บท 50: The 'Sweet Top 16' Showdown
As the program concluded, the host announced that CCTV 5 would broadcast the NCAA round of 16 and subsequent games.
This news made the boy jump up excitedly, his heart racing with anticipation, wishing the round of 16 would start right away!
"Click, click, click!"
The sound of the key turning in the door instantly woke the boy from his thoughts.
"It must be Dad," he thought. "If he sees how dirty I am from playing, he might not let me eat fried pork with bamboo shoots tonight."
With lightning speed, the teenager dashed to his bedroom, clutching the basketball, then hurried to the bathroom, still holding the ball tightly.
"Well, not bad!" he thought to himself.
This scenario was familiar in many households.
"Basketball Park" aired only every Friday, a must-watch for basketball enthusiasts, mostly teenagers who managed to secure the TV first before adults returned from work or other commitments.
It was on this day that Lian Dao gained numerous fans across China.
After the release of the "Basketball Pioneer News" featuring Lian Dao, it quickly sold out. Many people discovered there was a talented teenager playing basketball in the NCAA.
...
After accepting Su Qun's interview, Lian Dao and he shared a meal together before Lian Dao returned to his hotel. With their next game scheduled at the Hubert Humphrey Dome, Lian Dao promptly asked the assistant coach for the game video of the Michigan State University Spartans upon returning.
Initially, Lian Dao had assumed he would miss facing Michigan State University Spartans this season due to USC's strong record, securing the second seed. However, he had overlooked that this season, the Michigan State University Spartans were the second seed historically, and now they were facing off against the University of Southern California.
Despite being squeezed out, the Michigan State University Spartans clinched the third seed after defeating the North Dakota Bison and Dayton Flyers in the round of 32 and round of 16, respectively.
The upcoming matchup between these two teams promised an intense and highly anticipated 16-to-8 game, widely dubbed "Sweet Top 16" by fans due to its thrilling nature and widespread attention in the NCAA tournament.
This year's Arizona Wildcats didn't have the luck they'd hoped for, despite defeating their first-round opponent, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Their fortunes turned in the 32-to-16 round when they faced the formidable Kansas State Jayhawks.
In NCAA circles, there's a saying: "Never underestimate the Kansas Jayhawks, even if their players seem ordinary."
The Jayhawks boast an illustrious history, having secured three NCAA championships in past seasons, with their most recent victory occurring just last year. They've also claimed third place in the NCAA tournament three times, reached the Final Four an impressive 13 times, made it to the Elite Eight on 19 occasions, and advanced to the Sweet 16 an astonishing 24 times. Furthermore, they've been selected for the NCAA Tournament a staggering 38 times over the years.
More than 50 players from Kansas have been drafted into the NBA, including the legendary Wilt Chamberlain. Currently, nearly 20 former Jayhawks are active in the NBA, solidifying their reputation as a pipeline of talent to the professional league.
Coach Larry Brown, a championship-winning coach, emerged from this esteemed university, adding to its legacy.
It was this renowned team that fell to the Michigan State University Spartans in a historic 16-to-8 game this season, underscoring the Spartans' formidable strength and setting the stage for USC's challenging journey.
Back at the University of Southern California, Lian Dao reviewed game footage while assistant coach Tim watched alongside him, puffing on a cigar.
"What are our chances against them?" Tim asked his assistant, seeking insights on their upcoming opponents, coached by Tom Izzo.
"Michigan State thrives on strong guard play, tenacity, and rebounding," the assistant replied. "This game will test our interior defense the most. If we can't maintain our advantage inside, we might be in trouble."
Tim nodded thoughtfully. "We need to capitalize on our perimeter strengths. Expanding our outside advantage will force them to defend more widely, easing pressure on our interior."
The assistant agreed, noting, "USC's strongest suit this season is definitely our perimeter defense and scoring, especially with Lian Dao and DeMar, known as the 'Southern California Double Guns'."
Concerning their interior, Tim felt assured by Gibson's experience and Vucevic's developing skills, though he acknowledged Vucevic's ongoing physical development and relative inexperience in tough inside matchups.
"Against teams weaker inside, we wouldn't worry," Tim mused, relieved by Lian Dao and DeMar's consistent performance on the perimeter.
However, facing Tom Izzo's team, renowned for their physical inside play and rigorous coaching methods, posed a significant challenge.
Izzo's demanding "War" rebounding drills, likened to football practices with helmets and pads, underscored his coaching philosophy of toughness and player-driven decisions. His rigorous preseason scheduling aimed to toughen his team for March Madness, a strategy that had earned him recognition as one of college basketball's fiercest coaches by USA TODAY Sports in 2013—an accolade he deeply values.
...
Over at Michigan State University, Tom Izzo sat in the conference room, intensely scrutinizing USC's gameplay on the screen before him. He observed DeMar's powerful dunks following breakthroughs, Lian Dao's tenacious defense, and his successful drives past defenders for dunks.
He couldn't bring himself to take Lian Dao's three-point shooting seriously. In his view, outside scoring was often the least efficient method of scoring in basketball. He doubted Lian Dao's ability to find open shots against Michigan State's rigorous defense.
What truly concerned him, however, was Lian Dao's adeptness at driving to the basket. He noted that Lian Dao's success wasn't just due to skill but also relied heavily on his physical strength and speed, attributes that had been especially evident in recent championship games.
"Why didn't we notice his driving ability sooner?" Tom Izzo muttered to himself as he watched Lian Dao weave past defenders. During the regular season games he reviewed, Lian Dao's speed had always been a point of critique, particularly in the small forward position. Yet, in the championship game, that same speed had transformed into a potent scoring weapon on the court.
"And his wingspan and strength are just dominant," Tom Izzo remarked with a hint of grudging admiration. "A natural talent for the power forward position."
"It's absurd that USC's head coach has him playing at the three," he scoffed, watching the video with a faint smirk.
"Put him at the four, and we'd have a real challenge on our hands. But at the three, he's going to enjoy a gift from Michigan."
"We're not the pushovers you faced in the regular season. Let me show you how basketball's played!" Tom Izzo muttered assertively to himself.
With a contemplative nod, he popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth, savoring the bitter sweetness—a metaphor for the journey towards victory, where challenges were embraced before triumph was earned. In Tom Izzo's eyes, the path to victory was all about overcoming adversity and proving one's mettle on the court.
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