Champion, please stay!

Chapter 56, 55. Behind the giant lies a towering tower!

The competition started at 8 p.m.

The first match was the 'Battle of the Giants', with 221cm Thabeet and 218cm Boris Menor jumping for the ball!

Mayno, who usually has the best height and wingspan in the game, was outmatched tonight. Thabeet, who has better static and dynamic conditions, won the jump ball, and the Huskies went first!
Curry, who was quickly retreating to defend from the mid-court line, heard the cheers of the entire crowd, and his anger increased by 1.

The game against the Wolverines was the same! The stadium was filled with local fans and opposing fans.

But what can you do when you're a small-town team? With 3000 seats at home, the club manager is worried about not selling out the tickets, not getting enough money, and not having enough funding...

Elementary school student: I'm determined to play basketball in a big city! I'll never suffer in a small city when I reach the professional arena!
After Thabeet moved to a close-range landing position, the Huskies did not continue to slow down the pace and immediately launched an attack.

The Kansas Wildcats, Georgetown Amazings, and Wisconsin Wolverines have all proven that slowing down the pace of the game doesn't stop the Davidson Wildcats' offense.

Calhoun felt that their defense was at best at the level of the Wolverines, and definitely not as good as the Amazings, who were ranked first in the nation's defense. So he decided not to waste time and focus on offensive and defensive tactics.

Yi Shui moved up from the baseline, circled the sideline to the right 45-degree angle, and the Wildcats' defense adjusted accordingly, preparing a zone defense against Yi Shui... At the same time, Yad moved up from the left side of the free throw line to screen Richards, and Price used the screen to break through on the left!

The Wildcats' defensive formation was thrown into disarray. Mayno quickly moved to the left sideline of the three-second zone to block Price's attack on the rim, while forwards Thomas Sander and Andrew Lofdale hastily blocked Yad at the free-throw line to intercept him as he cut through the middle.

Price lobs the ball to the left elbow area... On the right side of the basket, Thabeet dunks it with both hands on the right!
The fans at the stadium cheered and screamed again, while those who bought the live broadcast to watch Yi Shui on TV were a little disappointed. They wanted to see Yi Shui take the first attack, but Yi Shui didn't even get a shot on camera during the opening attack. After all, the live broadcast angle is limited and can't provide the same immersive experience as the fans at the stadium.

The Wildcats players, who were even more immersed in the game than the fans in the stadium, felt after the first defensive play that the game would definitely be more difficult than they expected!

The opposing team anticipated their defensive intentions and took advantage of them!

However, as 'minor league specialists,' the Wildcats players have a simple mindset—if you can't defend, then attack!

After defeating top-tier teams, including two champions, in the third round of the season, their confidence had already been boosted.

After the Wildcats players got into position, they immediately launched a team attack. Curry cut along the baseline, using Mayo's massive body to block Yi Shui, then turned at a right angle and ran towards the top arc, where Robinson and Yad blocked him at the high post.

Richards, using a screen, breaks through to the right elbow area and passes the ball to Lofdale, who receives it in the left elbow area, takes two steps, and flies up for a layup...

Very beautiful tactical coordination, but...

"Snapped"

Yi Shui, who came out from behind Meno, slapped Lovedale's layup away from the front!
The ball flew out of the left sideline. Thabeet turned around and went to the basket to high-five Yi Shui. He dared to move decisively to the right sideline of the three-second zone to block the pick-and-roll and help the two forwards clean up their messes because Yi Shui was under the basket. This was a tower that wasn't tall, but was even more majestic! A tower that allowed him to confidently give up his back!
Curry watched the ball fly out of bounds. He had watched Yi Shui's games and looked at Yi Shui's stats countless times. He knew that this guy's defense had evolved to be very comprehensive, but he did not expect that he could protect the rim like a stationary center!
There wasn't any running start, was there? This guy jumped so high from a standing position! What do you mean he can jump as high as he did six months ago? He can definitely jump even higher!

Curry tried to put aside his shock and quickly analyzed the situation.

Their team offensive strategy involves moving Thabeet around, using movement and screens to push Yi Shui to the baseline, using his shooting presence to create opportunities for the wings to cut to the basket, then using off-ball cuts to create shooting opportunities for the wings at the far post, and then feeding back to him as he participates in the team offense, forming a closed loop.

As a result, their attack failed in the second round right at the start of the match!
Without hesitation, Curry ran to the top of the key to receive the ball after it was inbounded.

Try again? He wouldn't dare! That guy is unpredictable; he can most likely really hold his ground and protect the rim like an inside player.

Moreover, he remembered very clearly the data he had just seen at noon: so far this season, that guy had played 34 games and had a total of 129 blocks, averaging 3.8 blocks per game... Just because he hadn't defended like that before doesn't mean that guy couldn't!
The finals of the Madness 3 regional competition are against strong opponents, leaving no room for error!

