Final Four

There’s only one league that can claim ownership of the term “Final Four” even if this is used by so many leagues all over the world. And all those “me too” leagues take a back seat this weekend as the NCAA of the U.S. fires off this morning (Saturday evening in the U.S.).

While not too many Pinoys may follow the NCAA, it’s good to note that it’s the most followed gathering of champions that also serves as the model for the country’s Philippine Collegiate Champions’ League (PCCL). Kentucky, Butler, UConn and VCU are in Houston for the weekend to clash for the national collegiate championship of the U.S. But where do they come from and how do they get there?

For starters, it’s important to note that the NCAA is not like a collegiate basketball league that we have here in the country. It’s actually the finale tournament that brings together the 68 best teams in the U.S. who are made to play in a play-off type sudden death tournament where a loss means goodbye and a win moves one forward until there’s only one team standing. These 68 teams come from the different groups of collegiate conferences or leagues scattered across the country. The champions of each conference or league makes it to the NCAA Playoffs while others are selected based on certain criteria that includes primarily how good they are. We’ll thus see that some non-champions of their respective leagues can also qualify for the NCAA. The U.S. has so many different collegiate leagues that it’s getting to be difficult in determining who should make it to the NCAA’s main draw.        

Among the more popular leagues include the SEC or Southeastern Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 10, ACC or Atlantic Coast Conference, the Ivy League, Big East and more. Some college teams are also independent, and don’t belong to any particular conference. These are the different conferences or leagues where a group of colleges or universities face off against each other in a whole school-year’s season of sports. There are three seasons scattered throughout the schoolyear. Each conference has its own “tournaments” for basketball, football, tennis, soccer, hockey, track and field and just about every major sport.

This year’s Final Four brings in the Horizon League champion in Butler University and Kentucky out of the SEC. VCU plays out of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), while UConn plays in the Big East. While not too many of these names might be too familiar, it’s good to note that the NCAA in composed of some 1,281 member schools playing in different conferences. There are 33 conferences in Division I, the biggest and most competitive of the lot. While the Big East and SEC are well known across the country as big collegiate conferences, the Horizon League and CAA are composed of “not so popular” schools.

If we are to compare this to the local scene, the US’s NCAA is our PCCL or Champions’ League that brings together the champions of the different leagues across the country. The UAAP and NCAA are easily the top two leagues in the country, while all others play second fiddle. Cebu’s CESAFI could be considered just one level lower than the big two leagues with everyone else is a level lower. This is where I’d like to see the Philippines somehow catch up with the U.S. The current and past champions of the PCCL here have all come from one league: the UAAP. There is no doubt that it’s the strongest league in the country and it might take awhile before a team from another league can top a UAAP team in a PCCL finals game. This is the sad part of not having a competitive balance across the country. The current Final Four shows us how small schools like Butler and VCU that play in the lesser popular conferences can make it all the way to the top. Remember that Butler made it all the way to the finals last year, a rare feat for a school labeled as a “mid-major.” This means it’s not a “major” or big school when compared to the likes of its neighbors in Indiana like Indiana University, Purdue and Notre Dame.

How I wish the same thing can happen here. When will a CESAFI team ever win a PCCL championship? When will a UV or a UC finally win the big one? When will a team from Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo or Bacolod win it all? Or should the question be if we have a chance at all of winning it? Let’s face it. Manila’s teams are so far ahead of us already in terms of competitiveness, resources and exposure. The recruiting game is going as far and deep as the high school level where money is now the name of the game. This should be an eye opener for school owners and basketball managers. If we want to match Manila, we’ve got to do it now.

Funny how the Final Four of the US could have an impact on us. It’s so far out there, but can be felt right here. Hope we all learn from this. May the Final Four for our own PCCL not mean an almost automatic annual championship for the UAAP.

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Time-out: Let’s all join hands and never stop praying for Japan and all those affected by the earthquake and tsunami. >> You can reach me at [email protected].