MANILA, Philippines - San Sebastian and Perpetual Help dispute the No. 3 seeding in the Final Four of the 89th NCAA basketball tournament today at the Arena in San Juan City.
The Stags and the Altas finished the eliminations with identical 11-7 cards (win-loss), forging a playoff to determine who will get the third spot and avoid a clash with the top seed in the semis.
San Beda (15-3) took the No. 1 position while Letran (14-4) got No. 2. Winner of the 4 p.m. matchup will face the second-ranked Knights while the loser will wind up fourth and set a Final Four showdown with the top dog Lions.
However, the Final Four scenario may change drastically due to the issue concerning the Lions.
San Beda cagers could end up forfeiting all their Season 89 NCAA games if Ryusei Koga is proven to have violated league rules by playing in a barangay tournament during the season.
The 19-year-old Koga allegedly taken part in an inter-barangay league in Parañaque during the ongoing NCAA tournament, which, if proven true, will be a direct violation of a league rule prohibiting all the players from playing in any outside tournament during the season.
The NCAA Management Committee convenes today, and according to a source, may discuss the Koga controversy.
“It’s not in the agenda but someone will raise it tomorrow (today),†a source told The STAR yesterday.