NCAA Season 99 Basketball Tournaments

The NCAA Season 99 basketball tournaments are the basketball tournaments of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines) for its 2023–24 season. The tournament is being hosted by José Rizal University. There are two tournaments, the men's tournament for male college students, and the juniors' tournament for male senior high school students.

The San Beda Red Lions defeated the Mapúa Cardinals in the Finals. Both teams split the first two Finals games, then San Beda pulled away late in the fourth quarter of Game 3 to win their first title since 2018. The Cardinals had finished first in the elimination round; they then defeated the Benilde Blazers in the semifinals. Meanwhile, the Lyceum Pirates finished second, and lost to the Red Lions twice in the semifinals to be eliminated. The Blazers then won the first third place playoff in NCAA basketball history against the Pirates.

Tournament format

The NCAA is expected to follow the Final Four format used since 1997.

Tonichi Pujante was reappointed basketball commissioner.

Just as in the past two seasons, men's gamedays are held five days a week, with doubleheaders on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and tripleheaders on Sundays.

A third place playoff will be held for the first time.

For the juniors' tournament, it is a single round robin, followed by the Final Four format.

Teams

All ten schools are participating.

Coaching changes

Venues

SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay will host opening day, while Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan will host the remainder of the elimination round. The semifinals was at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, along with the first two games of the finals; Game 3 was at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Squads

Each team can have up to 15 players on their roster, with an additional up to three players in the injured reserve list.

Men's tournament

The men's tournament started on September 24, 2023, and ended on December 17, 2023.

Elimination round

Team standings

Match-up results

Results

Results on top and to the right of the dashes are for first-round games; those to the bottom and left of it are second-round games.

Bracket

Semifinals

The top 2 teams will have the twice-to-beat advantage, where the top 2 teams have to be beaten twice, while their opponents just once, to progress.

(1) Mapúa vs. (4) Benilde

The Mapúa Cardinals clinched a semifinals appearance and the twice-to-beat advantage. The Cardinals returned to the playoffs after missing out last year. The Cardinals also clinched their first #1 seed in school history. The Benilde Blazers also clinched a semifinals appearance despite losing their last elimination round game.

(2) Lyceum vs. (3) San Beda

The Lyceum Pirates clinched a semifinals appearance. The Pirates later clinched the twice-to-beat advantage. With the Cardinals winning in their last elimination round game, the San Beda Red Lions also clinched a semifinals appearance.

Third place playoff

The first third place playoff in NCAA basketball history will be held in 2023.

Finals

This is a best-of-three playoff.

The Mapúa Cardinals return to the Finals after losing to Letran in NCAA Season 97. The San Beda Red Lions qualify to the Finals for the 16th time, and for the first time since NCAA Season 95. This shall also be the first time the two teams will meet in the Finals since NCAA Season 67 (1991), where the Cardinals won on a Benny Cheng game-winner in Game 3.

* Finals Most Valuable Player:
* Coach of the Year:

Awards

The awards were handed out prior to Game 2 of the Finals at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. A new award for true college freshmen, the "Freshman of the Year" was instituted. The original Rookie of the Year award is still given to the best player playing in his first season in the NCAA, who may not always be a freshman.

* Most Valuable Player:
* Rookie of the Year:

* Mythical Five:
**
**
**
**
**
* Defensive Player of the Year:
* All-Defensive Team:
**
**
**
**
**
* Most Improved Player:
* Freshman of the Year:

Players of the Week

The Collegiate Press Corps awards a "player of the week" on Mondays for performances on the preceding week.

Statistical leaders

Season player highs

Game player highs

Game team highs

Season team highs

Discipline

The following were suspended throughout the course of the season:

* Will Gozum of the Benilde Blazers for being ejected against the Letran Knights in Game 3 of the Season 98 finals. Served one-game suspension on their first game of Season 99 against the Lyceum Pirates.
* Jielo Razon of the Perpetual Altas for being called for an unsportsmanlike foul against the San Sebastian Stags on their last game of Season 98. Served one-game suspension on their first game of Season 99 against the EAC Generals.
* Three referees of the first round game between JRU and Benilde were suspended for two weeks due to "failure to execute sound judgement, inefficient use of the Instant Replay System review, as well as for ceasing to assert themselves as game officials". JL delos Santos was supposed to be suspended due to an unsportsmanlike foul on this game, but commissioner Tonichi Pujante reversed the unsportsmanlike foul (and the suspension that goes with it) against the former as his elbow "did not connect" with Benilde's Mark Sangco.
* Shawn Umali of the Lyceum Pirates for being ejected against the San Beda Red Lions. Served one game suspension against the EAC Generals.
* Coach Yuri Escueta of the San Beda Red Lions for being ejected against the Lyceum Pirates. Served one game suspension against the JRU Heavy Bombers. Andre Santos coached San Beda against JRU on an interim basis.
* Coach Louie Gonzalez of the JRU Heavy Bombers for being ejected against the Benilde Blazers. Served one game suspension against the Letran Knights. Alex Callueng coached JRU against Letran on an interim basis.

Juniors' tournament

A juniors' tournament is expected to be held for this season.

Elimination round

Match-up results

Scores

Results on top and to the right of the solid cells are for first round games.

See also

* UAAP Season 86 basketball tournaments

References

External links

GMA official coverage website
{{NCAA-PH men's basketball
99
2023–24 in Philippine college basketball
Current basketball seasons