Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 39 The Struggle of a Generation of Heroes

ESPN's morning program, SportsCenter, began looping highlights of TTU's victory over North Carolina from the very first minute of its broadcast, with commentator Dan Shulman's voice echoing in the living rooms of countless Lubbock homes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have witnessed history! The Texas Tech Red Raiders have defeated the University of North Carolina 101-76, advancing to the Final Four for the first time in their history! And the hero who brought us all this is the super rookie from China—Eli Xu!"

The recurring shot on the screen was Xu Ling's brutal dunk in the final moments of the game: he dashed across half-court like a red lightning bolt, Brendan Wright was sent flying like a crumbling wall, and the entire HP booth seemed to tremble the moment the basketball slammed into the hoop.

The New York Times sports section ran a headline, "Red Storm: How TTU Sweeps North Carolina," detailing the Red Raiders' winning formula: "Bob Knight, the legendary coach, returned to the Final Four after two decades, betting on Eli, and that bet paid off handsomely. Eli racked up 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists—you simply won't see another player perform like that on the road to the Final Four!"

The reaction from professional basketball was even more enthusiastic.

The recency effect was fully demonstrated.

Many college basketball experts have updated their 2007 NBA draft predictions, and Xu Ling has finally pushed Kevin Durant off the list in the latest rankings, taking the second spot in the 2007 predictions.

In his latest column, Chad Ford, ESPN's most authoritative draft expert on this topic, wrote: "A few months from now, the professionals' excitement will cool, the passion will subside, and Kevin Durant may still be a shoo-in for the top two pick, but I must emphasize that Eli played the game we've been hoping to see in Greg Oden and Kevin Durant last night. That's dominance. We rarely use dominance to describe a rookie, but nothing describes what Eli did last night better than dominance."

Texas was in an uproar over this.

The first Texas celebrity to express support for TTU was Yao Ming, the All-Star center for the Houston Rockets. It's understandable, given their shared camaraderie.

But when TTU fought their way through the competition, while other teams representing the Lone Star State were eliminated, they miraculously made it to the final four. This was enough for them to break down regional prejudices and gain the support of the entire state.

Local radio stations in Houston had been playing TTU's game audio on repeat since morning, with the radio host excitedly announcing: "Texas finally has a team that can represent us in the national championship! TTU is Texas's last hope. All other teams are out of the running. Now all of Texas stands behind the Red Raiders!"

Dallas fans joined the ranks of TTU supporters even earlier than Houston fans. Among them, the fervent Xu Ling fans even modified the "Yao Ming Song" that Houston originally used to welcome the Eastern Giants, and the catchy "Eli Song" resounded through the streets of Dallas.

Austin established the national "Eli Fan Association".

The aftershocks of victory are still reverberating on the campus of Texas Tech University.

Students posted posters downstairs in their dormitories featuring Xu Ling's deadly dunk over Brandon Wright, accompanied by the slogan: "Red Raiders, Keep Fighting!"

Xu Ling's roommate, Roderick Craig, became very busy.

Due to a heart problem, he rarely played during his freshman season. The coaching staff also intended to train him to do other jobs, since athletes with heart problems generally have little career prospect, so it's better to develop other skills as soon as possible.

Therefore, although Craig is a registered player, his role in the team is more like that of a life manager.

One of the main tasks assigned to him by the coaching staff was to take care of Xu Ling, a foreigner.

Then, Craig's main job now is to help Xu Ling reject invitations from various departments of the school, as well as various requests from male and female classmates.

At noon today, when Craig went to the cafeteria for lunch, the cafeteria TV was still playing a compilation of Xu Ling's highlights.

Craig clearly heard his classmates' conversation.

"Did you guys see Eli's dunk yesterday? It was insane!"

"That idiot Brandon Wright deserves it!"

“Eli went too far. If I were Eli, I would not only humiliate him, but I would also step over him!”

Seeing his roommate, who started on the same footing as him, now become a national superstar, how could Craig not feel a sense of the vicissitudes of life?

"Roderick, aren't you with Eli?"

Soon, classmates recognized Craig.

"Eli asked me to get him food," Craig said helplessly. "He should be at the gym right now."

Inside Wimbledon, a focused tension hung in the air. Bob Knight had asked the players to arrive an hour early so he could provide a detailed introduction to their Final Four opponent, Ohio State University (OSU), before practice began.

"From now on, stop thinking about North Carolina. That's in the past. In six days, we'll be facing Ohio State, a true championship team."

Knight began his analysis of Ohio State's games, starting with Oden.

In the video, Greg Oden is like a mobile fortress, standing 7 feet tall with an amazing wingspan; every block he makes is like a death sentence for his opponent.

“Oden isn’t Hansbrough,” Knight’s voice was deep and powerful. “He’s younger, faster, and more dominant. His teammates aren’t weak either: Mike Conley, an outstanding freshman point guard who can tear apart any defense on the fast break; Ron Lewis, the best shooter in the Big Ten; and Daquin Cook and Jamal Butler, who can also provide consistent offensive support from the perimeter. These four surrounding Oden, relying on his defense to bury their opponents along the way, their fast break transitions are top-notch in the nation!”

