Chapter 9 The top 32 fight! Nick Young's black question mark face
After reaching the top 32 of the NCAA tournament, the Texas Longhorns have five days of rest.
Rest is not a vacation. Chen Yan did not relax himself and went back and forth between the training hall and the dormitory with Durant every day.
The same goes for other teammates of the Longhorns. Everyday life is either training or on the way to training.
At this stage of the game, no one will think about other things.
Chen Yan's explosive performance in the last game made him the focus of the national media. It can be said that he became famous in one battle!
This also motivates the Texas players, who have put more effort into training during this period.
Everyone is eager to become the hero of the team like Chen Yan and attract the attention of the outside world!
During the break, the results of Chen Yan's urine test came out. The report showed that Chen Yan did not take stimulants or banned drugs, and everything was normal.
This report broke some suspicions from the outside world, and Chen Yan will also successfully appear in the top 32 of the NCAA tournament.
In the past few days, Chen Yan can clearly feel the change in his fame.
On the campus streets, there are always some girls who take the initiative to strike up a conversation with me.
Chen Yan receives small notes from different girls every day.
"Chen, you can't use up all these little notes by yourself, so share some with me." Durant was a little greedy when he saw Chen Yan's full achievements.
"You don't like girls on social software every day, why do you need these little notes?" Chen Yan glanced at Durant.
Durant is the only one who can attract girls without relying on money, strength or likes.
"Occasionally, I have to do some actual combat..."
"KD, listen to my brother's advice. These girls are very high-ranking. You can't control it..." After saying that, Chen Yan stuffed the note into the cabinet: "You have to let me come."
Durant: "..."
...
...
Five days passed quickly, and the Texas Longhorns also ushered in their top 32 opponent-the University of Southern California!
This is a school from Los Angeles, but compared with UCL, which is also located in Los Angeles, it is far behind in terms of reputation and foundation.
However, the University of Southern California has shown signs of rising in the past two years. Under the leadership of the team's top scorer Nick Young, Southern California has entered March Madness for two consecutive years!
Last year, they even made it to the Sweet 16!
However, major draft prediction websites only place Nick Young in the 15-20th pick of the first round, which is the edge of the lottery.
Nick Young has strength and a good mentality, but compared to most rookies participating in the draft, he has a huge disadvantage, and that is his age.
Nick Young repeated five years of high school due to poor grades, which was outrageous. After entering college, he played in the NCAA until his junior year, which also led many scouts to believe that his potential was not that great.
In addition to Nick Young, there is another player in Southern California who needs to pay attention, and that is team insider Ty Gibson.
Ty Gibson is an athletic forward. He is good at running and defense, and is especially good at blocking shots.
Ty Gibson has averaged 2.3 blocks per game this season and is the backbone of Southern California's interior defense.
However, this player's offensive methods are relatively simple, and his finishing methods are mainly dunks and occasional mid-range shots.
Taj Gibson entered the Pac-10 All-Rookie Team this year, and many scouts believe he is a player with NBA potential.
Before the war started, outside media predicted that this would be a close match.
On March 23, the top 32 of the NCAA Championship begins!
The game between the University of Texas and the University of Southern California was scheduled to be played at the American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Mavericks.
Before the warm-up started, Chen Yan and Durant each walked into the arena with a pack of crispy noodles, looking very relaxed.
"kd! Fuck them!"
"Chen!!! Look here!"
"Come on! Texas Longhorns!!"
Many fans shouted Chen Yan's name before the game started, which also made Chen Yan feel the enthusiasm of the fans.
After experiencing the last game, he is no longer a transparent person in the team.
"Hello Chen, I'm George, a reporter for Fox Sports!"
During the warm-up period, Chen Yan was interviewed by Fox Sports.
Now Chen Yan will not refuse any interview. If he wants to participate in the NBA draft, in addition to making a name for himself in March Madness, the power of the media is also essential.
He must show his face in front of the camera more and use the media to promote him.
"Hello!" Chen Yan greeted the reporter enthusiastically.
"The round of 32 is about to begin. Chen, are you confident in winning this game?"
"Of course, my purpose in coming to this arena is to win." Chen Yan replied.
"In order to win this game, did you make any special preparations before the game?"
"Does eating, sleeping, and playing cards count? If it doesn't count, then it doesn't matter."
"Chen, who do you think is a threat to you on the USC team?"
"I don't think so. The fate of promotion is in our own hands."
Hearing this, reporter George smiled unconsciously on his face. Chen Yan's character seemed to be much more public than he imagined!
