CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 42: THE CRAZY MARCH ARRIVES!

March 15.

The Kentucky Wildcats faced their first opponent during March Madness.

Hampton University.

Their opponent didn’t have any NBA prospects. Though they played hard, they couldn’t stop Kentucky’s progress.

In the first half, Kentucky already widened the gap with a score of 42 to 21.

The score continued to expand in the second half.

The final score was 83 to 51.

The University of Kentucky prevented an upset and smoothly secured their first victory in March Madness, earning a spot in the Top 32.

Zeng Xingyang’s performance was average, playing for 20 minutes and scoring 12 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.

If the Top 64 was just the appetizer, then the Wildcats’ opponent in the Top 32 was undoubtedly a major showdown.

The University of Kentucky faced the challenge from the University of Arizona.

This year, the University of Arizona’s team was considered top-tier in the NCAA.

They won the NCAA championship in 1997 and now have three players with NBA draft prospects in their lineup.

Staley Johnson, standing 198CM, weighing 110KG, appeared in 38 games, averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.5 steals.

Hollis Jefferson, standing 201CM tall, weighing 98KG, played 38 games this season, starting 25, averaging 11.2 points and 6.8 rebounds.

TJ McConnell, standing 188CM, weighing 91 kilograms, played 38 games this season, averaging 10.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.3 assists.

The presence of these three makes the match full of suspense.

Zeng Xingyang also felt full of motivation.

The better-known the opponent, the more defeating them can improve one’s draft position.

During the internal tournament, Zeng Xingyang’s predicted draft position didn’t improve much mainly due to the quality of the opponents.

When Kentucky’s resources are significantly superior to the opponent’s, the match doesn’t hold much reference value.

Zeng Xingyang glanced at Arizona’s roster, besides those three, he barely had any impression of the others.

Staley Johnson, remembered as a player chosen by the Pistons, is well-rounded offensively and defensively, combining speed, power, and shooting quite well, but his finishing ability seems not outstanding. He might not become a superstar in the NBA but won’t get eliminated either.

Hollis Jefferson? Isn’t he the Jordan Kobe? Didn’t stay in the NBA, went abroad for fortune hunting, and became even more popular after joining the Jordan national team.

TJ McConnell seemed like an undrafted player wandering in the NBA, mainly due to his lack of talent, though his playstyle is solid.

The next day, Calipari held a tactical meeting with everyone before the match started.

As Zeng Xingyang had predicted, the focus of the match was to guard against the three players from the University of Arizona.

When the tactical roster was later announced, Zeng Xingyang was not in the starting lineup but was still a substitute.

Although Zeng Xingyang wished to improve, he also understood Calipari’s difficulty in arranging the lineup.

The University of Kentucky’s talents are too luxurious, whether it’s him or Lyles starting makes sense, depending on the opposing team’s style.

Regarding physique, Staley Johnson and Lyles seem more suitable for positional matchup.

...

Kentucky

Louisville Center Arena.

In Kentucky Wildcats’ Top 32 to Top 16 knockout match.

A group of scouts excitedly sat in their seats, watching Karl-Anthony Towns warming up.

Towns appeared different from other centers, with a decent three-point shooting rate, showing a very smooth feel at the three-point line.

Towns’ temperament is not fierce and rough like other centers, but he seems more elegant and gentlemanly.

Although his temperament doesn’t show hostility, on the court, Towns is very powerful.

At the University of Kentucky, Towns averaged 22 minutes, scoring 13 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 blocks.

Towns’ stats aren’t explosive, but his physical talents and skills are exceptional.

NBA scouts don’t just look at college stats but focus more on potential.

Scouts looked at Towns, then at Booker, Koulistan, Lyles...

Finally, many scouts again focused on Zeng Xingyang.

Zeng Xingyang’s stats on the court are comparable to Towns, even during warm-up, he rarely missed shots.

"Calipari really knows how to spot talents; his current rotation isn’t much different from an NBA team."

"Yes, apart from those geniuses, what’s surprising is that a Chinese player like Zeng can perform under him."

"It’s said that before joining Kentucky, Zeng hadn’t even played high school league, and his scholarship wasn’t sports-related."

"OMG, this guy is truly inspiring."

"I know several teams are interested in him; although his potential isn’t vast, he has some immediate play ability. Plus, the Chinese market will be a boost."

"There should be teams willing to use a second-round pick to select him."

Even though scouts gave Zeng Xingyang a lot of praise, they almost unanimously considered Zeng Xingyang’s potential low.

If he enters the NBA, there’s a high chance he’ll be a benchwarmer.

Achieving an average of 20 high-fives, 10 towel waves, 10 water deliveries, and 10 acting displays would make him a "quadruple-double" player.

Scouts have severe biases, and that’s understandable since few Asian players have succeeded in the NBA, especially as guards.

The warm-up ended quickly.

Starters for both sides:

University of Kentucky: Tyler Ulis, Booker, Lyles, Koulistan, Towns.

University of Arizona: TJ McConnell, Hollis-Jefferson, Staley Johnson, Brandon, Kable.

ESPN cameramen were all in position.

This is a nationwide broadcast.

The venue had over 20,000 spectators erupting in cheers and screams.

The match between the University of Kentucky and the University of Arizona began.

Towns versus Kable in the jump ball.

Kable wasn’t a sought-after rookie; he’s a blue-collar player, standing 2.13 meters tall, weighing 120 kilograms, very tough in style, and full of trash talk.

Towns was just getting into his ready stance when a mocking voice said, "Are you that softie who only shoots threes? Are the media blind? Predicting you as the first pick?"

Kable’s voice was loud enough for the referee to hear, but the referee didn’t react.

Despite the insult, Towns ignored Kable.

He felt that the more he responded verbally, the more he’d give Kable opportunities.

"Hey, speechless now? Tonight, I’ll teach you how to play the inside, show you real toughness." Kable rambled on.

Kable always considered messing with the opponent’s mentality part of basketball tactics.

The match soon started.

Towns hated people like Kable but couldn’t take him down tonight.

Mainly because Kable was too tough.

In the first round, Towns tried to back down Kable.

Kable is easily passed on the outside but manages to hold his ground inside. After backing Kable down, Towns tried to power up at the basket but got blocked by Kable.

Kable’s 2.13-meter wingspan, combined with his all-out attitude, held his ground against Towns.

"F*ck, I just casually defended, and blocked you—my bad." Kable’s mouth was indeed provocative.

Hearing such trash talk, Towns was beyond frustrated.