The Steam Oven Workers were already in the top eight last season, which is where they are today. They have retained 4 of the 5 starting lineups, 3 of the 4 main substitutes, and the supplementary players are also online. This year, they are even better.
Trojans players and coaches agreed that this opponent may be the strongest opponent they have faced this season.
The Cardinals and Wildcats, who fell in the second round, were not as strong as this opponent.
When the 16-to-8 opponents were announced, Henry Bibby had already led his team to study how to deal with the Steam Oven Workers, a bit contemptuous of the Tigers, but at that time the only division opponent in their eyes was the Steam Oven Workers.
Therefore, the Trojans have done a very good job in preparing for the game.
The coaches are well prepared, the players are committed and motivated in training, and the Trojans are working together to prepare for the next conference finals.
Li Ao has the heaviest training task. After a long season, he has gradually become the team's true tactical core. Whether it is the starting lineup or the rotation lineup, whether he is present or not will determine the offensive fluency, scoring efficiency, rhythm, etc. performance in all aspects.
In targeted training, he naturally needs to appear the most.
But he was not tired of it. He had been waiting for this day for a long time.
After training, he got to know the other six top eight teams.
This time it is really impossible to predict which team may meet in the final four.
As expected, the Bruins fell to the Spartans, with a score of 58 to 70. The strength gap was quite obvious.
But the Spartans' road to Midwestern Division dominance is about to hit a roadblock.
The University of Maryland Terrapins of the Atlantic Coast Conference, led by the super backcourt of Steve Blake and Juan Dixon, reached the Elite Eight with an unstoppable momentum, averaging a margin of 23 points in 3 games. points, ranking first among all top eight teams.
In addition to the super backcourt, the Terrapins also have Terrence Morris and Lonnie Baxter, two first-class forwards who have attracted the attention of professional teams since high school.
The Terrapins' lineup is no worse than the Spartans'.
In the most fiercely competitive Southern Division, North Carolina and the Tulsa Hurricanes, the top-ranked minor league team in the Western Athletic Conference, fought their way through the siege and met in the conference finals.
North Carolina only won 13 points in 3 games, and Tulsa only won 18 points. The strength shown was not much different.
In the Eastern Division, Li Ao once thought about playing against Duke and winning the semi-finals. He thought that was impossible.
The situation turned out to be worse than he thought. Duke fell directly to the top 16. The University of Florida Gators narrowly defeated Duke 102-97 in overtime.
Li Ao did not expect that he would not be able to play against the Dukes. The Dukes fell first.
Another top 8 team in the Eastern Division is the University of Oklahoma Cowboys. They have been a powerhouse in the Big 12 Conference in recent years. In 1996, they persuaded Desmond Mason, who wanted to go to the Academy of Fine Arts, to join. Crazy San is a regular player. He has reached the top 32 in the past two years, and this year he has reached the top 8. His strength is impressive.
As a member of a strong team, Li Ao felt the joy of looking forward to an unknown opponent!
…
On March 27, 2000, the first game day of the 8-4 tournament in the NCAA basketball tournament arrived.
At 2:30 p.m., the Trojans players entered the court after warming up.
This time, more than 40,000 people were in attendance, with Trojans fans and Steam Stove Workers fans evenly matched in numbers.
Purdue University has a total of 7 campuses, located in major cities in Indiana, and they are closely connected with each other. Every time a Purdue University team goes to participate in a competition, students from all campuses go out collectively. There are many campuses. There are also many students graduating, which is called a huge momentum.
Moreover, the city where the Final Four and finals of this year's NCAA Basketball Championship will be held is in Indianapolis. All basketball fans in Indiana hope to see the Steam Oven Workers play in the Final Four and win the championship locally. They are particularly enthusiastic. .
The players of the Steam Oven Workers are naturally extremely eager to win. If they fall in the top 32 or top 16, that would be okay, but they have reached the elite eight, only 3 games away from the championship, and they have to go back to Indiana to play the final game. There is only one victory left in the semi-finals. If they fall here, they will be even more unwilling than being eliminated in the first round.
