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The Wildcats spend their days off in the meeting room.

Coach McGillop and his team carefully studied the game video of Harden's Sun Demons against Temple University.

During his college years, Harden played shooting guard, standing at 196cm tall with a wingspan of 210cm.

Although his explosive power is slightly lacking, he has a mature mentality, comprehensive skills, and excellent passing vision.

At the same time, Harden's defensive willingness during this period far exceeded his later performance. His excellent wingspan and solid physique made him a qualified defender on the NCAA's backcourt.

This led to high praise from the draft media for the chubby young man from the Phoenix Suns, with everyone agreeing that Harden is a consistent top-five pick in the draft.

"This is a tough opponent, Zhou. Your task in this game is to defend Harden."

In the meeting room, veteran coach McGillop's tone was full of trust.

He looked at Zhou Yi, who was sitting among the Wildcats team members, and saw the boy nod, his eyes flashing with competitive spirit.

......

The following afternoon, the game between the Wildcats and the Sun Demons attracted a large number of scouts and team management.

Presti and Thunder scouting director Hennigan sat behind the Wildcats' bench.

As an executive of the Thunder, it was easy for him to get two NCAA second-round tickets at the last minute.

"Presti, look, that's Chris Wallace, the Grizzlies' general manager, sitting over there."

Hennigan had just sat down when he spoke to Presti, his gaze then drifting to an elderly man in a suit with white hair in the stands.

"Donnie Walsh is here too. Who has the Knicks set their sights on?"

Also present were Larry Riley, the Warriors' head of player personnel, and Geoff Petrie, the Kings' general manager...

Hennigan's tone began to sound surprised.

Presti followed Hennigan's finger and looked towards the stands on the sidelines. What he saw shocked him.

Presti counted at least a dozen general managers or scouts from NBA teams sitting courtside in the arena.

In particular, teams with early first-round draft picks almost always had their executives present.

"These cunning people, yesterday that old guy Donnie Walsh was telling the media that he would be watching the game at the Knicks' home court and wouldn't be coming to the NCAA to watch the game."

Hennigan spoke with amusement, while Presti glanced at Donnie Walsh on the sidelines.

Donnie Walsh stared intently at a figure on the field, and Presti followed Walsh's gaze.

It is Zhou Yi, who is being interviewed on the field.

Presti then looked at the other NBA executives seated in different locations, and noticed their expressions...

"Hennigan, it seems like everyone here is here to see Zhou!"

Zhou Yi, who was being interviewed on stage, was unaware of the gazes focused on him.

After all, standing in the stadium, all you can see when you look around are dense crowds of fans from both sides.

Since arriving at the stadium in the afternoon, Zhou Yi has been surrounded by media reporters.

TNT, ESPN, CBS, Fox...

Even reporters from Sina Sports and Titan Sports Weekly, who were on the other side of the ocean, had arrived at the scene.

This game, featuring three players projected to be in the top ten or even the top five of the draft, attracted a great deal of media and fan attention.

In a nationwide online poll conducted this morning, the Wildcats vs. Sun Demons game topped the list of "most anticipated NCAA second-round games".

After suffering a humiliating defeat to the Wildcats in the first round, media predictions before the tournament have unanimously changed.

Everyone started to have a renewed appreciation for the Davidson Wildcats. Zhou Yi, who received the MVP applause in the last game, instantly became the epitome of a basketball hero in everyone's eyes.

Even in the TNT studio, Barkley, who had been repeatedly proven wrong, finally learned his lesson and shook his fat head and big ears as he spoke.

"What else can I say? Curry is equal to Harden, and Zhou is greater than all the other players on the Suns. I'm betting on the Davidson Wildcats in this game because they have Zhou and Curry."

Finally, amidst much anticipation, the countdown to the start of the competition reached zero, and the match officially began.

Wearing protective gear on his left foot, Lovedale stepped onto the court and stood in midfield with Jeff Ayers of the Sun Demons to contest for the ball.

The basketball was passed to Sun Demons point guard Derrick Glasser.

The Wildcats quickly retreated on defense, and Glasser controlled the ball in the frontcourt.

The Sun Demons' playing style is simple: get the ball to Harden, which is the team's most frequently used tactic.

In order to match Harden's ball-handling style of play, the other players on the Suns all have the ability to shoot from long range.

After the basketball was passed to Harden, Zhou Yi stood opposite Harden as arranged by McGillop before the game.

However, after receiving the ball, Harden did not choose to go one-on-one with Zhou Yi, but instead called for a pick-and-roll.

Before the game, the Wildcats studied the Sun Devils, and conversely, the Sun Devils also studied the Wildcats.

Sun Demons head coach Herb Sendek knows very well that the Wildcats' strongest perimeter defense is Zhou Yi.

So the Suns' offensive strategy for this game was to deliberately avoid direct confrontations between Harden and Zhou Yi.

Harden gained offensive space thanks to a screen set by Phoenix Suns center Elles.

He opted for a mid-range shot, and the basketball flew straight into the basket.

"Harden! Harden!"

The Sun Demons fans in the arena erupted in cheers because of this play.

Watching this scene unfold on the court from the stands, Presti noted that the Thunder's internal divisions regarding whether to choose Zhou Yi or Harden were becoming increasingly serious.

Both sides have their own reasonable arguments, and in terms of data analysis, Zhou Yi and Harden are neck and neck.

Therefore, this crucial direct confrontation was the basis for Presti's final decision.

If the data doesn't show a clear winner, then look at their performance on the field in direct head-to-head matches.

Offense and defense transition, Wildcats have possession.

Curry dribbled the basketball firmly into the frontcourt, and facing the defense of his opponent, he chose to shoot directly from the three-point line.

The basketball grazed the fingers of Phoenix Suns point guard Glaser, but the arc didn't resemble a shot.

"Oh! Curry and Zhou's alley-oop!"

Zhou Yi, who came from the side, received a pass from Curry in mid-air. Their long-standing on-court chemistry meant that the two understood each other with just a glance.

After receiving the basketball, Zhou Yi directly forced Suns Demons center Ayers to slam the ball into the basket.

This alley-oop play between the two stars ignited the Wildcats fans in the stands, who erupted in cheers that rivaled those of the Suns Demons fans.

"Zhou! Curry!"

On the court, the three outstanding players from the class of 09 showcased their offensive firepower right from the start.

The Wildcats couldn't stop the agile and cunning Harden, and the Suns couldn't stop Curry's three-pointers and Zhou Yi's mid-range shots and cuts.

Neither side has been able to stop the other's offensive spearhead for the time being.

The two teams traded leads until the first five minutes of the game.

After a failed pick-and-roll by the Suns, with only five seconds left in the possession, Harden controlled the ball between his legs.

On his opposite side, Zhou Yi was stretching out his arms, completely focused on defense.

"Two prodigies from the 09 draft class face off! Who will win this round?"