ctnovel Chapter 6: Entered the Round of 32 roster!
Chapter 6: Entered the Round of 32 roster!
UCLA is a traditionally prestigious sports school, with its teams having won numerous sports championships throughout its history.
To date, they have won a total of 124 NCAA national championships, with the Bruins' 11 titles being the most famous, making them the college team with the most championships in NCAA men's basketball history.
They have training equipment and methods that are comparable to those of professional teams.
During this period, the UCLA coaching staff re-examined Zeng Zhen through physical tests and training matches. Both the coaching staff and the players clearly saw a significant difference in Zeng Zhen compared to the regular season!
However, they were very impressed with Zeng Zhen during the regular season, so no one can guarantee whether Zeng Zhen can truly adapt to the intensity of the Round of 32.
The night before the Round of 32.
Ben Holland convened a meeting with the coaching staff to formally determine the starting lineup and rotation for tomorrow night's game.
"Russell's physical condition is excellent, but his shooting problems and temper have not improved. We need to remind him of the wrong choices he makes when he is too emotional."
"Kevin Love has a minor wrist injury and can't exert full force yet. This won't affect his rebounding or defense, but on offense, it might slightly affect his shooting touch. I suggest he pass the ball more after drawing double teams."
"Luke Mbah a Moute has just recovered from an ankle sprain and is unable to make some difficult lateral movements. Defensively, he cannot be assigned to guard extremely fast guards."
"Darren Collison has just recovered from injury and is in good form, but he still lacks confidence on the physical end and needs time to regain his rhythm."
.....
"Zeng is in great physical condition. His physical test data has improved compared to the regular season. He has a great shooting feel in training and scrimmages, especially from beyond the three-point line, where he has great consistency. In addition, his movement speed on the defensive end has improved significantly. I think we can adjust him into the rotation."
Jamie Dixon reported on the various situations of each player.
Jamie Dixon had been closely monitoring Zeng Zhen's training details and discovered that Zeng Zhen's improvement was not subtle, but rather explosive.
It has been upgraded in every aspect, from shooting and dribbling to explosiveness.
This is not uncommon in the NCAA, where many players continue to grow physically and develop their skills during their college years.
He felt that Zeng Zhen had great potential.
"Let's focus on Zeng's situation. Do you think he should be included in tomorrow's rotation?" Ben Holland tapped the table with his tactical pen.
The starting lineup and most of the rotation players are basically set, except for Zeng Zhen, whose situation is a bit special, and Ben Holland is also a bit undecided.
He knew that Zeng Zhen's performance in training matches was impeccable, but Zeng Zhen's performance in the regular season was really terrible, which made him worried. After entering March Madness, every game is a single-elimination game, and every detail needs to be done well. If not handled properly, it will cause a series of troubles.
"He used to be a training player, good at making a lot of shots in practice, but when it comes to games, he can't find shooting opportunities and rhythm. Tomorrow night's game will be very intense, and I don't think he is suitable to play in tomorrow night's game," a white bald coach said.
There are many training-oriented players in the NCAA. During training, they are skilled and have impressive stats. They can make every three-pointer, drive smoothly, and even go toe-to-toe with the starters. However, once they enter an official game, especially under high-intensity competition, their true colors are revealed. Their scoring, rebounding, and assists all decline, and they make more mistakes.
This bald white man clearly believes Zeng Zhen is that kind of guy, otherwise there's no way to explain why Zeng Zhen's regular season stats are so bad.
"I also think that a player's ability to compete should be based primarily on their performance in the regular season. Even in our scrimmages, the intensity of the competition is usually only 60%-70% of that in a real game. They don't really exert themselves in physical contact, and defenders will deliberately reduce physical contact to avoid injury, so it's not very meaningful to compare them to. Of course, if it were during the regular season, I would suggest giving him some opportunities, but at this point, we need to be conservative and not make any mistakes," another Black assistant coach also offered his opinion.
"However, Zhao's performance in training during the regular season wasn't as good as it has been recently. I think he has adjusted mentally. Now his shooting ability is recognized as the best in our team. In addition, with his good physical attributes, he can play good defense and help us at times," Jamie Dixon said.
...
Regarding Zeng Zhen's special circumstances, several assistant coaches gave their opinions, with some supporting his inclusion in the rotation and others feeling that he should not be included in the rotation.
Ben Holland suddenly asked, "By the way, I heard from the school security that he and Russell used to train together every day at four in the morning?"
"Yes, security personnel have reported this to us multiple times. Many students have complained about them disturbing the peace, and some have even considered calling 911," Jamie Dixon said helplessly.
Because of this, Jamie Dixon has spoken with the two of them over the past two days.
Upon hearing the affirmative answer, Ben Holland pondered for a moment, feeling that it was something the two men were capable of doing. He smiled and said, "It's good to be young, so full of passion. In that case, Zeng's progress is not accidental, but inevitable. Put him in the rotation tomorrow night, and I don't think he will let us down."
Ben Howard finally made the decision!
"First, let him focus on defense and shooting; in terms of tactics, don't let him handle the ball."
"OK!"
"good!"
After setting that topic aside, Ben Holland moved on to the next one—how to limit OJ Mayo and Taj Gibson tomorrow night!
As the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, UCLA will face the University of Southern California, led by OJ Mayo, in the Round of 32!
The University of Southern California made it to the Sweet Sixteen last year, and their roster includes players like OJ Mayo and Taj Gibson who have the potential to play in the NBA.
OJ Mayo was even ranked in the top five in draft predictions on various websites.
Although UCLA is stronger overall, USC should not be underestimated.
........
2008 3 Month 21 Day.
The Honda Center in Anaheim, California, with a capacity of approximately 18997, was packed to capacity and filled with a deafening roar of voices!
The madness of "March Madness" has just begun.
After entering the stadium with his teammates, Zeng Zhen was infected by the atmosphere.
These fans aren't this crazy during the regular season!
The fans were densely packed and clearly divided into two sides, but there were obviously more UCLA fans.
For the players, there aren't many commercial factors involved; it's all about pursuing their basketball dreams.
The front row was filled with NBA players, scouts and general managers from various teams, as well as some entertainment figures. Clearly, March Madness is a celebration for basketball fans in the United States!
Feeling the enthusiastic atmosphere at the scene, Zeng Zhen was increasingly looking forward to tonight's match.
He's going to make a name for himself on this stage!