Capítulo 83: Victory is Something I’ll Leave to You to Worry About
Sorry the university kept me very busy as the 22nd is the last day, I have to do all the exams and activities since finals.
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At 6 a.m., Butler woke up on time, thanks to his internal clock. He turned over to find his roommate, Drew, still fast asleep, his soft snores filling the room.
To avoid disturbing him, Butler quietly got up, washed up, and left the room, carefully closing the door behind him. Morning exercise had always been part of his routine. In college, he would head to the Hinkle Arena for basketball practice, but now, without the facilities, he settled for weight training in the gym.
The hotel corridor was silent as Butler made his way briskly to the gym, which was almost empty when he arrived. Scanning the room, he spotted a familiar figure: Curry, jogging on a treadmill.
"Good morning, Stephen," Butler greeted, pleasantly surprised.
The team had been in San Antonio for a few days, and it was the first time Butler had seen Curry in the gym that early.
"Good morning, Jimmy," Curry replied, not breaking stride.
Curious but not one to pry, Butler began his own workout. Not long after, Coach Liam entered the gym. He, too, was surprised to see Curry.
"Stephen, what brings you here this early?" Liam asked after greeting Butler.
"He beat me here today," Butler chimed in.
Curry stopped running and approached Liam, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Coach, I woke up super early and couldn't fall back asleep. I figured I might as well come here and run," Curry explained sheepishly.
"Nervous?" Liam asked, smiling.
"A little... When I think about playing in the NCAA finals, it feels unreal. Coach, can we really win?" Curry asked, looking at him with hopeful eyes.
The Bulldogs had lost to the University of Florida in the Sweet Sixteen last season. Although the final shot was taken by another player, Curry still felt responsible for the loss. This time, he didn't want to let the championship slip away again.
Liam stepped onto a treadmill and shook his head. "I don't know."
Curry was stunned. He didn't expect Liam to say that.
In Curry's mind, Liam had always been the confident leader who constantly encouraged them. No matter how tough the opponent, Liam always seemed sure of victory.
Liam smiled and added, "I'm not a prophet, Stephen. I want to win every game, but nobody can predict the outcome. Last year, we lost to Florida. Before we played North Carolina, I thought we might lose too, but you turned the game around in the second half. Every game is unpredictable."
"Okay..." Curry muttered, a bit deflated.
Liam's expression became serious. "Stephen, every great player has a firm belief. Maybe you're feeling the pressure of the finals, but I want you to remember what you wrote on your shoes during halftime against North Carolina: Just be yourself. Don't worry about the result."
Curry took a deep breath and nodded firmly. "I understand!"
He thought back to the support from his teammates after a disastrous first half and how exhilarating it was to drain those clutch three-pointers in the second half. Back then, he didn't care about winning or losing—he just wanted to sink that next shot.
"Coach, I'll take care of the points. You handle the rest," Curry joked, giving Liam a playful shoulder tap before running out of the gym.
"Cheeky kid…" Liam watched as Curry jogged out with a smile on his face, clearly more relaxed.
As Liam watched him leave, he suddenly realized something: Wait, I'm only 24, right? Why am I talking like I'm a middle-aged man?
Maybe I've been giving too much "pep talk" advice...
He chuckled to himself before finishing his workout and heading to the hotel restaurant to grab breakfast for himself and Stevens.
Back in his room, Stevens was already up, absorbed in game footage on his laptop. Liam entered, placed the food on the desk, and joined Stevens to watch the tape.
Stevens frowned. "Derrick Rose is going to be tough to deal with. His drives are nearly unstoppable."
Liam watched the footage of Rose slicing through Kansas' defense and nodded. "Yeah, he's definitely a top draft pick for a reason."
Their next opponent was the Memphis Tigers, led by Derrick Rose. Memphis had just defeated Kansas in an overtime thriller, with Rose hitting a buzzer-beater to send them to the finals.
