On April 1, 1996, all major sports leagues made way for the NCAA that day, and the national finals, which will start at 21 o'clock tonight, are extremely exciting.
Thanks to the superb performance of Michael Jordan and the Bulls, NBA ratings have been rising this year. The Bulls have the opportunity to break the Lakers' best record in history, and everyone is paying attention to this team.
But the NCAA Finals on the night of the 1st stole the heat again. Many NBA stars from the University of Kentucky also rushed to Rutherford, and everyone came to support their alma mater.
The University of Kentucky has won the championship five times before this. In the university league, only UCLA can surpass this achievement.
Although the team fell into a trough in previous years due to a major recruiting scandal caused by former Kentucky coach Eddie Sutton, the team got back on track after head coach Rick Pitino took over in 1989.
From the trough to the peak, such an inspiring story, the media naturally want to publicize it!
In the past two days, national newspapers and magazines like USA Today have narrated this history to the masses.
In the United States, everyone loves stories. At present, most information circulation relies on radio and newspapers. Wonderful essays have attracted the attention of the masses. The famous basketball schools have their own aura of attracting fans...
In comparison, Connecticut is a bit unsatisfactory. There are no famous players and no championships in the past. The best result before was the top 8.
The story of head coach Calhoun is also not exciting. After he took over the University of Connecticut, his record has been tepid. It is difficult to write an essay. I can only praise his perseverance in sportsmanship.
Sports Illustrated's magazine has been selling well these past two days. If you want to know more about the players on both sides, this magazine is the best choice.
Li You has developed the habit of reading newspapers, but every time he reads these long-winded articles in the newspapers, he misses the era when he could read all the world's information with a mobile phone.
Preparing for the game step by step, after the morning training session, head coach Calhoun felt that the players were a little nervous and took the initiative to comfort them:
"Don't pay attention to the comments from the outside world. Our opponents are indeed very strong, but we also have our own advantages."
"The game of basketball has nothing to do with team history. Remember, history is made by people, and tonight, we are going to create innovative history for Connecticut."
This chicken soup was of no use to Li You, but it made the newbies in the team scream.
The University of Kentucky has indeed shown its dominance this year. In most games, they will beat their opponents by 20 points. So far in the championship, the smallest point difference is 7 points!
This is what the media is hyping up, but Li You doesn't care about it, because Connecticut usually beats its opponents by a wide margin.
The lineup structure of the two teams is actually somewhat similar. In the main lineup, Antoine Walker and Tony Delk of the University of Kentucky, one inside and one outside, are the main scoring points in the starting lineup.
Among the substitutes, sophomore forward Ron Mercer is the team's sixth man, and he has fully demonstrated his scoring ability before.
This situation is exactly the same as that of the University of Connecticut. Travis Knight and Ray Allen are also inside and outside, and sophomore Li You is also the team's sixth man.
No matter how the media promoted the dominance of the University of Kentucky in the newspapers, Li You firmly believed that the game should be played.
During lunch time, Ray Allen, who had always been calm and composed, lost his appetite. He reached the finals. This was definitely the highlight of his life so far, and the tension in his heart lingered.
Looking at Li You who was munching on steaks and eating vegetable salad beside him, Ray Allen twitched the corner of his mouth and finally asked helplessly:
"Li, aren't you nervous? This is the finals, and fans across the country will be watching this game tonight!"
Li You, who was eating happily, stopped, then responded with a smile:
"No matter how many people are watching the game, there are only 20,000 people in the arena tonight. I don't feel the pressure!"
"Don't worry about the game. Even if you are behind at the beginning, I can still fill the hole."
After reacting for a while, Ray Allen realized what Li You meant. He shook his head and said helplessly:
"You have such a good attitude. I'm so nervous that I've lost my appetite. However, we will definitely win the game!"
Li You raised his eyebrows and continued to eat meat. For him, playing basketball is much easier than making a living at the bottom...
The Continental Airlines Arena opened at 20:00 in the evening, and many media called tonight's game a "cat-dog battle"!
Kentucky Wildcats vs. Connecticut Huskies.
The jerseys of the two teams are very similar. One has a wildcat pattern printed on the chest and is marked with the letters "UK", and the other has a husky pattern printed on the chest and is marked "UCONN".
Kentucky is wearing their signature blue jerseys tonight, while Connecticut is wearing white.
In such a crucial game, both sides will fight against the main players, with a maximum of 7 players rotating.
Before the game even started, fans from the University of Connecticut and the University of Kentucky greeted each other.
The noise in the Continental Arena is getting louder and louder. Young people do not abide by the rules of civilized viewing. Everyone is venting their excitement, and the "Fuck" sounds are getting louder and louder...
The on-site director's camera also found a big star from the University of Kentucky.
Dan Issel, the legendary center who scored 53 points in a single game at the University of Kentucky, couldn't help but smile in front of the camera. Obviously, his alma mater can reach the finals again, which makes this retired super center in a good mood.
Commentator Jim Nantz heard the director's prompt and followed the introduction:
"Next season, the NBA, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, will take this opportunity to announce its top 50 superstars. There is no doubt that Dan Issel will be selected into this list to pay tribute to the great legendary center."
At this time, the commentator Billy Parker began to criticize the University of Kentucky again. His favorite team entered the finals and he could no longer hold back:
"Tonight the University of Kentucky continues its previous starting lineup. I think many people are looking forward to Antoine Walker's performance against the tall inside line!"
"..."
After reaching the finals, both sides started the battle with bright cards. The two head coaches, Pitino and Calhoun, mostly used chicken soup at this time. They had no time to adjust their tactics and could only pray for the players to be in good condition.
As the players from both sides came on stage, the Continental Airlines Arena was completely boiling. As soon as the game started, the young people in the audience started shouting.
In front of both sides of the phalanx of fans were leaders with face paint, and a fanatical atmosphere began to spread in the stadium.
Travis Knight relied on his height advantage to jump to the ball for Connecticut. In the cheers of the fans at the scene, in the first offensive round, the big man Knight stormed in the low post and put the basket under the basket successfully!
Walter McCarty, who was 2.08 meters tall, struggled to defend but had no effect. Coach Pitino on the sidelines didn't care. After making tactical gestures, he folded his arms and watched the game calmly.
The University of Kentucky's offense is also very patient. Antoine Walker is swinging at the third and fourth positions. Facing Rudy Johnson's defense tonight, after passing the ball several times, he immediately posts up and asks for the ball in the low post on the right side.
Noticing the defensive situation inside, Antoine Walker turned around after receiving the ball, took a quick test step, and suddenly made a pull-up jumper!
The ball hit the net, causing the University of Kentucky fans at the scene to yell.
Both sides unanimously chose to play from the inside. Li You on the bench looked at this basketball with the characteristics of the times and muttered two words in his heart:
"Why not play more pick-and-rolls?"
