UAAP Season 86 basketball tournaments

The UAAP Season 86 basketball tournaments are the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) basketball tournaments for the 2023–24 school year. The University of the East are the hosts.

The collegiate tournaments began on September 30, 2023, while the high school boys' tournament commenced on November 21, 2023.

In the men's tournament, the UP Fighting Maroons finished the elimination round in first place. Defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles finished tied for fourth with the Adamson Soaring Falcons, and eliminated the latter in a playoff. UP then defeated Ateneo in the semifinals. In the other semifinal match-up, #2 seed De La Salle Green Archers eliminated the NU Bulldogs. The Green Archers then defeated the UP in the finals, 2 games to one.

In the women's tournament, the 7-time defending champions NU Lady Bulldogs finished first after the elimination round, and eliminated the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the semifinals. The UST Tigresses finished second, and faced the UP Fighting Maroons in the other semifinal, a match-up that needed all two games to be finished. The Tigresses then defeated the Lady Bulldogs in the finals, 2 games to one.

In the boys' tournament, the Adamson Baby Falcons finished first, ahead of the NUNS Bullpups. Adamson eliminated the UST Tiger Cubs in the semifinals, while the Bullpups eliminated the defending champions FEU Diliman Baby Tamaraws. In the finals, the Baby Falcons won their ninth UAAP title after defeating NUNS in 3 games.

Tournament format
The UAAP continued to use the UAAP Final Four format.

The league announced that it shall allow players who have played with a special guest license from the Games and Amusements Board to participate in its tournaments, except for licenses where the player participated in the Philippine Basketball Association.

Xavy Nunag reprised his role as commissioner from Season 85. Assisting him are Mariana Lopa, deputy commissioner for women's and girls' basketball, and Marvin Bienvenida, deputy commissioner for boys' basketball. Nunag took a leave of absence on mid-November, citing a health crisis within his family. Lopa was named acting commissioner during his absence.

Teams
Basketball is a mandatory event in the UAAP, where all 8 universities are required to field in teams.

The girls' tournament is a demonstration sport last held in 2020, and is not mandatory.

Venues
The men's tournament will be primarily held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay. The Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City will host a quadruple header, and the Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila shall host a doubleheader. For the women's tournament. the SM Mall of Asia Arena and Quadricentennial Pavilion will host the games.

The Adamson Gym in Manila will host also quadruple headers for the women's tournament.

For the boys' tournament, Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City hosted opening day, with succeeding games scheduled to be held at Adamson Gym, Quadicentennial Pavilion, SM Mall of Asia Arena and the Araneta Coliseum. The Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan hosted all second round games.

For the junior high school tournament, all participating schools shall take turns in hosting the tournament.

Squads
Each team has a 16-player roster. Only one "foreign student-athlete", non-Filipinos who are otherwise known as "imports" elsewhere, is allowed to be on the active roster.

Foreign student-athletes
Every university had one foreigner in both tournaments in the college division. Only NUNS has a foreigner on its roster in the boys' tournament.

Team standings
 

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

Fourth seed playoff
Ateneo and Adamson finished the elimination round tied for fourth. This was a one-game playoff to determine the #4 seed.

Bracket


Semifinals
UP and La Salle has the twice-to-beat advantage which means they have to win only once, and their opponents twice in the semifinals to advance to the Finals.

(1) UP vs. (4) Ateneo
This was the first Battle of Katipunan, so called after the street that rans in between Ateneo's and UP's campuses in Quezon City, in the semifinals of UAAP men's basketball. The UP Fighting Maroons clinched their first-ever #1 seed of the league, with fifth consecutive Final Four appearance and fourth consecutive tournament's twice-to-beat advantage. Ateneo was in its ninth straight Final Four appearance, and also the first time that they are the #4 seed. This is also rematch of three of the last four UAAP men's basketball Finals.

(2) La Salle vs. (3) NU
The last time La Salle and NU faced each other in the Final Four was in 2001. The De La Salle Green Archers returned to the semifinals with the twice-to-beat advantage after missing out last season. NU qualified for their second consecutive postseason appearance.

Finals
The Finals is a best-of-three playoff.

UP was on its third straight Finals appearance, and fourth in the last five seasons, while La Salle entered its 17th Finals appearance, their first since 2017. This will also be the first time that the Fighting Maroons and the Green Archers face each other in the championship round.


 * Finals Most Valuable Player:

Awards
The awards were handed out prior to Game 2 of the Finals at the Araneta Coliseum. 
 * Most Valuable Player:
 * Rookie of the Year: 
 * Mythical Five:

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


 * Note: No winner was named for week 5.

Game team highs


Discipline
The following were suspended throughout the course of the season:


 * CJ Austria of the De La Salle Green Archers for a disqualifying foul against the UST Growling Tigers. Served a one-game suspension against the Adamson Soaring Falcons.
 * Referees Allan Dasal, Allan Baria, and Dennis Escaros were suspended for three weeks for "failure to enforce the rules of the game" and conduct "disruptive to the integrity of the game" on the first round games between UP vs. FEU, La Salle vs. Adamson, and Ateneo vs. UE. All three referees also failed their respective referee game report cards.
 * Precious Momowei of the UE Red Warriors for a second unsportsmanlike foul in the season on their game against the De La Salle Green Archers. Will serve a one-game suspension against the Ateneo Blue Eagles.

Team standings
 

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

Bracket


Semifinals
The top 2 teams have the twice-to-beat advantage over their opponents, where they only have to win once, or be beaten twice by their opponents, to progress.

(1) NU vs. (4) Ateneo
NU clinched the #1 seed and the twice-to-beat advantage, while the Ateneo the #4 seed and qualified to the playoffs.

(2) UST vs. (3) UP
This series involved UST and UP, with the former holding the twice-to-beat advantage.

Finals
The Finals is a best-of-three playoff.

The NU Lady Bulldogs enter their ninth consecutive Finals appearance hoping to defend their 7-peat title, while the UST Tigresses make a return appearance since 2019, where these two teams also last met each other in the championship round.


 * Finals Most Valuable Player:

Awards
The awards were handed out prior to Game 2 of the Finals at the Araneta Coliseum. 
 * Most Valuable Player:
 * Rookie of the Year: 
 * Mythical Five:

Players of the Week
The Collegiate Press Corps awards a "player of the week" on Tuesdays for performances from the preceding week.


 * Note: No winner was named for week 5.

Boys' tournament
The boys' tournament began on November 21, 2023.

Team standings
 

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

Bracket
<section end="Boys' playoffs" />

Semifinals
Both Adamson and NUNS clinched the twice-to-beat advantage, while both FEU Diliman and UST settled for the twice-to-win disadvantage.

Finals
The finals will be a best-of-three playoff.


 * Finals Most Valuable Player:

Awards
The awards were handed out prior to Game 2 of the Finals at the Filoil EcoOil Centre. <section begin="Boys' awards" />
 * Most Valuable Player:
 * Rookie of the Year: <section end="Boys' awards" />
 * Mythical Five:

Junior high school tournament
A demonstration event for junior high school students, boys under 16 years old was inaugurated. Each UAAP member school will take turns in hosting games.

High school division
In case of a tie, the team with the higher position in any tournament is ranked higher. If both are still tied, they are listed by alphabetical order.

How rankings are determined:
 * Ranks fifth to eighth determined by elimination round standings.
 * Semifinal losers ranked by elimination round standings.
 * If stepladder: Loser of stepladder semifinals round 1 is ranked fourth
 * If stepladder: Loser of stepladder semifinals round 2 is ranked third
 * Loser of the finals is ranked second
 * Champion is ranked first