Chương 35: Distant Gaze
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In late March in Bogotá, the cold air gradually faded away. Office workers began shedding their heavy jackets, and professional women wearing stockings and skirts started appearing on the streets.
Oscar Martinez parked his car and walked into the Calle 63 building on Carrera 9, which housed the editorial office of Pionero del Baloncesto.
He took the elevator to the fifth floor, entered his office, opened a window to let in some fresh air, turned on his computer, and prepared to start his day's work.
Since its founding in 2004, Pionero del Baloncesto had quickly gained popularity across the country, becoming one of the largest basketball print media outlets in Colombia.
As the editor-in-chief of the magazine, Oscar earned a solid reputation in the Colombian basketball scene. He was so well-regarded that some even called him "the No. 1 reporter in Colombian basketball."
Despite the praise, Oscar showed no signs of arrogance and never slacked off at work. He was always one of the first to arrive at the editorial office.
After sitting down for less than five minutes, he stood up again, frowning as he closed the window. As an avid photographer, he noticed that the air quality in Bogotá had been worsening.
He sat back down, picked up a pile of printed English-language newspapers and magazines nearby, and began flipping through them.
As the first Colombian reporter to cover the NBA on location, Liam knew his greatest strength was his extensive experience. While Pionero del Baloncesto now had many resident reporters in the United States, he continued to keep an eye on American basketball.
These newspapers and magazines were faxed from the United States intermittently. Although he was busy, Oscar made a point to read some of them daily.
The top one was a copy of USA Today, dated two days earlier. He skimmed through the NBA section since he was already familiar with the news, then focused on the NCAA part.
Since the magazine's founding two years ago, nearly every aspect of the NBA had been explored thoroughly. Liam had been looking to develop new columns, and after some thought, he decided to turn his attention to the NCAA.
As the most popular college league in the United States, the NCAA is a major source of NBA talent. Most American stars make their way to the NBA through the NCAA draft.
Currently, Colombian fans were still largely unfamiliar with the NCAA, but interest was growing. Liam believed that this would be a promising direction for future magazine coverage.
"Hmm? Interesting..." he muttered as he noticed an interview in the newspaper.
"…This newspaper had the honor of interviewing Coach G from Butler University. He is from Colombia and is the youngest head coach in the NCAA. In his debut season, he led his team to an impressive 30-3 regular season record, finishing first in the league, and successfully won the conference championship. This allowed the team to enter March Madness for the first time in four years, drawing national attention. His starting point guard, Stephen Curry, even ranked first in NCAA scoring with an average of 27.7 points per game... Coach G, how did you achieve such results in your rookie season?"
"I have to thank my coaching staff, especially my chief assistant coach, Stevens, who provided me with tremendous support. Of course, my players executed the tactics perfectly on the court, which is the most important reason we made it to March Madness. I just chose the tactics that best suited them."
"Can you comment on Stephen Curry?"
"He's a true genius."
"But it's said that he was rejected by many schools before joining Butler. Is that true?"
"You know, some people are bound by traditional ideas and can't see the great potential in Stephen."
"So, you're not a traditional person?"
"Of course not. You can tell by my age. I don't think there's another NCAA head coach with more innovative ideas than me."
"Speaking of which, can you tell us about your experience becoming the head coach of the Bulldogs? I imagine your age and nationality were significant hurdles in the conservative world of college basketball."
"It's a long story. When I first came to the United States, I wanted to join the Bulldogs. After working as a handyman for half a year, Coach Lickliter..."
"Lastly, what are your expectations for the team's performance?"
"Top 16."
"Are you that confident in the team?"
"No, the board has strict performance requirements for me as the head coach. If the team doesn't reach the Sweet 16, I will be fired."
"...Alright, thank you, Coach G, for the interview. Best of luck to Butler in tomorrow's game!"
After reading the entire interview, Liam's eyes lit up. He pondered for a moment, then took a closer look at Coach G's resume.
"A 24-year-old head coach from Colombiano leading his team into March Madness..." he mused, tapping his fingers on the table with a grin.