Stevens continued, "Not just Rose. Douglas is another weapon for them, averaging more points than Rose. Their backcourt is insane. Do you have a plan to deal with them?"
Liam, who had already been thinking about this, responded without hesitation, "We'll go small. Their center, Joey Dorsey, is more of a blue-collar player, and their power forward isn't a major offensive threat either. We'll have Jimmy help with double teams and do our best to limit their penetration."
Stevens nodded. "That's probably our best bet."
The head coach of Memphis, John Calipari, was known for his "DDM" (Dribble Drive Motion) offense, which was notorious for its relentless pace. The tactic relied heavily on guards driving to the hoop, with the other players spaced out beyond the three-point line. The guard would either finish or pass to an open shooter if the defense collapsed.
It was similar to run-and-gun but with a focus on half-court offense. The Memphis guards, especially Rose, thrived in this system, making it difficult for defenses to contain them.
"Calipari's system is a headache," Stevens remarked as he reviewed more game tape.
Liam agreed. "Rose is getting attention from all the NBA scouts. Everyone thinks he'll be a superstar."
Rumors were circulating that the Miami Heat, with a 25% chance of landing the number-one pick, were eyeing Rose to pair him with Dwyane Wade.
While Rose was a consensus future star, Curry's draft projection was less certain. Even though he had been a two-time NCAA scoring champion, some experts predicted he might fall out of the lottery. Curry's shooting was his strength, but many doubted whether it would translate to the NBA.
"Okay, but what about our offense?" Stevens asked.
"We'll stick to our game plan," Liam replied confidently. "Their defense is solid but not exceptional. We just need to execute."
The Bulldogs didn't have a defensive star like Memphis, but their offensive system was reliable, and Liam knew it came down to who could execute better on the day of the finals.
Both teams had shown their full capabilities during March Madness. The championship would be decided by who performed better under pressure and made fewer mistakes.
...
That afternoon, the Bulldogs had a light practice to stay sharp before heading back to the hotel.
When Liam returned to his room, he received a call from Markbaum.
"Mark, how's Wall Street?" Liam asked, remembering that Mark had mentioned attending a seminar on subprime mortgage securities.
"The big meeting's tomorrow night, but I've been in a few small discussions already. It's crazy how optimistic everyone still is about the real estate market," Markbaum replied.
"Nobody wants to believe their assets are worthless," Liam said with a laugh.
"But it's all about to collapse. The subprime market is falling apart," Markbaum said with grim satisfaction.
"You sound like you're enjoying it," Liam teased.
"Why shouldn't I be? I've invested everything I have. Besides, I'm no savior—I'm a capitalist," Markbaum said coldly.
"By the way, congrats on making it to the finals. I've been too busy with work to catch the games, but I saw the news."
"Thanks. But focus on getting your money back first. I don't want to see your position get liquidated," Liam reminded him.
"Don't worry about that. The collapse is coming sooner than you think."
After hanging up, Liam sat there for a moment, reflecting. Almost two years had passed since he had started coaching the Bulldogs. He had led them to the NCAA finals, made risky bets in the financial world, and experienced things he had never imagined.
Though he projected confidence, there was always a part of him that was anxious. He knew he had taken over from Stevens, the rightful future coach of the Bulldogs.
In the original timeline, Stevens had led the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA finals, helping Butler University move up two divisions in just two years. Liam worried that he wouldn't be able to replicate that success.
When he first became coach, the responsibility hadn't weighed on him as much. He even took pride in being the youngest head coach in the NCAA. But over time, as he saw how much trust his team and staff placed in him, he realized how much was at stake.
Coach Lickliter could have chosen anyone to recommend for the head coaching job. Stevens could have challenged him for the position. But they had both supported him, putting their faith in his ability to lead.
That was why Liam worked tirelessly. Every day, he watched game footage, studied tactics, and never let himself slack off. Now, it all came down to this—one game to win it all.
"Tomorrow is the final... I have to win," Liam murmured to himself.
End of this chapter
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