecutive semifinal appearances: Ateneo (1999-2011), 13
Most frequent matchups
The most frequently played matchups are:| Matchup | Semifinals | Finals | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| FEU vs. La Salle | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Ateneo vs. La Salle | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| La Salle vs. UST | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Ateneo vs. FEU | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Ateneo vs. UST | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| FEU vs. UE | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Ateneo vs. UE | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Ateneo vs. Adamson | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Seeds
In the 17 tournaments the Final Four format has been applied, the higher seed has beaten the lower seeds in the semifinals due to their twice to beat advantage, for the most part:- The #1 seed has beaten the #4 seed all 17 times (100%).
- The #1 seed has beaten the #4 seed 12 times on the first game (71%).
- The #1 seed has beaten the #4 seed 5 times on the second game (29%).
- The #2 seed has beaten the #3 seed 10 times (59%).
- The #2 seed has beaten the #3 seed 8 times on the first game (80%).
- The #2 seed has beaten the #3 seed 2 times on the second game (20%).
- Out of the 7 times the #2 seed was beaten, the #2 seed was UE thrice (43%).
- The #3 seed has beaten the #4 times once (100%)
- With UE sweeping the elimination round, there were two semifinal rounds for 2007.
- The #1 seed skipped the semifinals once (6%; in 2007, when UE swept the elimination round)
A victory of the #3 seed in a series is considered a big upset considering that the #3 seed has to win twice, not to mention the perceived superiority of the #2 seed when compared to the #3 seed.
In the finals, the advantage of the #1 seed isn't as pronounced since the competing teams have to win the same number of games:
- The #1 seed has beaten the #2 seed 6 of 11 times (55%)
- The #1 seed has beaten the #3 seed 4 of 7 times (57%)
- The #2 seed has beaten the #1 seed 5 of 11 times (45%)
- The #3 seed has beaten the #1 seed 3 of 7 times (43%)
- The #1 seed has won the championship 10 of 18 times (56%)
Individual single-game records
Stats since the 2001 season.| Statistic | Name | Total | School | Opponent | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most points | Ken Bono Ken Bono Karl Kenneth O. Bono , better known as Ken Bono, is a Filipino basketball player, selected sixth overall by the Alaska Aces in the 2007 PBA Draft... |
33 | 2006 Semifinals | ||
| Most rebounds | Reil Cervantes Jervy Cruz Jervy Cruz Jervy Cruz is a Filipino professional basketball player currently playing for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the Philippine Basketball Association.... |
19* 18 |
|
|
2010 Semifinals 2006 Semifinals |
| Most assists | Macky Escalona Macky Escalona Mark Anthony Z. Escalona , better known as Macky Escalona is a Filipino Professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association. He last played for the Barangay Ginebra Kings... Mike Cortez Mike Cortez Mike Cortez is a professional basketball player for the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the Philippine Basketball Association. Cortez gained prominence in the amateur ranks for the De La Salle Green Archers in the UAAP and the ICTSI Archers in the Philippine Basketball League... Mike Cortez Mike Cortez Mike Cortez is a professional basketball player for the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the Philippine Basketball Association. Cortez gained prominence in the amateur ranks for the De La Salle Green Archers in the UAAP and the ICTSI Archers in the Philippine Basketball League... |
9 | |
|
2006 Semiinals 2002 Finals 2001 Semifinals |
| Most steals | Elmer Espiritu Elmer Espiritu Elmer Torres Espiritu is a Filipino professional basketball player who currently plays for the Shopinas.com Clickers in the Philippine Basketball Association. He played five seasons for the University of the East Red Warriors in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines from 2005 to... Pocholo Villanueva Pocholo Villanueva Pocholo Iñigo Villanueva or better known as Cholo Villanueva is a former Filipino Professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association. He last played for the Burger King Whoppers. He was drafted thirteenth overall by the Air21 Express in the 2008 PBA Draft... |
5 | |
|
2008 Semifinals 2007 Finals |
| Most blocks | Nonoy Baclao Nonoy Baclao Siverino A. Baclao, Jr. is a Filipino professional basketball player who currently plays for the Petron Blaze Boosters in the Philippine Basketball Association... |
7 | 2008 Finals |