PREVIEW: Three UP players to watch in the UAAP Season 88 Finals
Alta Sports4 months ago · 177 views
By Joel Reyes
The much-anticipated trilogy is finally set after De La Salle University and the University of the Philippines punched their tickets to the Finals of the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
All eyes will be on the Fighting Maroons, who are looking to win back-to-back UAAP titles for the first time in their school history. Here are three key players for UP heading into the best-of-three championship series.
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Harold Alarcon
Alarcon helped UP reach the UAAP Finals for the fifth straight year, scoring a team-high 22 points in the Fighting Maroons’ 82-81 win over the UST Growling Tigers in the Final Four. The graduating guard shot 6-for-16 from the field and 10-for-12 from the free-throw line to seal UP’s passage to the championship round.
Alarcon averaged 10.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in his previous two meetings with the Archers this season. The Maroons lost both of those matchups.
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Francis Nnoruka
Nnoruka will play a key role for coach Goldwin Monteverde as he will be tasked to contain La Salle big man Mike Phillips in the Finals. The Nigerian center demonstrated his importance in UP’s Final Four win over UST, scoring 19 points and grabbing 9 rebounds. He also was a menace on the defensive end, amassing three blocks and two steals against the Tigers.
Nnoruka also has posted solid numbers against DLSU this season. He recorded 12 points and 14 rebounds in UP’s 69-72 loss in October 19 before posting 14 points and 7 boards in the Maroons’ 82-87 defeat last month.
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Rey Remogat
The long wait is finally over for Remogat, who will be making his first-ever appearance in the UAAP Finals. He was a key weapon for the Maroons in their last meeting with the Archers, scoring a game-high 25 points on 8-for-13 shooting. He also had 8 assists, 6 rebounds, one steal and one block in that regular-season clash.
—JMS, Alta Sports
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