Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 8 Different Roles
The annual Pete Newell Invitational kicked off in Oakland.

For the new generation of players, the name Newell is too ancient, after all, the 50s and 60s, when he was active, are now half a century in the past.

Larry Bird once said that greatness has an expiration date.

Even the greatest achievements cannot last more than a generation.

After one generation, the next generation will deconstruct the greatness of the previous generation, thus establishing the legitimacy that our generation is the greatest.

Knight considers Newell his mentor, so his team frequently participates in the Pete Newell Invitational.

This year, a total of eight teams are participating, and the only team that can pose a challenge to TTU is Marquette University from the Big East Conference, which has several players with NBA potential.

Xu Ling was very interested in them, especially their starting guard Wesley Matthews.

He knew this person would be a starter in the NBA for many years to come. Although he wasn't a star player, NBA starters are basically among the best players in the world.

There is no better touchstone than this.

However, when Xu Ling looked at the schedule, he found that they were in a different group from Marquette University. If they were to meet their opponent, they would either have to give up being first in their group and try to be placed in Marquette University's group in the knockout stage, or they would have to play until the finals. Only then would they be able to meet their opponent.

Obviously, Knight wouldn't deliberately lose in the group stage just to face Marquette University sooner, and Xu Ling wouldn't do something so foolish either. They'll meet sooner or later anyway, so for now, he should focus his energy on the weaker teams.

In the first match of the invitational tournament, Texas Tech University faced off against Little Rock University.

This match also marked Xu Ling's first time being included in the starting lineup for TTU.

Moreover, he wasn't the only freshman to make the starting lineup.

Besides Xu Ling, there is also first-year point guard Charlie Burgess.

Knight seems to be giving his players a lot of practice tonight, taking advantage of Jarius Jackson's absence to try out other point guards.

Xu Ling's idea was simple: he was now like the "sexy hitchhiker J.D." played by Brad Pitt in "Thelma & Louise." At this moment, he was unknown in the basketball world, but soon, everyone would know his name.

That's what he thought.

As a result, the underdog Little Rock University suffered a terrible night.

Their key perimeter player, second-year shooting guard DeAndre Evans, seemed intent on giving the Chinese rookie a tough time. In their first matchup, Evans approached with flashy crossover dribbles while spewing trash talk: "Welcome to the real court, kid, I'll show you what you're made of!"

Xu Ling simply lowered his center of gravity slightly and replied expressionlessly, "Your dribbling is very attractive; you'd be perfect for performing on a streetball court."

Before he could finish speaking, Evans attempted a speed drive, but Xu Ling's incredible long arms anticipated his move and snatched the ball away! Xu Ling immediately launched a counterattack. Despite having a one-on-one situation in the frontcourt, he didn't opt ​​for a simple layup. Instead, he soared into the air and delivered a tomahawk dunk that ignited the entire arena!

After landing, he looked back at Evans, who had just run back to his halfway point, and said softly, "Is this your original form?"

This scene made the commentators shout out: "TTU's number 1 responded to DeAndre Evans' challenge! He not only responded to the provocation with defense, but also ignited the crowd with a top-ten dunk!"

Soon after, the game was no longer in doubt. Xu Ling seized almost every scoring opportunity, with a near 100% shooting percentage. Before leaving the court, he delivered a spectacular dunk over an opponent, scoring 32 points and grabbing 6 rebounds, easily making headlines in college basketball.

Little Rock University head coach Steve Shields gave him the highest praise after the game, his tone filled with helplessness and admiration: "We tried everything, but it was no use. Your number 1 looks like the Kobe Bryant of college basketball! He destroyed us tonight."

Reporters surrounded Xu Ling and relayed Shields's comments.

Xu Ling listened attentively and then replied in a shocking way: "This may be a bit offensive, but I would rather be the Michael Jordan of college basketball."

If anyone were to ask Xu Ling why he said this, the answer would be well-reasoned: Jordan went to college, Kobe didn't, and Jordan also won the NCAA national championship. No matter how you look at it, being the former is better than being the latter.

But nobody asks these questions.

