It's never good to expect, and of course I'm biased, but I can't avoid feeling that this is another season that is the Maroons' to lose. They lost Tamayo and Lucero, sure, but they replaced them with super-promising recruits, and they still have the MVP Diouf, a returning Cansino, the ascendant Alarcon, the reliable Cagulangan, and many others.
Meanwhile, their modern-day rivals from Ateneo no longer have Kouame, weren't as impressive in the recruiting game, and didn't look particularly dominant in the preseason.
There was some drama mid-season, but now, at the end of the elimination round, the results are just as expected: the Maroons and Archers at the top, and the Eagles struggling to even get into the Final Four.
Everything gets only more exciting from here on, and nothing is certain, except maybe for the fact that UP fans would love to see the Falcons win on Wednesday and end the Eagles' eight-year Final Four streak. 🥲