Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 10 Please remember, I am not Michael Jordan of TTU.
Marquette University is in disarray.

Although Wesley Matthews is not the team's primary striker, his importance is second only to Dominic James.

Because once the competition escalates from small-scale invitational tournaments to high-level matches like March Madness, Matthews is the player with the best chance of gaining an advantage over those top college players in terms of immediate combat ability and physical strength.

Last night they analyzed the Texas Tech personnel composition, and the coaching staff basically concluded that without Jarius Jackson, TTU is a toothless tiger. If they can shut down number 1, the others are not a threat.

The task of killing Number 1 naturally fell to Wesley Matthews.

As a result, after the first few rounds, Matthews' mission, while not entirely successful, was at least severely hampered.

Marquette University's head coach, Tom Crean, never expected that TTU, which was on the verge of running out of successors, would actually find a real gem overseas.

However, Matthews cannot be destroyed.

If Matthews on the wing gets blown out by the opponent, it will have a big impact on the team's morale.

After careful consideration, Klein stood on the sidelines and said to Jerrell McNeil, another sophomore guard whom the team relied on, "J-MAC, that number 1 is yours for now!"

On the other hand, Bob Knight is no longer the lion that used to roam the territory like he did in his youth.

He has seen enough big scenes.

"Coach, the opponent has switched on defense!"

Knight’s trusted assistant, Chris Beard, loudly reminded him.

“I saw it.” Knight’s expression didn’t change at all. “Nothing will change.”

If that jerk freshman is really as good as I think, then this defensive switch, which isn't even a tactical adjustment, shouldn't have any effect on him.

Moreover, the player number 22 who was switched on doesn't seem like he can contain Xu Ling at all.

Knight is right.

Compared to Matthews, McNeil wasn't as strong. He was a standard college-level shooting guard, standing at 193 cm tall, with good shooting and driving skills. However, compared to Marquette University's other two backcourt stars, he was more of a secondary offensive player.

Fast breaks, catch-and-shoot, and driving to the basket on the weak side are all his specialties.

However, after switching onto Xu Ling, he became relatively quiet on the court.

Xu Ling is the best off-ball defender Knight has seen since he came to TTU, but the problem is that his defensive skills are not outstanding and his defensive awareness needs to be improved. However, he has experience from who-knows-where, like a senior veteran.

His game reading ability far surpasses that of other players on the field.

In addition, he has an abnormal level of concentration.

Knight, who had been keeping a close eye on Xu Ling all day, also discovered a peculiar characteristic of the man—as long as he was on the court, his gaze could remain fixed on the court the entire time.

McNeil stalled.

When Xu Ling discovered that his opponent lacked the ability to launch independent attacks, or rather, lacked the willingness to do so, he began to use his talent to extend his defensive influence to other positions.

On the offensive end, Xu Ling outmaneuvered McNeil one-on-one, either scoring directly or drawing defenders to assist his teammates, creating a suffocating presence on his own.

At halftime, Texas Tech, considered the underdog, led their opponents 44-36 by 8 points despite their captain being absent.

Xu Ling walked off the court, and Knight was standing on the sidelines, seemingly to greet him.

However, Knight didn't say a word, but simply tossed him the towel in his hand.

Xu Ling took the towel to wipe his sweat and asked, "Coach, don't you have anything to say?"

Knight did not say anything harsh as Xu Ling had expected.

He did not.

"You played a Michael Jordan-esque first half, I have nothing to say."

Xu Ling looked astonished; he truly hadn't expected Knight to say that.

"Don't get too excited!" Knight immediately tightened his expression. "If you mess up in the second half, nobody will remember what you did in the first half."

Xu Ling had no objection to this.

Back in the locker room, Knight displayed the keen insight of a veteran coach. But his first words stunned all the players.

"Well done." Knight's voice was still stiff, but those four simple words coming from his mouth were the highest form of praise.

He immediately reverted to his usual stern demeanor, slamming his tactical pen heavily on the whiteboard: "But don't get too excited! Our opponents like to combine inside and outside offense, but tonight their outside shooting was so bad it was like there was a lid on the rim! Wesley Matthews, Dominic James, and that number 22 who was completely outplayed by our TTU-developed 'special edition Michael Jordan,' went 3-for-16 from beyond the arc!"

"In the second half, we need to stick to zone defense, like hungry wolves guarding a sheepfold! As long as they keep missing shots, let them keep shooting! I want you to lock down the paint, don't give them an inch of space! Understand?"

As Xu Ling listened, she felt a pang of regret.

A few days ago, I jokingly said that I wanted to become the college Michael Jordan, but I didn't expect everyone to remember it so well. Not only did they keep it in mind, but it also became a meme.

