Lions stay No. 1 as NC body defers Koga probe

MANILA, Philippines - San Beda retained its status as the top seed in the 89th NCAA men’s basketball Final Four after the league’s management committee decided on a status quo on the standings of the semifinal cast.

The Red Lions’ position and twice-to-beat incentive in tomorrow’s start of the semis had been jeopardized by allegations that their guard Ryusei Koga violated an NCAA rule against playing in an outside league while the season is ongoing.

If proven true, Koga faced a three-game suspension while the Lions stood to forfeit four games where the player in question had seen action, thus sending them to fourth spot against the new No. 1 Letran. 

But apparently, the Mancom found the “evidence” not enough to pin down Koga, and another player, Lyceum’s Jeremiah Taladua, and consequently deferred its probe into the case.

With the Mancom deciding against tinkering the win-loss records, San Beda remains the top seed and will face fourth-ranked Perpetual, still with a twice-to-beat incentive. Letran stays at No. 2 in a semis battle with No. 3 San Sebastian.

“To allow the teams to focus on the impending semifinals and finals, the NCAA has decided to defer the ongoing investigation into players Ryusei Koga of SBC and Jeremiah Taladua of LPU without prejudice to its reopening should new evidence surface in the future,” the Mancom said in a statement.

In reaction, SBC team manager Jude Roque said: “It’s good in the sense that we have at least one more practice to prepare for the semis, this time knowing who we will play against.”

The league, though, was not clear what would happen in case San Beda later wins the title and “new evidence” against Koga surfaces.