Since OSU recruited Oden, they have started building the team around him.

All the admissions were done in order to support Oden.

A lineup with one star and four shooters is not uncommon in the small-ball era, but in the modern era, it can be traced back to the Rockets during the Hakeem Olajuwon era. That team also built shooters around the prime-era Olajuwon and eventually seized the opportunity during Jordan's baseball off-season to win two consecutive championships.

"Now, what are your thoughts?"

After introducing OSU, Knight looked at everyone. Xu Ling looked at Jon Plevka, who had been thoroughly humiliated by Tyler Hansbrough the previous night, with a mocking expression: "JP, please allow me to offer my condolences in advance."

"Hahaha!" Daryl Dora burst out laughing. "Joe, you're really done for!"

Plevka wore a look of utter resentment, as if saying "MMP."

Knight, however, looked at Dora with a smile: "Daryl, my plan is for you to start in the Final Four. That's right, you're the one who will face Oden head-on."

"What, I'm fighting Sukuna?" This moment of disillusionment arrived just like that. Dora's smile didn't disappear, but it just moved to the faces of the others.

Because OSU uses a one-star-four-shooter system, the inside players can't really rely on the outside players for help. Otherwise, if the inside players can't stop Oden and the outside players are also getting blown out by the opponent, then it's a sure thing to lose.

Therefore, whoever faces Oden in the semifinals will have a very miserable result.

Oden will undoubtedly put up a performance similar to peak Shaquille O'Neal against the weakest center in the Final Four.

After the video analysis lesson, everyone began their daily training.

Knight didn't do anything special in training, nor did he make any special arrangements. The idea of ​​holding a short training camp before a boss fight, like in Japanese sports manga, to significantly improve a player's abilities, is impossible in reality.

After all, by the time they've reached the semifinals, all the teams have been exposed, and everyone knows each other's weaknesses. The last thing the coaching staff needs to do now is go crazy like Pat Riley did back then. They just need to maintain a certain amount of training, manage the players' physical condition, adjust the team's mentality, and go to Atlanta in the best possible condition. This is the focus of the coaching staff's work in the next few days.

After the training session, Xu Ling returned to the video analysis room.

"How did you come?"

Knight looked at Xu Ling with surprise.

"I'd like to watch more of OSU's match recordings."

Xu Lingzhi said.

Knight didn't say much, but simply played the Ohio State vs. Georgetown game, another quarterfinal match from yesterday. Georgetown also had a top college center like Roy Hibbert, but Oden played with ease.

Before his time travel, Xu Ling had heard a lot about Oden's legend. Although Oden was widely regarded as a "bust," fans would usually add, "But back then, even if you picked the number one pick a hundred times, it would still be Oden."

Why? You can get a glimpse of the answer just by watching the game.

His strong physique, elite-level jumping ability, Howard-like strength, and O'Neal-like explosiveness are the reasons why he is considered to have the potential to become an NBA superstar.

Then there's how he uses these talents, mainly on the defensive end. As long as he's on the court, even if he's just standing still in the paint, he can change the opponent's offensive approach.

When he receives the ball in the low post, his footwork is so agile that it's hard to believe he's a seven-foot-tall center.

When Xu Ling saw Oden toying with Hibbert like a child, he seemed completely at ease.

"He averaged 13 points, 9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game during the NCAA Tournament," Knight suddenly said, his voice deep and powerful. "He didn't even get as many rebounds per game as you. Do you think a player like that is scary?"

“It’s not scary.” Xu Ling’s answer was calm and direct. “What’s scary is that we don’t know how much strength he used.”

“That’s right!” Knight smiled with satisfaction. “He still has at least 40% of his strength left. In the entire college basketball world, perhaps only Joakim Noah and Al Horford from the University of Florida are worth his full effort.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Ling's eyes instantly sharpened. He stared intently at Knight, his face filled with resentment.

"Am I not worth his all-out effort?" He didn't say it aloud, but his eyes asked the question for him.

Knight continued, "NBA experts, college basketball reporters, and all those clueless bastards across the country are talking about your performance against North Carolina. Many people think you're Rookie of the Year, which will definitely sting Oden. He's been dormant for too long, and he desperately needs to prove that he's still the player the scouts think he is, so you can rest assured."

Some people, even if you know they are provoking you, you will still willingly fall into their trap.

"Even if it's just to prove to the world that he's the best player of your generation, he'll do everything in his power to crush you."

What a straightforward hook, but Xu Ling still bit it.

Xu Ling stood up, looked directly at Knight, and said solemnly, "Coach, you're wrong."

"Oh?" Knight raised an eyebrow, curious to see what brilliant ideas this bastard freshman had.

“It’s not about proving anything,” Xu Ling’s tone was authoritative, every word resounding, “but about him having to prove it. Because I’ve already taken the lead and proven to the world that I am the most outstanding freshman so far!”

There was dead silence in the room.

Suddenly, Nate nodded and said, "That's right, that's exactly it."

(End of this chapter)