Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 37 The Wayward Genius
"Damn Brandon Wright, you spouted a bunch of bullshit before the game started, and now you're just letting people ride roughshod over you?"

As a Tar Heels supporter, Michael Jordan watched from the sidelines, seething with rage. Other NBA professionals might be there to scout players, but Jordan at that moment had only one identity—a lifelong loyalist to North Carolina. He was certainly there to support his alma mater, and although his discerning professional eye would unconsciously scrutinize every player on the court, at this moment, all he felt was burning anger at Wright's sluggish performance.

Just as Jordan was getting angry, Xu Ling once again faced Wright on the offensive end. With a simple shooting fake, Xu Ling gently nudged Wright, whose center of gravity was too high, then took a step to the side and easily completed a mid-range jump shot.

"Shh!"

As the ball went in, the referee blew his whistle—Wright committed a defensive foul, and Xu Ling was awarded a penalty!

This scene almost perfectly encapsulates the first half. Wright's pre-match comments about Xu Ling earned him no respect whatsoever; instead, they felt like slaps back at him. He was not only completely shut down by Xu Ling on offense, but also became an easy ATM for the opponent on defense.

"Why did North Carolina choose him in the first place?" an NBA scout muttered to a colleague on the sidelines. "They missed out on Kevin Durant."

This unintentional complaint, however, reveals a well-known story within the NBA. Before Xu Ling and his cohort of freshmen entered college, apart from Greg Oden, who stood out from the crowd, the other top freshmen were generally considered to be at the same level. Kevin Durant and Brandon Wright, in particular, were similar in physique, wingspan, and athleticism; what distinguished them was their skill set.

Durant is like McGrady, an unpredictable freak; while Wright is considered like Garnett and Bosh, with a safer development path.

Ultimately, North Carolina, a team that has nurtured countless stars, chose Brandon Wright. They genuinely believed Wright was the better player at that time, but this idea became a complete joke as the new season began.

Durant unleashed an offensive firepower rarely seen in history, while Wright exposed more problems within North Carolina's star-studded roster: an odd shooting form, a lack of shooting confidence, insufficient fighting spirit, a fragile mentality coupled with an inflated sense of self-importance. Scouts gave his talent a 9 out of 10, but his "intangible assets" a failing grade of 6.

At this moment, looking at Wright who appeared so clumsy and powerless in front of Xu Ling, Jordan's anger was mixed with a trace of regret and disappointment. The future star chosen by his alma mater was showing his most embarrassing side on the most important stage.

Jordan, who has always been proud of his alma mater, couldn't help but think of Kwame Brown after seeing his own scouts' evaluation of this North Carolina prodigy.

He hates people who don't strive.

It wasn't until Wright trash-talked Xu Ling before the game that Jordan began to change his opinion of him. However, before Wright could deliver any of his trash talk, Xu Ling had already branded him with shame.

Jordan, who had crushed the fighting spirit of his opponents countless times during his playing career, understood that Wright's mentality was on the verge of collapse, and that this collapse would have an extremely negative impact on the Tar Heels.

At that moment, Wright's high-post jump shot missed, and Jordan's face grew increasingly grim: "Is that bastard just trying to prove he's a coward? Damn it, what is Roy waiting for? Let him get off the court!"

Wright's "inability" caused North Carolina to panic at the start, failing to get into the game for a long time, which also led to TTU taking control of the game.

However, North Carolina head coach Roy Williams remained even more composed than the Zen-like Phil Jackson, showing no intention of calling a timeout. Tar Heels fans had mixed feelings about this, as it was a recurring pattern for Williams: he generally wouldn't call a timeout to interrupt the game unless the players were truly in dire straits or the coaching staff had made a mistake.

TTU started strong with an 11-4 lead.

Just as they were about to widen the gap further, North Carolina's starting guard Ty Lawson couldn't stand it anymore.

Lawson sped off, instantly breaking past Jarius Jackson. Due to the presence of a zone defense, he didn't penetrate the paint, instead shooting from the perimeter, sinking a long-range mid-range jumper to give North Carolina a much-needed 2 points.

Xu Ling didn't believe Jackson could stop Lawson. Lawson was probably the only player in North Carolina's starting lineup who had made a name for himself in the NBA, not only as a long-time starter but also in the NBA, with even his dribbling moves being incorporated into the 2K animation system. But right now, he couldn't afford to worry about Lawson.

Wright seemed to realize that he wouldn't be the star of the night, so he wanted to go all out on the defensive end, determined to stop Xu Ling.

Xu Ling made a reverse run, received the ball on the outside, and Wright, swinging his long arms, appeared in front of him like a human spider. "You're not going to do anything!"

Wright yelled, and for even a fleeting moment, he looked like an excellent defender. But Xu Ling's feint instantly shifted his balance, and he leaped up like a monkey. Xu Ling dribbled past him, took two steps, gathered the ball, jumped, and scored a layup.

“Good defense,” Xu Ling said sarcastically, “just enough to let me do anything.”

The worst thing wasn't being defeated; the worst thing was Wright realizing that his opponent was superior to him—once that realization came, it would be a devastating blow to his fighting spirit.

Because this is someone he has always used to motivate himself.

When scouts didn't think highly of him, he would comfort himself by thinking of Xu Ling, believing that even if he played for a weak team, he could still achieve this or that.

But now, the two faced off head-on on the court, and Xu Ling defeated him without any pressure.