After entering the stadium, the players of the Steam Oven Workers looked at every player on the opposite side with hostile eyes.
The target of the hostility - Li Ao, who has been in the limelight recently!
But after seeing Li Ao enter the stage, he ran to the opposite side of the technical stage and had a lively chat with the two beauties.
They were originally jealous of Li Ao making headlines, but now their faces are distorted...
On Li Ao's side, he felt that the atmosphere was very different today as soon as he entered the game. For the first time since the three games, there was no 'home court' feeling.
It's very special.
But this is not important. Compared with the atmosphere of Poly Arena, this is still a bit inferior.
Although the Poly Arena only has 8,000 seats, the space is so well designed that the boos of 8,000 people can make it feel like 80,000 people.
He looked at the three people in front of him and said with twitching lips: "What are you three wearing?"
"Your cartoon image! How about it, isn't it cute?"
Vivian shook her head as she spoke, and the small cartoon standing sign on her head connected to the hat by a spring also swayed.
Li Ao: ()
Cute is cute, and the cartoon character design is pretty good.
But why did that enduring BGM ring in his mind?
Li Ao looked at Liam: "I'm not surprised that Aunt Vivian wears this, but you actually wear it too?"
Vivian quickly replied: "He bought this."
Li Ao said in surprise: "Oh?"
Vivian complained: "When he saw a group of girls gathered together, he immediately squeezed in, and when he came out, he had these three hats in his hand... Although the purpose was dirty, the things were still good."
Liam ignored Vivian. No matter what she said, she was about to call the young lady selling peripherals.
He said to Li Ao: "Come on Leo, you must lead us to the final four!"
Li Ao guessed: "You must have met a fan of our team that you like. If you win, you can ask her to celebrate with her?"
Liam chuckled: "You still understand me, but if she loses accidentally, I can also comfort her... Of course, it's best if you win, double the happiness."
"..." Li Ao ignored this guy and turned to the beautiful woman in a long skirt and asked: "But why are you here too?"
"I spent money to buy a ticket, why can't I come? Originally, I wanted to wait until you win and give you a gift. If you don't want it, I'll leave?"
"Tickets are quite expensive, don't waste them."
"..."
Jessica was furious and begged God to make this bastard mute!
The main reason was the slightly disgusted tone, it seemed like he wasn't even dressed for bed yet.
Humph, if you dislike it now, then you will have to work hard for her!
Don't mention it, except for the shortcoming of not being mute, this guy is pretty good in other aspects. Not only does he have a charming face and figure, but he is also outstanding. We don't get along for a long time, but we interact occasionally...
She recalled that feeling... she couldn't think about it anymore! In public!
Liam whispered to Vivian: "Leo said he has nothing to do with Jessica, I don't believe it!"
"I also think, oh, oh, oh, oh, our Leo has finally grown up!" Vivian covered her mouth and smiled like a villain behind the scenes.
Liam: convex (艹艹) convex.
When I date a young lady, I am a SP, but when I date a celebrity, I am an adult?
After chatting with the three of them for a few words, Li Ao returned to the bench. The task was coming!
"The ultimate battlefield:
Goal: The host needs to lead the team to the final four.
Rewards: 5,000 achievement points, 1 level 4 skill upgrade card, 1 gold equipment upgrade card. "
Mission rewards are becoming more and more generous!
Li Ao took a deep breath to calm down.
In the quarter-finals of the Crazy 38, such rewards are normal.
Becoming an elite eight requires not only strength, but also luck.
In college, their personal abilities were as strong as O'Neal and Duncan. After playing for three and four years, they had no chance to get close to the Elite Eight. They fell in the top 32 at most.
This year, their Trojans have a good lineup structure, tacit cooperation, online personal abilities, and an indomitable drive... that's how they got to where they are now.
It's hard to say what will happen next season. Just because Shelby Jordan is about to graduate from college, it will be difficult to find a freshman to make up for it.
He has such a good opportunity, but he can't fall here.
At this time another task came.
"The opponent stepped onto this court with the ambitious goal of revitalizing basketball in his hometown. The lofty dream inspired every player of the Steam Furnace Workers Team... The mission: to trigger the basketball dream of riding a horse."