Media workers naturally like players with flamboyant personalities like Chen Yan, otherwise where would the topical news come from?
Then, reporter George paused, and he was about to start tidying up!
"Chen, Nick Young said in the interview just now that he will beat you one-on-one tonight. Do you have anything to say about this?"
Chen Yan shrugged: "I think Nick Young should become a talk show actor. He is very talented in comedy."
"Chen, do you mean you will beat Nick Young in the game?" reporter George continued to ask.
"Let's put it this way, if he doesn't cry after the game, I lose."
The reporter couldn't stop laughing after hearing this. Although Chen Yan is flamboyant, he is not annoying. He has his own unique sense of humor and personality charm.
...
...
"wooooooow!! What just happened?"
"Chen received an alley-oop pass from DJ Augustin before halftime and completed a 180-degree turn and pull-bar change of hands for a layup after being stuck in the air!"
The ball went in and the buzzer sounded. After Chen Yan scored this acrobatic buzzer-beating goal, the whole audience was in an uproar!
A middle-aged white man even spilled his beer all over the floor in excitement. This white man was none other than Mavericks owner Mark Cuban!
Most NBA owners buy teams for business, but Cuban really loves basketball.
Whenever he has time, he will be there to support the Mavericks. When he heard there was a March Madness game at the American Airlines Center tonight, he immediately bought a front-row ticket.
"Chen! You should have dunked on that ball just now!" Durant ran to Chen Yan with excitement on his face and discussed the buzzer beater in the midfield.
"Hahaha, let's warm up first in the first half."
"Okay! Let's work together in the second half to deal with them!"
The two walked into the tunnel talking and laughing.
Nick Young behind him had a black question mark face after hearing this.
Why do you call an alley-oop swivel and a 180-degree pull-up layup a warm-up?
Nick Young shook his head and walked into the locker room cursing.
38 to 22, the Texas Longhorns held a 16-point lead at halftime.
Throughout the first half, Nick Young and his USC team couldn't be said to have been beaten, they could only be said to have been beaten without the ability to fight back.
The Texas Longhorns' tactics are simple and crude, with Durant and Chen Yan taking turns playing singles.
But I just can’t prevent it!
The former head coach of the Texas Longhorns, Rick Barnes, was always criticized for his single tactics. He would give the ball to Durant for a single on his forehand, and still give the ball to Durant for a single on his backhand.
Now he can finally jump up and refute with confidence, why the hell will I give Chen Yan a singles fight!
Although Chen Yan still came on as a substitute in this game, Chen Yan gradually won the trust of the head coach with his performance in the last game and training.
In the first half, Rick Barnes gave him 13 minutes of playing time, even more than the main shooting guard AJ Abrams.
Chen Yan also repaid his trust with actions and maximized his advantages on the offensive end.
As soon as he came on the court, he continuously broke through Nick Young's defense and penetrated inside to cause damage.
Facing the complaints from his teammates inside, Nick Young could only spread his hands. It would be good if he could keep his ankle in front of Chen Yan's crossover. How about defending?
In the past, Nick Young's inability to guard his opponents was mostly due to attitude issues, but today he really couldn't keep up even if he tried his best.
If you stick too close, you will be passed by in one step. If you let it go too loose, Chen Yan will still have a short distance to make an emergency stop. Normal defense will be easily fooled by his strong man-ball combination ability.
Nick Young said it was too difficult for him.
On the defensive end, when facing Nick Young one-on-one, Chen Yan only prevented him from shooting, not from his breakthrough.
On the one hand, Nick Young's scouting report shows that he prefers mid-range jumpers to breaking through and drawing fouls, and his playing style is very classical.
On the other hand, Chen Yan's current defense is a bit weak. If he wants to defend against both shots and breakthroughs, he may not be able to defend against anything in the end.
The half-time result proved that Chen Yan's defensive strategy still achieved good results.
More than 70% of Nick Young's offensive options are shooting. After a fancy turn and dribble, Chen Yan can use his athletic ability and wingspan to interfere in time.
In addition, Chen Yan is the only one who throws [God-Level Stealing Ball] wildly whenever he gets a chance, and does not hesitate to use his physical strength.
Chen Yan had 4 steals in the first half, 3 of which were contributed by Nick Young.
As long as Chen Yan steals the ball, it's basically a lightning fast counterattack that can't be stopped.
At halftime, Chen Yan scored 17 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals, while Nick Young only scored 7 points, 1 assist and made 5 turnovers.
The contrast between the two is very sharp!
Before the game, Nick Young: I will beat him in 1v1!
Halftime, Nick Young: Give me the ball, I want to go home!