Liam pulled out his phone, found a number, and dialed it:
Hey, Dun, have you heard of a guy named Liam ? He's the head coach at Butler University... No? Then start digging up information on him. He's colombian, so it shouldn't be too hard to find... Interview him? No, not yet. Let's wait and see how they do first... Alright, get on it. Talk soon."
Oscar put down the phone. The person he had just called, Duncan, was a reporter for Pionero del Baloncesto based in the United States and one of his most capable subordinates. He asked Dun to get some preliminary information on Liam and planned to interview him if Butler made it further in the tournament.
Oscar had to be cautious. Colombian fans knew very little about the NCAA and were only somewhat familiar with March Madness. Pionero del Baloncesto had previously covered Colombian players in the NCAA, but the response had been lukewarm.
Moreover, Liam wasn't a player, so Liam wanted to play it safe and wait until Butler achieved more significant results before pursuing an interview.
He put the matter aside and got on with his day's work.
Far away across the Pacific Ocean, Liam had no idea that his name had reached Colombia and had caught the attention of the editor-in-chief of the country's largest basketball print media.
By the time Liam read this interview, the NCAA's top 64 tournament had already concluded.
Butler's first-round opponent was Old Dominion University, which had a slightly better historical record than Butler and had occasionally reached March Madness, but had never advanced past the round of 64—a standard tournament underdog.
The team's core player was junior swingman Brian Henderson, who averaged 18.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. He was versatile and tough defensively.
However, versatility can sometimes mean mediocrity in all areas.
During the game, Liam's strategy was to focus on Brian Henderson. With Mike Green as the primary defender, AJ Graves and Julian Beko were always ready to provide additional coverage.
For the entire game, Henderson felt as if someone was constantly on him, and whenever he drove into the paint, he was greeted by Drew and Campbell. He received relentless pressure from the entire Bulldogs team for 40 minutes.
This resulted in Henderson making only 5 of 18 shots and scoring just 12 points, far below his usual performance.
The rest of Old Dominion's players were lackluster offensively and couldn't fill the scoring gap left by Henderson, causing their offense to suffer significantly.
On the other hand, the Bulldogs excelled in their overall offense. Liam was cautious and did not rely solely on Curry. Instead, he emphasized team basketball.
Since Old Dominion had a weak interior defense, Liam boldly moved Julian Beko to the forward position, replacing Campbell as the starter, adding another shooter to the perimeter.
Facing Old Dominion's weak defense, the Bulldogs' offense thrived, with Mike Green, Drew, Julian Beko, and AJ Graves all putting on strong performances.
Curry remained the team's standout player. He made 9 of 14 shots, including 6 of 9 three-pointers, scoring 24 points with remarkable efficiency, leading the team to a 76-64 victory and advancing to the top 32.
The game's last seven minutes became garbage time, during which the Bulldogs relaxed their defense a bit, allowing their opponents to cut down the lead. Otherwise, the final score difference would have remained around 20 points.
After this game, Butler's dark horse reputation became even more pronounced. Coupled with the publicity from the USA Today interview, Liam's name spread across the United States. Many fans learned that the youngest head coach in the NCAA was only 24 years old and colombain, and they began to follow Butler University more closely.
Chicago, Illinois
The Windy City, located on the shores of Lake Michigan, has a mild climate. In March, the average temperature is around 10 degrees Celsius, but it still feels damp and cold.
Luis walked out of his hotel, tightened his fleece jacket, and hurried toward Chicago State University.
Every year, the March Madness games are held in neutral cities, eliminating the need for teams to travel across the United States for home and away games. This year's first and second-round games were held in Chicago.
Luis arrived at the Jones Center at Chicago State University. There was already a long line at the entrance, mostly fans wearing blue and white sweaters, so he joined the line at the end.
Looking at his dark sweater, Luis glanced around and saw only a few fans like him in a sea of blue and white. He muttered indignantly, "Yeah, it's great to have so many fans. You're definitely not going to win!"
Today, the Bulldogs were set to face Kentucky State, competing for a spot in the Sweet 16.
End of this chapter
Dep legend Mutombo
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