But this regret was fleeting, replaced by a chilling excitement. He needed this attention, he needed people like Wesley Matthews to challenge him on the court because of his comments. It was the perfect touchstone, the truest test of just how high he had risen.

Now, the test results are crystal clear—the door to the NBA is wide open for him.

What he had to do was walk in openly and in the most high-profile way.

During halftime, Marquette University made an adjustment—reassigning Wesley Matthews to guard Xu Ling again.

The decision was somewhat ironic. In the first half, Xu Ling not only completely outmaneuvered Matthews in their individual duel, but also proved to the audience who the real star of the arena was with his performance of 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.

Interestingly, once they realized this, Matthews and his teammates actually felt less burdened. When someone accepts the fact that they are not as skilled as others, the rest of the game becomes simpler—all they have to do now is stop TTU Jordan, wearing the number 1 jersey, at all costs.

Xu Ling also gained offensive autonomy for the first time tonight.

At the start of the second half, Knight told him, "I don't care what you do, as long as you can put the ball in the basket, I'll let you do whatever you want!"

Getting the stubborn Old Man to relinquish his controlling nature and give the players freedom is no easy task.

Xu Ling seized his hard-won freedom and, right at the start of the game, hit an inexplicable drifting jump shot over Matthews.

Subsequently, Matthews' low-post one-on-one attack against Xu Ling was disrupted again.

If Marquette University had initially held onto a sliver of hope—that Matthews' poor performance in the first half was merely due to a bad mentality and that he could normally hold his own—then they, like other teams, began to double-team Xu Ling.

Xu Ling, however, found an open teammate like a veteran.

Alan Voskull hit a three-pointer.

Xu Ling snapped the high-pressure double team around, and on his way back to defense, he even smiled and asked his opponents, "Maybe you could try a three-on-one attack?"

"That damn TTU Jordan!"

Wesley Matthews calmed down, but their second-year core player, Dominic James, got anxious.

Because he was the one who was double-teaming Xu Ling this round.

Being so underestimated, this second-year guard, renowned in the Big East Conference, recklessly attacked the basket, only to be blocked head-on by Daryl Dorra, a senior center from TTU.

Martin Zeno picked up the loose ball and quickly advanced, then passed it across to Xu Ling on the left wing.

Xu Ling charged into the paint, shoving Matthews aside like a bull, and then leaped up to deliver a powerful dunk.

"Please thank your coach for me." Xu Ling's tone was absolutely gentle and friendly. "I like players who are bad at defending. It makes me feel like I'm still in training."

"Damn it!" James roared at Matthews, "Wesley, how the hell are you going to let that TTU bastard run rampant?"

But if James blames himself for the mistake, Matthews' mindset will be different.

Who is that scumbag who got blocked on his layup attempt and led to a counterattack? It's so hard to guess!
Upon seeing this, Xu Ling remarked, "Do all people named James like to shift the blame?"

The riots at Marquette University naturally did not escape the notice of both coaching staffs.

Tom Crean is now really starting to get anxious.

It's not a big deal if they lose this invitational tournament final, but if James and Matthews develop a rift because of it, then the impact will be huge.

Knight stared intently at the court and said with dissatisfaction, "Can't that bastard just shut up?"

Knight tried to smooth things over: "Well, this might not necessarily have anything to do with Eli."

“I saw him open his mouth!” Knight glared at his son. “Do you think that kid could say anything nice?”

Knight could only manage a wry smile; in reality, the TTU staff didn't really feel the impact of Xu Ling's trash talk.

Ironically, the person who knows best the power of Xu Ling's words is Knight himself.

Because he is the one most likely to trigger Xu Ling's passive response of "I disagree with every word you say, so I must refute you".

Marquette University didn't even get a chance to gain any real momentum before Xu Ling ruthlessly crushed it.

Dominique James, the core point guard who should have controlled the pace of the game, completely lost control and even got into a fight with his teammates. Meanwhile, Texas Tech, under Xu Ling's command, operated like a precision instrument, and with 10 minutes left in the game, a 20-point difference had already sealed the outcome of this "battle for $50,000".

But this was far more than just the outcome of an invitational tournament—as the Marquette players stared blankly at the newcomer wearing the number 1 jersey, many professionals in the audience vaguely realized that this night might be the turning point for both teams' seasons.

"Snapped!"

Another clean and decisive steal!
Xu Ling swept across half-court like lightning, completing his third fast-break dunk as Matthews watched. After landing, he slowly walked past the stunned defenders.
“Let me correct what you said before the game,” Xu Ling’s voice was so soft that only the two of them could hear, “I am not TTU’s Jordan.”

"I'm the Jordan who's here to rewrite college basketball history."

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(End of this chapter)