Kapitel 58: Harvest Season
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Professors were either administering final exams or collecting all sorts of strange papers. You could see students with tired faces wandering around campus from dawn to dusk, and this process would continue for the next two months.
However, Liam Gonzalez looked calm and relaxed as he strolled through the campus.
Watching his younger classmates sigh with stress, a small smile formed on his lips.
It feels amazing not having to take exams or write papers...
Liam walked leisurely into his office and picked up today's newspaper, eagerly anticipating what he would read.
The date on the paper was March 4th.
Just two days ago, the Bulldogs defeated their longtime rivals, Indiana State, in the Horizon League playoff final, securing an automatic qualification for the 2008 NCAA tournament.
Throughout the season, with Butler stepping up and Curry's skills improving even further, the Bulldogs had been dominant in the Horizon League. They only lost two games in the regular season, achieving an impressive record of 30 wins and 2 losses, including a sweet revenge win against Purdue University. They bulldozed their way through the playoffs, earning their spot in March Madness for the second consecutive year.
Curry continued his phenomenal form from the previous season, and even took it to the next level, retaining the scoring title with an average of 28.9 points per game.
Under Liam's coaching, Curry, who had shifted to the point guard position two years earlier than in his previous life, had unlocked his potential sooner and had already experienced the intensity of March Madness. His performance was far stronger than in his previous timeline.
Additionally, Butler's development had been equally remarkable.
His stats had fluctuated at the start of the season as he struggled to adjust to the NCAA's pace, but he quickly adapted and his performances became more consistent. He averaged 10.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.4 steals per game.
Bear in mind, this was his first year playing in the NCAA, and for him to deliver such comprehensive stats was no easy feat.
Besides his stats, Butler's defense was his most significant contribution to the team.
Many times, he effectively shut down the opposing team's outside threats, using his defensive acumen to disrupt their game plans. This influence couldn't be captured by mere numbers.
His importance to the Bulldogs grew rapidly, and by now, he had solidified his place as a starter on the team.
When the team played small-ball lineups, Butler would replace Campbell at the power forward spot.
In the regular lineup, he had even taken Mike Green's place as the starting small forward, pushing Green to the bench.
Poor Julian Bacow had to be satisfied as Mike Green's backup, but now even he couldn't keep up with the freshman...
Thanks to the contributions of Curry and Butler—one excelling in offense and the other in defense—the Bulldogs were able to dominate the Horizon League this year.
After a season full of challenges, the two players, who were already in a phase of rapid growth, became more seasoned, and this gave the Bulldogs the strength they needed to compete with the top-tier teams in March Madness.
Now, the time had come to reap the rewards.
Liam picked up a copy of the Indianapolis Star. The front-page headline listed the winners of the individual awards for the 2007-2008 season, as announced by the Horizon League. As expected, the Bulldogs—who had ruled the Horizon League—emerged as the biggest winners.
Curry had bagged the Horizon League Player of the Year and Tournament MVP for the second year in a row, after also winning the Rookie of the Year Award last season.
This year's Rookie of the Year went to Butler, who also clinched the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
The Bulldogs took home the league's four most prestigious individual awards.
On the all-league teams, both Curry and Butler were named to the First Team, with Drew and AJ Graves making it to the Second Team. Butler was also selected to the All-Defensive First Team and the All-Rookie First Team.
At the same time, Liam won the Coach of the Year award for the second year in a row.
Smiling with satisfaction, Liam flipped through other Indiana newspapers. Unsurprisingly, they were also filled with praise for the Bulldogs.
Although these were minor awards from the Horizon League and didn't attract national attention, Liam didn't care much about them last year.
But this year was different. These small accolades were just the appetizers—the real recognition was yet to come.
In the days that followed, Curry's name would grace the front pages of major newspapers like USA Today, The Washington Post, and Sports Illustrated, not just the local Indianapolis Star.
First, the Adolf Rupp Award for the 2007-2008 season was announced by the Federal Athletic Association, and Curry emerged as the winner.
Soon after, the Coaches Association named Curry the NABC Player of the Year.
Additionally, the Oscar Robertson Award was unveiled, with Curry's name again appearing as the winner.
This year, Curry had finally become a household name across the United States.
Last year, even though Curry's impressive play earned him the NCAA scoring title, the spotlight was shared with two other players: Greg Oden and Kevin Durant.
Both hailed from prestigious universities and had equally staggering stats, drawing much of the media attention. Despite Durant not even making it to March Madness, he and Oden divided the awards.
While the Bulldogs had dominated the Horizon League, and Curry had demonstrated his brilliance, the outside world viewed the Horizon League as a minor league, thus diminishing the significance of Curry's stats and awards. Few believed that the Bulldogs were a serious contender, or that Curry was an elite player.
However, after the Bulldogs' Cinderella run to the Sweet 16 in March Madness, with Curry racking up high scores game after game, especially his sensational 39-point performance against the defending champions Florida University, the perception began to change. The Bulldogs only lost by 2 points to Florida. It was in that game that the national spotlight finally turned to this small team and the baby-faced Curry. Liam and Curry became well-known across the U.S.
Of course, while Curry garnered most of the attention, people were also shocked by Liam Gonzalez's youth.
This year, Curry continued to shine, finally reaping the rewards for his individual efforts.
Out of the seven major annual NCAA awards, Curry had already won three. The remaining ones included the Naismith Award, the John Wooden Award, the Associated Press Player of the Year, the Basketball Times Player of the Year, and the Sporting News Player of the Year.
Liam, on the other hand, hadn't received much recognition.
The basketball world in the U.S. is traditional. It might shower a young player with awards, but a young coach—especially a young Colombian coach—wouldn't be given the same grace.
If Liam had been coaching in the NBA, the team's record would be the sole measure of his success, with age and nationality taking a backseat.
But in the NCAA...
What? You dominated the Horizon League? You're a coach from a minor league. Do you even know how fierce the competition is in the major conferences?
What? You led a small team to March Madness? The big teams make it to March Madness every year.
So, this year's coaching awards still went to familiar names.
Yet, fans saw things differently. Many people took to social media to speak up for Liam.
This Colombian coach clearly wasn't ordinary, as he had led a small team to March Madness two years in a row.
In the NCAA, as everyone knows, the coach is the heart of the team.
But for Liam, it wasn't about the awards—what mattered most was the upcoming March Madness.
End of this chapter
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