Chapter 24 Media Predictions, First Game
When the other players on the team heard that Ball had returned to the team, they were all surprised.
They originally thought that the injury Ball suffered during training would take at least until the end of the league to heal.
And at this time, he actually returned to the team ahead of schedule, which is undoubtedly a very good thing for the team!!
"Great! Ball is back too. We're sure to win this time!"
"Ball's defense has always been a nightmare for many players! Now he's back, it's great!"
"Now we not only have Sashiro here, but also Ball is responsible for increasing the team's offensive and defensive capabilities. It seems that we are really going to win the championship this time!"
"This is really good news, coach!"
"This news is so exciting!!"
...
Ball glanced at the Asian player in front of him, who also played as a guard like himself, with a slightly cold expression.
Because he learned from the coach that Sashiro has now become the team's main starting scorer.
Doesn't this mean he's taking his place?
This made Ball feel a little uncomfortable.
Moreover, he still had some doubts about Sashiro's ability.
Can this Asian guard, who doesn't look like he has any special talents, really support the entire team's scoring?
Although Ball didn't say it, he already looked down on Sashiro in his heart.
But Sashiro didn't mind.
He said to Ball in a friendly manner:
"I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation in the next competition."
After all, they are all players of the same team.
Sashiro thinks it would be great if Ball could share some of the offensive pressure with him!
After all, winning the game is the most important thing.
Although Ball was a little cold, he still replied:
"Well, let's work hard together."
...
Seeing that the two of them were getting along fairly harmoniously, Coach Holland felt relieved a little.
After all, there is a saying that goes.
There can't be two tigers in one mountain.
Especially in a league where players need to prove their personal strength, it is easy for two excellent players to develop grudges against each other.
After all, this is the best opportunity for almost every player to attract the attention of the NBA!!
Winning the game comes second.
If they can truly demonstrate their unparalleled strength, they will attract the attention of many scouts, which will also make it easier for them to enter the NBA.
Coach Holland was originally worried that Sashiro might be unhappy with Ball's return.
But now it seems.
Sashiro has such a good temper!
He is capable, low-key, and able to accommodate others.
Tsk tsk tsk, if this kid develops well, he will definitely be the leader of the team in the future!!
Seeing that the things I was worried about did not happen.
Coach Holland was truly relieved.
It's okay!
What they have to do next is to look forward to the next game.
...
Three days later.
The first game against UCLA has arrived!!
Before UCLA officially started their first game, all the media were already paying close attention to this game.
You have to know that the divisional league they are in is also called the Champions League!!
This is because they are the divisional league with the most NCAA championships among all the divisional leagues in the NCAA!!
In addition to the traditional basketball powerhouse, UCLA University, there are also the University of Southern California, the University of Utah, the University of Oregon, the University of Colorado, etc.
These famous basketball schools also have many talented players.
It's just a tour now though.
But at the same time, the competition here is also highly anticipated by everyone.
During the tour stage, every two teams will play once at home and once away and will be ranked according to their records to compete for the qualification for the playoffs.
At this time.
Traditional news media, such as ESPN, TNT, and the like, have already made predictions for this game.
Because for such major events, they will investigate the information of the teams and players in advance and then make a simple prediction.
But in the eyes of ESPN.
At this time, the Pacific 12 Conference, which is the conference where UCLA is located, is most likely to win the first place in the conference league.
It's UCLA University!
You should know that there is another highly regarded basketball school in the same division as him.
That's the University of Washington with Markelle Fultz this year!!!
You know, this guy had already become an outstanding high school student in the United States during his senior year!
In that period, he averaged 16.5 points per game!
Moreover, in the American U18 Youth Championship he participated in during his senior year of high school, he averaged 14 points per game in a very limited 20-plus minutes of playing time.
And his shooting percentage is as high as 56%!!!
There is no doubt that Markelle Fultz is an extremely talented point guard!
And after joining the University of Washington as a five-star high school student this year, the team's attention to him is quite obvious.
It can be said that he has learned a lot and grown a lot during this year at the University of Washington.
This is unimaginable growth for a player who is already extremely talented!
But even so.
Even the University of Washington, which has a long-established genius, is not favored by the current media.
UCLA is still ranked first on the media's predicted list!!
The University of Washington can only come in second.
Everyone knows it.
The reason is nothing more than one thing:
That's Sashiro!
ESPN's reasoning for this is as follows:
"UCLA University has a very popular Asian guard this year. His flexible dribbling rhythm and perfect timing are impressive!
Moreover, the physical fitness of this Asian guard is also worthy of attention. He can suddenly jump up when you least expect it and dunk on the opponent, or he can grab the rebound over the center's head.
We even feel that how high he can reach depends entirely on what he is willing to do! "
"And UCLA has a very promising player this year, Lonzo Ball, who is always being praised by his father.
His organizational and defensive abilities are quite impressive among guards, and he also has a relatively stable scoring ability. "
"Based on these points, the University of Washington still has a big gap with UCLA in these aspects. But no matter what, Markelle Fultz is a player worth looking forward to!"
"We are also looking forward to the head-to-head competition between the University of Washington and UCLA in the Pacific League!"
...
Although UCLA is predicted by the media to be the No. 1 team in the conference this year.
But the opponent they faced in the first game today was also strong.
That's the University of Oregon!