Those sports reporters repeat the same work process day after day, hovering around the court like vultures chasing carrion. They rack their brains to create topics, wishing they could write an exclusive story about even the tread pattern on the soles of star players' shoes—after all, who doesn't want to be the next Bill Simmons, leaping from a niche, eccentric columnist to a darling of the sports media?

Xu Ling's answer wasn't particularly brilliant, but it was like a precise three-pointer, hitting the bullseye of the media frenzy.

"He really fucking said that?"

Bob Knight stared in astonishment at his son, trying to confirm whether Xu Ling had really said that audacious thing.

"It's absolutely true!" Knight confirmed excitedly. "He's on the front page of ESPN's college basketball page!"

Knight's astonishment slowly faded, as if he were processing the news that both annoyed and excited him.

“Michael Jordan?” Knight scoffed. “Very well! Since this kid dares to put himself in such a precarious position, starting tomorrow, I’ll be holding him to a different standard!”

Knight was also surprised by Xu Ling's words.

Because Xu Ling usually seems very composed and is definitely not the kind of person who likes to boast, but today he is acting out of character and taking the initiative to shift the spotlight onto himself.

Normally, he wouldn't even react to the screams of the fans in the stadium.

Moreover, he also knew Jordan's special place in his father's heart.

While Knight is one of the fewest NBA stars coached among those who could compete for the title of assistant GOAT in college basketball, he did briefly coach Michael Jordan in 1984 when he was appointed head coach of the U.S. team in preparation for the Los Angeles Olympics.

At that time, Jordan was the core of that team. Although they hadn't spent much time together, Jordan's performance had already erected an indelible monument in Knight's heart. Whenever he saw a so-called young talent emerge, he would compare the other person with Jordan back then.

After each competition, he would think that this talented young man was nothing special.

If Xu Ling were to compare himself to Jordan, then he would have to face a comprehensive and thorough scrutiny from Knight.

In the locker room, Knight walked up to Xu Ling with an angry look on his face: "You want to be Jordan?"

Xu Ling really didn't expect that James Harden would take a provocative post-game interview so seriously: "What I mean is, as a goal, it's better to be Jordan than to be Kobe."

"Goals?" Knight laughed as if he'd heard a ridiculous joke. "You're not even qualified to talk about goals! At your current level, you're only fit to talk about how to complete the training tasks I've given you! When we get back, your daily footwork training will be increased by one hour!"

“Okay, Coach.” Xu Ling readily agreed, seemingly oblivious to the anger in his voice. “I also feel that there are still many details in my defensive lateral movement that need to be polished.”

"Go take a shower!" Knight found that every time he talked to this kid, he felt frustrated, like punching cotton. He decided to end the conversation, but before leaving, he didn't forget to get back at him in the most direct way: "Also, next time a reporter asks you who you look like, you fucking say you look like Pippen!"

Looking at the coach's retreating figure, Xu Ling couldn't help but ask, "Compared to Jordan, do you really prefer Pippen, Coach?"

Knight whirled around, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Because I've had enough of a self-important Michael Jordan! And Scottie Pippen, he fucking knows when to shut up and pass the damn ball to an open teammate! Now, get out of my sight right now!"

After Knight walked away, senior center Daryl Dorra leaned in and whispered, "Rookie, sometimes I really wonder how many guts you have to talk to the coach like that?"

This has always puzzled Xu Ling: why are these people like mice in front of a cat in front of Knight, not daring to even breathe loudly?

Some say that courage often stems from ignorance.

Although Xu Ling in his previous life had not yet experienced the trials of society, he was already a mature and clear-headed recent graduate. He had a clear plan for his life path—until an accident threw him into this unfamiliar timeline.

Now he only had one thought: since fate had bestowed upon him this exceptionally talented body, it would be a waste not to make a name for himself in this bizarre time-travel experience.

As for Bob Knight? Sorry, in Xu Ling's mind, this legendary coach is probably similar to Coach Anzai from "Slam Dunk" who retired and went to coach the prefectural high school basketball team—maybe he was a powerful "white-haired devil" back then, but now? He's just a stubborn old man passing the time at a second-rate school.

Xu Ling was very clear about his goal. When he was in the absolute right, he would naturally stand before Knight as an equal.

This is precisely what Knight is not used to, and it is also the source of the other team members' shock.

