hotmtlnovel Chapter 34 A Popular But Disastrous Turn of Events!
Chapter 34 A Popular But Disastrous Turn of Events!
3 month 26 day.
Glendale, Arizona.
University of Phoenix Gymnasium.
9:36 in the evening.
The stadium was still packed with people, but it was the complete opposite of the lively atmosphere I had imagined.
The atmosphere was somewhat dull, even a little boring.
With three minutes remaining in the first half, the University of Missouri led the University of Memphis by a whopping 21 points, 53-32.
This point difference is absolutely astonishing.
As a favorite to win the NCAA championship this year, Memphis is highly anticipated, and this game is considered a touchstone for Memphis's path to victory.
As a result, before the first half was even over, Memphis completely collapsed, turning the touchstone into a sharp stumbling block.
That's unbelievable.
This trash dares to dream of winning the championship?
There are quite a few people who have this idea, including Du Ze.
Before the game, he was determined to rack up some points... well, he should say he was going to have a big game. To that end, he even studied Robert Dozier's playing style and weaknesses.
But to everyone's surprise, the game ended in a draw after he only played for sixteen minutes.
Fortunately, he had a good eye. When he saw the score difference approaching 20, he used his sure-fire shot skill and hit a three-pointer, which made his stats barely acceptable.
投篮6中5，三分2中2，罚球2中2，拿到了14分6篮板1抢断1助攻4盖帽。
That's right.
He had a great shooting night, hitting two three-pointers.
Besides his three-point shooting ability, which guarantees a basket, early in the game, he got a chance to pass the ball during a pick-and-roll on the perimeter. Memphis, however, was incredibly audacious and left him wide open.
With his fiery temper, he couldn't stand it and threw it away.
And it actually happened...
It's clear that the shooting practice over the past few days has been quite effective.
Then one of them grabbed an offensive rebound, made consecutive putbacks, and scored 2 points.
Another one was a quick bite, which earned him 2 more points.
In the last one, he was left wide open in the mid-range, but he shot again and it went in.
As for the free throw, he was naturally pulled while moving, so he threw it directly, and it immediately rolled on the floor.
It worked!
The referee immediately blew his whistle.
That's his total score.
As for rim protection, he was still fierce, with 6 rebounds and 4 blocks, and that was in less than half a game!
Knowing full well that Memphis's rim protection was excellent, the fact that he could still perform this well was undoubtedly due to his extended arms.
As the saying goes, "An inch longer, an inch stronger," and this saying is perfectly exemplified in his case.
For example, his advantage is even more obvious when it comes to rebounding. As long as he touches the ball, the "Rebound Iron Claw" skill will be triggered, increasing the chance of winning the rebound.
Take blocking shots as another example. He already has strong explosiveness, plus top-tier jumping speed, and now his wingspan is also top-tier, so the effect of his interference is naturally enhanced.
Four blocks, two of which were against Evans.
Admittedly, Evans has great impact and is very strong, but his jumping ability and explosiveness are obviously not as outstanding as his.
In addition, his height, weight, wingspan, and core strength give him a comprehensive advantage. Anyone who wants to rely on him for defense and then score a layup over him is clearly dreaming.
If Evans is unable to attack the basket, his offensive power and threat level immediately drop several levels.
If Evans can't break through, then the others can't either.
The fatal flaw is that Memphis University's standard tactic is to endlessly drive and pass to create shooting opportunities. With Duze anchoring the paint, their offensive system is paralyzed.
This is one of the reasons why the University of Memphis collapsed.
The second reason for their collapse lies with head coach John Calipari.
This renowned NCAA coach, a recognized tactical mastermind, led Memphis to the finals last year, but unfortunately lost to the University of Kansas 68-75, finishing as runner-up.
Last year's number one draft pick, Derrick Rose, was someone he personally mentored.
This year, he recruited rookie Tyreke Evans, and his tactics are also based on penetration and movement, clearly aiming to replicate last season's success, or even go a step further.
Unfortunately, he may suffer another crucial defeat in his career this time, turning a hot favorite into a disaster.
All of this stemmed from a problem with his defensive tactics.
That's right.
He focused the majority of his defensive resources, attention, and primary defensive anchor on DeMarre Carroll.
This strategic error left Duze exposed, giving him multiple open looks, which allowed him to sink a three-pointer and a mid-range shot, precisely targeting Memphis's Achilles' heel.
In addition, Missouri's signature full-court press left Memphis completely bewildered.
The results speak for themselves, and the score is the most convincing indicator.
A full 20 points difference!
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Memphis is now completely finished.
And that is indeed the case.
finally.
Missouri crushed Memphis 102-78, a 24-point blowout.
The moment the whistle blew, the entire stadium erupted in boos.
Obviously.
They were extremely disappointed with Memphis's performance.
I traveled all this way to see you overcome all obstacles on your path to victory, but instead, you did a sliding tackle and slid all the way down the mountainside to the foot of the mountain, only to be beaten beyond recognition.
That feeling was more than just anger!
I'm so angry I can't eat.
As others left, the University of Memphis supporters did not depart; instead, they chanted throughout the arena, "Get out of Memphis!"
That's so realistic!
It's truly disheartening that someone would call for John Calipari to be kicked out as soon as he's out of the game.
Given this situation, Calipari probably won't be able to stay in Memphis either.
Ok……
Duze thought for a moment. If he remembered correctly, this famous coach would go to Kentucky next season to begin his glorious 15-year coaching career.
There, Calipari will bring out a whole bunch of top superstars, including John Wall, the number one pick in 2010, LeBron James, another big man with thick eyebrows, as well as Karl-Anthony Towns, Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker, Bam Adebayo, Jamal Murray, John P. P., Tyler Herro, and so on.
It's clear that this renowned coach is quite capable.
Or to be more precise, Calipari's eye for recruiting new students was unparalleled.
Putting his thoughts aside, Du Ze stood up and hugged and greeted the players, including Memphis.
They secured victory, advanced to the elite quarterfinals, and became the focus of attention across the United States.
But he wasn't as excited or thrilled as he had imagined.
Damn it, we finally had a great opportunity to rack up points, but for some reason, the old man didn't let him and Carroll play in the second half, leaving them sitting on the bench, waiting anxiously.
They're both going to participate in this year's NBA draft!
Is it too cruel to keep them on the bench?
But when Duze thought about Carroll's stats of only 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists, his heavy mood was somewhat relieved.
Compared to that, he felt it was acceptable. After all, he had an all-around stat line of 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 blocks, which looked decent.
Thinking this, he subconsciously glanced at Carol.
At this moment, Carol was expressionless and looked dazed, as if her second aunt had eloped with a stranger last night.