ALLAN THE MAN

Far Eastern University Tamaraws took the headstart in their virtual best-of-three duel against De La Salle Green Archers at the Mall of Asia Arena Sunday evening.

With the 65-60 victory, FEU clinched the second spot in the UAAP Season 77 Final Four to gain the twice-to-beat bonus in the playoffs opposite La Salle.

Naturalized Filipino Andray Blatche recently played for the Philippines in the FIBA World Cup, who opted out of his contract with the Nets in July, signed a one-year deal with the (Chinese Basketball Association) CBA's Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers in China on Saturday. Blatche will reportedly make $2.5 million (after taxes) in China.

Adrian Wojnarowski, NBA Insider for Yahoo Sports online and Fox Sports, confirmed that Blatche will earn a net of $2.5 million and be eligible to return to the NBA next March, at the conclusion of the Chinese Basketball Association season.

Naturalized center Andray Blatche is disappointed over his ineligibility for the 2014 Asian Games, but Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes expects the other members of the team to step up in his place.

"If you're on Twitter, you'll find out how disappointed he is," Reyes said of Blatche, who was a major part of the Philippines' historic run in the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain.

Marcus Douthit is cleared to play for the Asian Games.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas head Manuel V. Pangilinan reassured that the country has received authorization from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) for Douthit, who was tapped to replace ineligible naturalized player Andray Blatche, to play for the Philippine national men’s basketball team in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, Korea.

Eight-division boxing champion Manny Pacquiao is still unsure if he is going to suit up when KIA Motors makes its Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) debut on October 19.

KIA is scheduled to tangle with fellow expansion team Blackwater Elite on opening day and Pacquiao is raring to go into action.

Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes believes the Philippine national basketball team deserves to be higher than No. 31 in the latest edition of the FIBA World Rankings (READ STORY HERE), especially after its performances in the past three FIBA tournaments.

Gilas rose three spots to No. 31 after their historic run in the FIBA World Cup in Spain. The news came just before the team is set to leave for Incheon, South Korea to play in the Asian Games.

Philippine national men’s basketball team forward Ranidel De Ocampo has been silently effective for the country in international competition.

But the sweet-shooting big man, along with the rest of his Gilas Pilipinas teammates, has not shied away from talking about the elusive Asian Games gold medal, which the team will aspire for in the upcoming competition in Incheon, Korea.