"Go to the basketball dream of riding a horse:
Goal 1: Lead the team to end the opponent's season.
Goal 2: At least three of the five main statistics of the host in this game must be higher than the season average. (The host averaged 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks per game this season.)
Reward: Pumper (Level 1).
Optional goal: Get the highest score in any of the five main host statistics.
Reward: If each major data reaches the highest level, 1,000 achievement points will be awarded. "
He talks about this mission as if he is a great villain. The other side has a dream, but they don’t have one here?
The road to realizing your dreams is always full of thorns. Don't let others suffer for such a difficult thing. Let the Trojans, who are willing to help others and sacrifice themselves for others, bear the suffering and torture!
Li Ao nodded--I am indeed a good person!
…
At 3 p.m., the first game of the 8-4 game in the NCAA Basketball Championship started.
The Trojans' starting lineup is still the same. The Steam Oven Workers sent out 185-centimeter Carson Cunningham, 191-centimeter Jarran Cornell, 198-centimeter Mike Robinson, 203-centimeter Brian Cardinal, 208cm John Allison.
Charles beat John Allison to win the jump ball, giving the Trojans first down.
Granville, Li Ao, and Bai Mamba cooperated in a small area. Li Ao made an emergency stop outside the free throw line to receive the ball, turned around and faced Cardinal's defense and shot two points...
The first ball feels hot, the shooting action is complete, and it also triggers the 'stop level 3' core strength control and shooting power control.
Hit!
Li Ao's goal kicked off the Trojans' opening offensive. They quickly took the initiative and hit a 9-5 run.
After Li Ao scored a goal in the beginning, he stopped shooting after that. White Mamba scored 5 points, and Granville sent Charles a close shot. During this period, Li Ao only got 1 rebound.
However, when the Trojans' offensive slowed down, the Steam Oven Workers immediately started a life-threatening mode. They were extremely active on the offensive end and dared to fight on the defensive end. They responded with a 6-3 wave to chase the score to 11-12.
It was time for the Trojans to attack again. The players of the Steam Oven Workers wanted to seize the opportunity to overtake the score in one fell swoop. They defended very hard and focused on marking the White Mamba.
When White Mamba used Tre Paganier's cover to receive Li Ao's response ball, he was caught between two people. He immediately wanted to give the ball to Tre Pagannier, but saw Li Ao cutting in and facing him. The center defended Charles on the left side of the three-second zone and immediately passed the ball.
Li Ao received the ball on the right side of the three-second zone, turned around and carried Mike Robinson away to the basket, jumped up, and smashed the ball into the basket with one hand!
Not only that, John Allison's blocked shot was slapped on Li Ao's arm. The referee's whistle sounded, and the goal was valid and a penalty was added!
Mike Robinson was extremely upset. He had tried very hard to stop the opponent from turning around, but his strength was average. Although he had a weight advantage of 95 kilograms, the slim and handsome guy opposite him was so strong that he couldn't stop him at all.
Henry Bibby on the sidelines watched Li Ao walk to the free throw line and breathed a sigh of relief.
The opponent's ability to withstand pressure and seize opportunities to counterattack is too strong!
Fortunately, they have a key player.
However, seeing that the inside scoring methods developed by Li Ao in the past two months could already be used in the crazy three-division finals, he was both happy and pained. Geniuses really can do whatever they want.
Especially his offensive awareness. After passing the ball, Li Ao immediately went to the basket, and he was obviously rushing to catch the ball and attack the frame, and he was full of confidence in the tacit understanding of his teammates.
What is he doing in his first NCAA season? It seemed like he was carrying a bag for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and pretending to be a U.S. champion.
Vaco!
After the season is over, this kid needs to be given additional training to vent his inner imbalance.
His arm was a little painful from the beating, so Li Ao adjusted and threw the ball at the last moment when the referee counted down the seconds.
The hit didn't affect his touch, so he was given a penalty for a hollow hit!
15 to 11, the Trojans stopped the bleeding and withstood the impact of the Steam Oven Workers.