Curry received the ball at the top of the arc, dribbled to the side, and Richards, in perfect sync, screened for Yi Shui who was chasing after him. Yi Shui reacted quickly and immediately circled around the cones... but Curry still seized the opportunity and shot a three-pointer over Price who was rushing towards him... and it went in!
Most fans at the arena and watching on TV were seeing Curry play for the first time, and they were all stunned by this incredibly wild shot. But what surprised them even more was that the big screen at the arena and the live TV broadcast displayed a statistic: Curry's three-point field goals made in the first three rounds were 8, 5, and 6 respectively, totaling 19, surpassing Glen Rice's record of 17 made in the first three rounds! With that shot, less than a minute into the fourth round, Curry had already tied Glen Rice's record for most three-pointers made in the first four rounds!

When did the NCAA get such a person?
The Husky players on the court weren't surprised that Curry could make shots like that.

Six months ago, they personally experienced Curry's accuracy, and three nights ago they even went to watch the Wildcats vs. Wolverines game, knowing that the more reckless he plays, the more accurate he becomes.

But Curry started to go on a scoring spree right away? During the transition, Price advanced the ball past half-court and gestured for his teammates to spread out and receive the pass.

He noticed that although the opposing offense changed its tactics because Curry actively asked for the ball, their defensive intentions remained the same, still focusing on guarding Yi Shui. However, he still gave up on team offense.

The Wolverines' team offense couldn't compete with Curry's, and he didn't think his team's offense would work. He made the safest choice—to give the ball to Yi Shui!

Yi Shui received the ball at the right 45-degree angle outside the three-point line. Due to objective reasons, Curry did not even try to go around him, but directly stuck to him tightly.

Of all the guards Yi Shui has encountered in the 08 and 09 draft classes, Curry is the best in terms of static physical strength; Mayo and Rose are no match for him.

But Curry's one-on-one defense... Yi Shui didn't use any techniques like he did against Rose and Mayo. He simply turned around, pushed Curry aside, and drove into the paint!
The Wildcats' zone defense came quickly. Perhaps because they had played many games in the Madness 3, the Wildcats players were much rougher than they were six months ago. However, Yi Shui's physicality was also much stronger than it was then. Even after being surrounded by three players in the elbow area, he still managed to lift the ball and pass it to the left.

Yad received the ball, leaped into the paint, and made a layup!
Price: Organizing an attack is that simple.

Curry knew he couldn't handle Yi Shui, given Yi Shui's physique and weight, which was at least 20 pounds heavier than him. But even with Curry catching up, the presence of Lofdale coming from the other side to provide support, and the presence of a 218cm giant center protecting him, Yi Shui was still able to pass the ball out... It was unbelievable!
However, he was already used to pressure and setbacks. He came to the frontcourt, received a pass from Richards, and continued to attack!

The fans at the stadium went wild.

Here it comes! They're locked in a fierce battle! A clash of star players!
Data may not tell the whole story, but when you see a player put up record-breaking numbers, you just have to think he's amazing.

Curry's excellence goes even beyond the statistics! When he skillfully changed direction to get past Yi Shui and penetrate the paint, the Detroit fans cheered and screamed loudly!
The Huskies double-teamed quickly, but Curry didn't hold onto the ball. He was in rhythm and passed it out in time. Mayno caught the ball a step outside the right sideline of the three-second zone, raised it, and made a straight-arm floater... and it went in!
After letting out a frustrated groan, the Husky fans immediately started cheering again, shouting "Big!"

There was no need for fans to urge them on; Yi Shui had always intended to continue going head-to-head with Curry.

While the Wildcats aren't a team like the Tigers that relies heavily on momentum, college teams are all young, and once they get going, it's hard to contain them, especially these minor league teams. They're fearless and go all out when they see an opportunity.

The best course of action is to suppress the opponent and prevent them from gaining momentum!

Yi Shui arrived at the frontcourt and found that the person marking him had become Sander, a small forward who was about the same height as him.

Using sufficient height to disrupt shots, improve the effectiveness of defense against drives, and increase the success rate of zone defense? Yi Shui instantly read the opponent's defensive intentions and gestured with his chin toward Robinson.

The neighbor immediately understood and ran up from the sideline to block Sander's side.

Curry cursed under his breath as he switched defenses, but his lateral movement was a major problem. His ability to defend pick-and-rolls was even worse than his one-on-one defense. He didn't even provide basic contact. Yi Shui used the screen to drive directly into the paint, and Lofdale on the other side didn't even have time to help defend!
Meno's first reaction under the basket was to go for it, but as soon as he lifted his foot, the opponent had already rushed close! He immediately tried to step back from the baseline, but was blocked from behind.

Thabeet, cutting to the basket for a layup, turned his head and saw Yi Shui grabbing the ball and charging up! He tried to escape... but it was too late!
"boom"

Yi Shui slammed the ball into the basket, even over the two centers who combined are 4.4 meters tall!

(End of this chapter)