No one has ever done this before. Xu Ling looked at Dora, his tone calm but cutting to the heart of the matter: "The key issue is not that I'm 'not afraid,' but rather, what exactly are you afraid of?"

Xu Ling's first start, his first time making headlines, and his first time letting all his teammates see his independence under Knight's pressure—this truly earned him his place.

Even Martin Zeno, a junior guard who had previously expressed many grievances against him, took the initiative to come to his room to chat after returning to the hotel.

In the following games, Knight used Xu Ling in completely different ways.

In his first game against Little Rock, he was there to lead the team as a pure scorer.

The second game against North Dakota State University then focused on making Xu Ling a shooter who specializes in dynamic catch-and-shoot.

Xu Ling continued his hot streak from the first game, making 7 of 11 three-point attempts and barely venturing into the paint on offense.

Xu Ling scored 30 points again, relying solely on shooting.

When asked why he prefers to shoot from a meter or two beyond the standard three-point line, Xu Ling replied, "Isn't it obvious? The NCAA's three-point line is too short."

Then, in the final group stage game against Gardner University, Knight had Xu Ling play point guard to orchestrate the offense.

Finally, Xu Ling was no longer relaxed, nor was he as at ease.

Xu Ling is a point guard who meets the requirements of the point guard position, but he is essentially a scorer.

His organization stemmed from the influence of individual offensive tactics, so he was somewhat unsuited to being a full-time organizer.

That night, Xu Ling scored 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, but also committed 4 turnovers.

"You know what? I suggested to a friend that they draft MJ, but he said they needed a center. Guess what I said?"

While not everyone knows the answer to this question, it's a piece of cake for anyone with even a basic understanding of NBA history.

Xu Ling said, "You suggested that your friend let MJ play center."

"I fucking believe MJ could play from point guard to center! Even in the NBA! And today, I just asked you to share some of the playmaking duties, and look at the crap you produced! Ugly! Absolutely ugly! It's an eyesore!" Finally, Xu gave Knight a chance to criticize him. "For this, you better never fucking utter a word about Michael Jordan again!"

Xu Ling didn't retort. By his own standards, he did feel that he didn't play as freely as he had in the previous two games.

He was angrier than Knight was about his performance.

This effort continued into the knockout stage—where four of the eight participating teams were eliminated, and only one victory was needed to advance to the finals to compete for the championship at the Pete Newell Invitational and the $50,000 "grand prize."

Texas Tech faced Air Force Academy in the playoffs. Although the Air Force Academy did not have exceptionally talented players, its core players were all seniors. They were mature and had good teamwork, and they could beat any team.

Before the game, Air Force Academy forward Dan Nwaelele SF clearly noticed Xu Ling's struggling performance in the previous game. During warm-up, he deliberately walked past Xu Ling and casually tossed out a remark: "You're that legendary TTU Jordan?"

Xu Ling glanced at him: "Is there something you need?"

Enweiler snorted and said, "I've seen plenty of self-important newbies like you. You'll learn your lesson."

Xu Ling simply dribbled the ball, finding it amusing to watch these veterans trying to disrupt his mindset.

From the start, Xu Ling, as if seeking revenge, relentlessly targeted Enweiler one-on-one. On his first offensive possession, he used a convincing fake shot on the right side of the court to knock away the experienced Enweiler, then twisted his body to draw a foul while simultaneously scoring.

"Welcome to the knockout stage, veteran!" Xu Ling whispered to Enweiler after making the penalty.

In the next possession, he used a wide crossover to completely shake off Enweiler and drove straight to the basket for a powerful dunk. Within minutes, Enweiler had accumulated two fouls and was forced back to the bench, throwing the Air Force Academy's defense into disarray.

"We must double-team him! At all costs!" the Air Force Academy's head coach roared from the sidelines.

The double-team arrived as expected. Although Xu Ling wasn't a natural playmaker, he was an outstanding offensive playmaker. He had the awareness to expand his influence on the court and radiate to his teammates. Whenever a double-team formed, he could always pass the ball to an open teammate in time.

The Air Force Academy displayed their determination. Their defensive rotations carried a do-or-die spirit; even when other TTU players got wide-open shooting opportunities, their primary goal remained to lock down Xu Ling, hoping that the rest of TTU wouldn't be able to shut him down.