There is no greater irony, no greater shame.

North Carolina continues to rely on Lawson's individual abilities on offense.

He demonstrated an offensive power that was more than a level above Jackson's.

Just now he made a quick stop and jump shot after a drive, and then he called for a pick and roll and passed to Wayne Ellington for a three-pointer.

When TTU missed a shot in a half-court play, Hansbrough grabbed the defensive rebound, and Lawson received the pass and quickly scored a layup.

He fully demonstrated the impact a core point guard can have on the game.

Knight is not Roy Williams; he won't stand idly by while his backcourt gets blown out.

The idea that players should have complete freedom to perform at any level of competition is a joke!
This is the NCAA, not the AAU. If players can handle all the problems themselves, then what's the point of having coaches?

This is precisely why Knight looks down on so-called top coaches like John Wooden and Dean Smith.

Because you're a powerhouse, you can easily recruit top players, and then you can use your overflowing talent to play any tactics you want. What UCLA system, what letting the players do their own thing? Try it at a place like TTU!

Knight called a timeout.

Knight then substituted Jackson with senior center Daryl Dorra, and then told Xu Ling, "Find a way to stop Ty Lawson's offensive."

Xu Ling asked, "Don't you have any plans?" Knight said subtly, "I think that bastard is unbeatable at the college level, but you have to keep him in check! If you can deal with Asi Law, you can deal with him! If I had to give you advice, I would suggest you let him shoot threes. His three-point shooting percentage is only average compared to his other methods."

Xu Ling knew how much influence such a top-tier national defender could have in a game.

I had been observing Lawson for a while and couldn't see any flaws.

His shooting is very consistent, he dribbles with both hands equally well, and his passing vision and technique are excellent.

There are no blind spots.

On the other side, TTU brought in Dora, giving the lineup two inside players. This seemed to give Brandon Wright a breather, as he was completely outmatched by Xu Ling.

“Rookie, our coach is tired of the freshmen scoring all over you!” Dora said to Wright. “Let me play with you from now on!”

The beauty of veterans lies in their ability to always mess up the mentality of newcomers.

Then, Xu Ling faced Wayne Ellington, who was North Carolina's primary offensive weapon on the perimeter, but his defense was extremely poor. If it weren't for the need to target Lawson, the optimal solution would have been to find a breakthrough point directly through this player.

However, the real targeting often begins on the offensive end.

Xu Ling set a screen for Zeno, turned around, and crossed positions, successfully switching Lawson in front of him. Zeno passed the ball, successfully creating a mismatch between Xu Ling and Lawson.

Lawson's defense isn't very good; if Xu Ling wants to attack him, it won't take much effort.

But Knight didn't want Xu Ling and Lawson to go head-to-head.

Xu Ling then turned around, his 90-plus kilogram body crashing heavily into Lawson.

Lawson was thrown back a large step, but Xu Ling did not take the opportunity to make any other moves. Instead, he gathered his strength again and rammed into Lawson once more.

This is the most illogical offensive tactic in basketball.

If you have a larger weight or greater strength, you can easily dominate anyone who is inferior to you in these two aspects.

Xu Ling's second backstab knocked Lawson to the ground. For Lawson, this fall was nothing short of salvation—at least he didn't have to endure a third backstab.

Wright rushed over to help defend, but Xu Ling flicked a bounce pass, assisting Daryl Dorra to score.

Xu Ling had lost all interest in Wright. He gave Lawson a defiant look, a silent mockery, and then turned and ran away.

"That damn number one!"

Lawson's emotions fluctuated noticeably, and he was very dissatisfied with Brandon Wright's performance.

Lawson, who harbored strong feelings towards Xu Ling, felt a strong urge to take revenge when he saw the other party take the initiative to defend him. He accelerated violently, determined to take down this nationally renowned super rookie in one fell swoop.

Lawson's impatience created a clear opening in his ball protection, and Xu Ling's long arm swept the ball away.

"Good defense!"

Martin Zeno yelled as he grabbed the ball, then saw Xu Ling already running forward and forcefully passed it to him.

Cheers erupted from the crowd as TTU fans chanted the man's name.

TTU's Jordan?
He no longer needs this kind of hype.

Xu Ling suddenly stopped after scoring a goal in the attacking third.

Bob Knight shrugged, muttering, "That bastard, he's here again!"

TTU fans are used to Xu Ling greedily choosing a fast break three-pointer when tempted by the prospect of easily scoring two points.
"Uh-huh!!!"

"In college basketball, Eli is the only player who dares to pull up for a three-pointer on a fast break and still shut the coaching staff up!" The commentator's voice echoed under the arena's dome. "Either accept his madness or switch to watching golf—that's the Eli Rule!"

Xu Ling had just run back to the backfield when Bob Knight roared at him from the sideline. The veteran coach's face was flushed red, and he gestured with his hands: "Damn it! Eli! You should have rushed in and scored those two points! I want to see a solid two points!"

Xu Ling was already used to this situation, and he insisted on letting the facts speak for themselves: "But I made the shot."

Knight glared at him, as if choked by the incredibly simple statement, and finally just waved his hand fiercely, "You better always be able to make those damn circus threes!"

Xu Ling could only take this as a well-wishing message from the GOAT of college coaching.

But why do these self-proclaimed GOATs always like to say such nonsense?

this is a problem.

　Thank you Ajiu and Boss Hou for the donations.

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(End of this chapter)