In the end, nothing unexpected happened, Arizona State University successfully defeated the University of Connecticut 85-71.
After this game, Xu Yong can basically conclude that Thabeet is the undoubted goat in the battle for the No. 2 spot in NBA history.
Milicic and Wiseman, all of them have to look up under the throne.
Of course, the Devils were also in good shape tonight, and the "home" Arizona fans' continued cheers from nearly the entire audience also played an important role.
All in all, as the top seed in the division, the Devils successfully advanced to the final four thanks to the trinity of time, location, and people!
At this point, they have basically reached the expectations before the start of the championship, and they have already earned their money.
As for whether they can reach the finals or even win the final championship, it depends on how much "interest" they can get later.
The day after the game against UConn, the Devils rushed to Detroit, Michigan, where the third phase of the game will be played.
Before this, the final four, that is, the champions of each division have been determined.
In addition to Arizona State University, the champion of the East Division is Villanova University, led by Dante Cunningham; the champion of the Midwest Division is Michigan State University, led by Carlin Lucas; the champion of the South Division is North Carolina University, led by Tyler Hansbrough.
The matchups in the semifinals were actually determined before the tournament started, with the Eastern District facing off against the Southern District and the Central and Western Districts playing against the Western District.
So Arizona State University's opponent in the semifinals is Michigan State University.
Michigan State is not the University of Michigan. It is the University of Michigan that has had the Fab Five and was eliminated by the Devils in the championship last season.
And now they have to face Michigan State University, the archrival of the University of Michigan.
If you still can't tell the difference, then you can clearly distinguish it by reading the following passage: Jordan Pu'er of the University of Michigan said that I slept with more women when I was in college than you have slept with in your life, and then Michigan State University's Draymond Green punched Pu'er in the face.
This game will certainly not be easy, as MSU has 10 current four-star high school players on its roster this year.
With four days between games, the Devils have three more days to prepare after arriving in Detroit.
On this day, the four members of the team were in front of the computer in the hotel room, nervously waiting for the screen to refresh.
"Why is the internet speed in this shitty place in Detroit so slow?" Harden couldn't help complaining.
Looking at the circles rolling on the screen, DeRozan shook his head.
When they arrived, they saw that the city was extremely decayed, and the streets looked very messy. No one would want to play ball in a place like this.
Xu Yong smiled. As the first big city to go bankrupt in the future, why is the Internet speed in Auto City so slow?
But this is also an industrial city after all, so there is another possibility. At this time, the boss happened to be playing a few G gadgets in the background.
Fortunately, just when everyone was about to lose their patience, the webpage, like the goddess they had longed for, finally popped out.
"NBADraft 2009 First Issue Prediction"
This year's forecast comes later than usual.
Number one is undoubtedly Blake Griffin.
Griffin averaged 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds per game this season. This 208-year-old guy (maybe still wet) grabbed 504 rebounds in a single season, which is the most by a college player in a single season since Larry Bird in 1979. rebound record, and it is only one less than Bird's record.
The second-year Griffin has greatly improved in all aspects compared to the first-year player. He has basically locked in this year's No. 1 pick.
Ranked second is Jordan Hill. After Bayless left, his personal data soared again, averaging 18.3 points and 11 rebounds per game.
"This guy is still ranked third." Ayers couldn't help but complain when he saw Thabeet in third place.
Thabeet played so poorly in the conference finals that he didn't even drop in the draft.
Xu Yong was not too surprised. Thabeet also played poorly against them, and his performance in previous games was not bad.
And the characteristics of this era are that as long as you are a big man and better than other big men, you don't have to worry about the draft.
Harden's name appears at the fourth spot and is expected to be selected by the Thunder.
Harden looked visibly excited when he saw this pick.
Although the first-period prediction does not represent the final pick, going from the edge of the lottery last year to the top five picks this year proves how correct his original decision was.
Of course, this is by no means the result of simply playing for one more year, but the result of his hard work.
This is evident in the draft report.
Compared with last year, there are two biggest changes in Harden's draft report. One is that the evaluation of defensive loopholes has disappeared, and the other is that his unstable shooting has turned into excellent shooting ability.
Of course, what is not mentioned in the report is the change in his body shape. His strong body has made many of his technical details better than last season.
Then soon, Xu Yong's name also appeared.
He is ranked 9th on this list and is predicted to be selected by the Bobcats!
Like Harden, Xu Yong's pick has also undergone a qualitative change compared to last season, jumping directly from the middle to the end of the first round to the top ten!
All this is due to his technical improvement. In his draft report, he has been identified as a small forward with stable offensive skills, and is considered to have the opportunity to become a high-quality forward swingman.
Xu Yong was very happy to see this, not only because he had the opportunity to be trained as a core player, but also because he went to the Bobcats.
Being able to play there, he would have many opportunities to meet Jordan.
Of course, he could also ask Jordan about basketball skills at close range.
You must know that although he is a reborn person, who has richer basketball knowledge than God?
DeRozan was ranked 13th and is expected to be selected by the Pistons.
This is much improved compared to the 18th pick simulated by other websites before. The performance in the past two games has been immediate.
In DeRozan's draft report, three-point shooting and defensive ability are his shortcomings, but other than that, his talent and scoring skills are fully recognized.
Yes, the Pistons are in Detroit... DeRozan was still shaking his head.
Ayers is the lowest predicted pick among the four, but he is also ranked 29th in the first round and is expected to be selected by the Lakers.
He is relatively comprehensive, and his rebounding, mid-range, confrontation, and support abilities all meet NBA requirements, and his playing style has become very mature after four years of playing. However, his athletic talent and wingspan are relatively average, and his defensive presence is average, and there is nothing The potential is easy to develop, and this kind of player is a good championship puzzle piece.
Four people, three lottery players, all in the first round. This result cannot be said to be very good, it can only be said to be perfect.
It basically explains why Arizona State University reached the Final Four.
Although the rotation strength is relatively weak and the overall talent is insufficient, the team's four core abilities are outstanding.
And this is only the first round of predictions. After reaching the semi-finals, if they can perform well in the next games, they still have room for improvement.
