MANILA -- In facing the top-seed University of the Philippines, would it matter if you are the defending champions?

After booking a Final 4 ticket against the league-leading Fighting Maroons, Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin said that they will enter the showdown as "underdogs."

The Fighting Maroons are on top of the UAAP Season 86 standings at 12-2 after two rounds of elimination matches. Ateneo de Manila University, which had a 7-7 slate, needed to survive a playoff against Adamson just to make it to the semifinals.

"You've been telling us all year long we're the defending champions, now we don't get to be the defending champions?" Baldwin jokingly said at first to reporters.

"No, we're definitely the underdog," he stressed.

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Ateneo completed the Final Four cast after disposing of Adamson University, 70-48, on Wednesday in the Mall of Asia Arena in front of more than 7,000 fans.

Citing a good roster headed by a clever coach, Tab Baldwin said the Fighting Maroons will be ready to play against his team.

"UP won't take us lightly. They're too professional, they're too intelligent, and Gold (Monteverde) is a clever guy. And he's got the most professional group of guards that you'd ever hope to have in the roster," Baldwin said. "They'll be ready to play."

But Baldwin spoke with confidence about his team. "Our guys will come out with a lot of heart, and hopefully we'll have a curve ball, could give us bucket here and there, and just fight and hang on."

• UAAP: Ateneo bulldozes Adamson, barges into Final 4

Ateneo and UP will play on Saturday, November 25 at the Araneta Coliseum. Tip-off is at 2:00 p.m. To follow is the other Final 4 showdown between No. 2 De La Salle University and No. 3 National University.

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