The first wave of counterattacks was frustrated and did not affect the resilience of the Steam Furnace Workers. Then they launched wave after wave of attacks.
As for the Trojans, they paid great attention to their opponent's ability to counterattack and their unbeatable spirit during the preparation stage. After the opponent's fierce counterattack at the beginning, they did not dare to be careless and went all out to deal with the Steam Oven Workers.
Players from both teams tried their best.
Li Ao's shooting, support, and seizing opportunities to cut in and bully the three point guards on the opposite side who are shorter than him, Granville's breakthrough throws and distribution, White Mamba's three-pointers, Trey Pagannier's comprehensive response ability, Charles's wing pick-and-roll, close-range and basket-eating are all at full strength.
Cardinal's three-pointers and wing singles, Carson Cunningham and John Allison's pick-and-roll offense, Mike Robinson's wing cuts, Jarran Cornell's outside singles and catch-and-shoot three-pointers, also All performed to the fullest.
The game was very fierce, and both sides tried their best, but neither could widen the point difference or overtake the score in one fell swoop.
But both sides enjoyed the game!
When encountering evenly matched opponents, players on both sides have ignored off-field factors and want to defeat each other!
It requires personal ability, yes!
It requires tactical coordination, yes!
Joint defense and assisted defense are necessary!
If you want a wonderful highlight goal, there is one too!
The fans at the scene saw such a fierce and exciting game, and they cheered and booed without stopping, which gave the players on the field a strong motivation.
At the last moment of the first half, the Steam Oven Workers were trailing by two points. Cardinal received the ball from the outside and hit a three-pointer against Li Ao's defense. 39 to 38, the Steam Oven Workers went ahead by 1 point!
When the Trojans attacked, White Mamba was not to be outdone. He caught the ball and turned around and hit a three-pointer in return for Cardinal.
The star match is coming!
But after Cardinal received the ball in the confrontation with Li Ao, he turned around from the outside to avoid Li Ao, and quickly shot a three-pointer... and hit it again!
Li Ao groaned and ran forward. With this ball, he had done his best. He gave him the due confrontation and also made the opponent make more shooting moves, making it more difficult for the opponent to shoot.
But the other party still got in!
What a big pitcher!
Unlike Kapono, who is inexperienced and still thin, Cardinal is a senior, has mature skills, rich competition experience, and has a weight of 108 kilograms. His explosive power is poor, and his overall strength is average. He is not like a 108 kg of inside line, but with such a weight, he can maintain the stability of his movements after a confrontation.
42 to 41, the Steam Oven Workers took the lead again!
When the Trojans attacked, Li Ao and Brusenthal, who came on the bench, once again fed the White Mamba.
When White Mamba received the ball, two people on the opposite side rushed toward him. He jumped up and shot without fear... He shot very bravely, but he was interfered with and it was crooked!
"哐"
The ball hit the basket, and substitute small forward Rodney Smith protected the defensive rebound.
There are 20 seconds left in the first half!
Jalan Cornell received the ball and quickly advanced to the frontcourt, and his teammates followed suit with all their strength. After reaching the frontcourt, they immediately started tactical movement.
Three points!
Still need to shoot three-pointers!
The Steam Oven Workers want to extend their lead to 4 points! That way, if they attack first in the second half, they will have more initiative! Maybe we can widen the point difference at the beginning of the second half!
The Steam Stove Workers' counterattack was nicknamed "coal-powered" by their fans. It was like an old-fashioned train, which accelerated sharply after each addition of coal, heading towards the goal.
Their tactical goal is clear - continue to feed Cardinal!
The tactics ran smoothly. John Allison took one step inside the free throw line and led the crowd with the ball. As soon as Cardinal arrived, the ball flew right in front of him. The passer and receiver were very excited. , but just as Cardinal received the ball, before he could hold it, he picked the ball away with one hand!
Li Ao said "Three dunks" and started, hitting the ball forward hard, chasing the ball, catching up with the ball, and then hitting the ball... This counterattack action made Cardinal, who was chasing after the ball in anger, almost sprain his foot!
(End of chapter)
