no shortcuts in basketball

Chapter 19

The NCAA will have a poll list voted by the coaching staff every year, which is also an important basis for the NCAA organizing committee to select wild card teams.

Before the start of the season, Sandek analyzed the list with his players.

UCLA is No.2 on this list.

They have won all four games in the regular season so far, and their average margin of victory over their opponents is as high as 20 points per game!
Whether it is the evaluation of the outside world or their own performance, they are absolutely worthy of the name.

UCLA has two cores this season, Russell Westbrook on the outside and Kevin Love on the inside.

Westbrook was still playing as a substitute for Darren Collison during the regular season last season. He did the same thing that Xu Yong suggested for Cooksix, the team's defensive leader.

But since the game entered the playoffs and the tournament after that, his playing time has continued to increase and he has become an indispensable role for the team.

This season Westbrook has naturally become the team's starter. In addition to maintaining an elite defense, he has also shown a terrifying impact and has been considered a top ten player in this year's draft.

And Love is a freshman, after OJ Mayo, the second highest high school student in the United States in 2007. He can contribute 20+10+2 horror data per game in the invitational game. While showing dominance at the basket, There are also close to [-]% of the three-pointers.Considered to be a top-five presence in this year's draft.

In addition, UCLA also has two players with NBA prospects, one is the third-year student Darren Collison, who used to put Westbrook on the bench, and the "Prince of Cameroon" Lu, who is known for his defense on the front line. G Richard Mbah a Moute.

实际上，当初那份榜单，Pac10联盟除了UCLA外，还有斯坦福大学（第10）、华盛顿州立大学（第12）、亚利桑那大学（第17）、俄勒冈大学（第18）、南加州大学（第23）入围。

Because the list only takes the top 25, Arizona State University does not appear in that list.

Of course, this time is not the same time, in the latest survey, with the invitational game and the opening of the regular season, Arizona State University has jumped to the ... 25th position.

Although No. 25 hit No. 2, it still doesn't look like much of a chance.

Against a strong enemy, the mentality of the players is different from before.

Before training this day, the players played table tennis in the locker room again, which is also a way to relieve stress.

But Xu Yong found that Harden didn't go up to play.

"Aren't you going up to try?" Xu Yong sat next to him and turned his head to ask.

Harden looked at the ping-pong table in front of him and shook his head: "I give up, it's too difficult for me."

Xu Yong was stunned by this answer. In ancient times, the first emperor started his business halfway, but now Harden gave up after less than a week of practice.

But Xu Yong didn't ask further, after all, this is just a way of entertainment.

"Compared to this, the next game will be more difficult for us." Harden said, looking away from the table tennis table.

Xu Yong nodded. Even if he was as confident as him, he knew that it would be very difficult to wrestle with UCLA with their strength.

"It's not like we have no chance at all." But Xu Yong was Xu Yong, and added after nodding.

Harden looked at Xu Yong suspiciously.

"James, what do you think is the goal of UCLA this season?" Xu Yong then asked.

"Championship." Harden answered simply.

UCLA has been in the elite semi-finals for two consecutive seasons. This season, they have recruited Love. They have no weaknesses from the outside to the front and inside. The championship is their only goal.

"Then the objects they will spend time researching should be schools like North Carolina, Kansas, and Memphis. They will indeed pay attention to us, but that is more of a routine, not like the University of California, Berkeley." Xu Yong nodded. said later.

The three schools he mentioned are the giants that have occupied the top four for a long time this season together with UCLA.

Harden understood immediately after hearing the words: "You mean we can grab the start?"

"Yes, the game is played at our home court. Once we grasp the momentum of the game, you know what will happen." Xu Yong nodded, talking to smart people is easy.

After finishing speaking, he also handed Harden a "you understand" expression.

Of course Harden understands that on the NCAA stage, because there are few mature superstars and the game time period is long, it is very difficult to reverse the game once it loses momentum.

He nodded and stopped talking, but looked at the table tennis table again, his eyes full of expectation.

If nothing else, the game against UCLA will attract scouts, and if they do win, it will help his draft stock a lot.

It is pure nonsense to talk about "entering the NBA after you have experienced and matured in the NCAA". As long as you can ensure being selected with a high pick, the sooner you enter the NBA, the better, because age represents potential. As for other things, NBA training players is better than college Much more professional.

Of course, it is still good to go to university for one year, because universities also have cultural education, and many high school players lack this link, which leads to a lack of cultural quality.

League president David Stern is also well aware of this, so in 2006, he implemented the draft age rule, and he was not allowed to participate in the draft if he was under the age of 19.

So now the most popular is "one&done", which translates to "leave after playing for one year", that is, to run for election after freshman year.

But the premise of doing so is to fully demonstrate his talent and attract the attention of NBA scouts enough.

Otherwise, if the pick is low, a fool would only play one&done.

As a person who is gentle and introverted, but actually very smart, Harden knows the importance of this game even more.

……

A few days later, the city of Tempe was extremely lively.

Although the straight-line distance from Los Angeles to Phoenix is ​​more than 600 kilometers, there are still many UCLA fans flying to support the Bruins.

On the morning of the game day, Xu Yong and Harden sat in the aisle on the second floor with their backs against the benches in the auditorium.

After a while, amidst the noise, a group of people entered the arena.

Arizona State University did not make any small moves in the arena like the original University of Arizona. According to the normal process, the visiting team warmed up in the morning and the home team warmed up in the afternoon.

The visiting team's warm-up is generally closed, which is why the two of them are sitting here.

They haven't played against UCLA before, and this is the only opportunity to observe their opponents in advance.

Harden turned around and peeked out, and after sitting back, he directly performed a set of prayer actions: "Silent silence for Jeff."

Xu Yong looked puzzled, then turned around and looked outside.

Then he quickly understood why Harden did that, because he saw Kevin Love.

His impression of Love basically stays in the cavalier period. He debuted as a male model and is so handsome.

But the Le Shiwan in front of him, with his huge body, immediately reminded him not of Love himself, but of Jokic.

This guy is too big!

In terms of height, Le Fu is only 2 meters like him.

But soon, his impression disappeared, because Love, who was like a meat mountain, directly came to a heavy dunk with both hands during the warm-up.

Xu Yong sat back and imitated Harden to pray for Ayers.

A giant who can be selected by James as a teammate has absolute strength.

And if Love can grow six or seven centimeters taller, then he will be on the same level as Nowitzki and Garnett in the NBA.

Of course, this assumption is not actually needed in the NCAA, because with his size and athletic ability, it is enough to dominate the inside in the NCAA.

As a high school student in the class of 2007, Xu Yong had of course heard some deeds of Love before, such as lightly jumping and smashing the basket.gif.

But what I saw just now confirmed the saying: Seeing is better than hearing a hundred times.

(End of this chapter)