"These cowards wouldn't dare let you fight one-on-one!"

During a break in play, Alan Voskull ran over to Xu Ling and shouted, his tone a mixture of helplessness and annoyance at being slighted.

Throughout the second half, Xu Ling was surrounded by two or even three players almost every time he touched the ball. He was pushed and pulled by countless arms and was ultimately limited to scoring only 14 points.

However, this relentless, all-out double-teaming allowed TTU to unleash a scoring barrage from all sides. Martin Zeno hit three open three-pointers, and Alan Voskull led the team with 22 points. The Air Force Academy made a bad bet; they staked everything on containing one threat, only to be forced to unleash a barrage of shots from TTU's perimeter shooters, ultimately sinking their ship.

As the final whistle blew, Texas Tech secured a decisive victory, advancing to the final match of the Pete Newell Classic. They now only need one more win to claim the championship trophy and the $50,000 prize.

After the game, a reporter asked Xu Ling, "Eli, you dished out a career-high 12 assists tonight, but your scoring was the lowest in the series. Was this a tactical change deliberately arranged by the coaching staff?"

"When the opponent always sends two or three people to 'greet' me, I'm reminded of a simple basketball truth," Xu Ling replied calmly. "The most reasonable pass often comes from the opponent's defense as a 'gift.' But to be honest, I do miss those good old days when I could solve problems one-on-one."

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Post-match highlights
2007 Draft Class: Potential Observation Report

Author: Chad Ford

发布日期：2006年12月9日上午9:40东部时间
After a relatively uneventful draft year, we are finally seeing signs of an exciting "golden generation." While it's too early to draw conclusions, as the early NCAA season progresses, rookies from various teams are beginning to emerge. Here are some top freshmen rankings you shouldn't miss in the coming year, who are expected to make waves in the 2007 NBA draft.

The core three: the battle between the top two picks
NO.1 Greg Oden

In just five games, and largely playing with one hand, Greg Oden has undeniably proven himself to be one of the most dominant big men in college basketball. Despite still recovering from a summer wrist injury, his performance has been phenomenal. Defensively, he has become a nightmare for opponents, with impressive shot-blocking and rebounding abilities. His offensive efficiency will be further enhanced once his right wrist fully recovers its flexibility. Unless he suffers a devastating injury (such as a torn ACL), he is undoubtedly the number one pick in the 2007 NBA draft.

NO.2 Kevin Durant

Greg Oden may secure the number one pick due to the scarcity of centers, but he's not the best freshman of this year's draft. That honor belongs to Kevin Durant. If we're looking for a more impressive freshman in the NCAA's major conferences, we probably have to go back to the era of Carmelo Anthony.

Kevin Durant has displayed extraordinary talent on every level of the game. He can penetrate the paint with deadly precision and shoot accurately from the outside. Despite his relatively slender build, he has become a double-double machine. He displays fearless leadership on the court and has been hailed by some scouts as a combination of Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Garnett. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will firmly hold the second overall pick in this year's draft.

No. 3 Joakim Noah
Noah's rise seemed inevitable. Last season, he led the University of Florida to a Cinderella-like dream season. Had he chosen to enter the 2006 NBA draft, he would likely have been the number one pick. However, with the influx of this year's superstars into college basketball and NBA scouts scrutinizing Noah's game more closely, we expect his ranking to drop slightly, potentially placing him among the top lottery picks.

Promising rising stars worth watching

Besides the three mentioned above, this class boasts numerous other talented freshmen who are expected to reach the NBA first round, with some even potentially joining the league next season. Here are 10 names you should start familiarizing yourself with and keeping a close eye on:
Wayne Ellington, shooting guard, University of North Carolina

Paul Harris, Guard/Forward, Syracuse University

Ty Lawson, point guard, University of North Carolina

Mike Conley, point guard, Ohio State University

Quincy Pondexter, Forward, University of Washington

Gerald Henderson, shooting guard, Duke University
Lance Thomas, Power Forward, Duke University

Robin Lopez, Center, Stanford University

Stephen Curry, Guard, Davidson University

Eli Xu, Guard/Forward, Texas Tech

　Please read on, add to your favorites, and vote! Thank you for your support!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)