NBA: A collection of super busts

What truly gave Syracuse the upper hand was their defense. They started the game with a 2-3 zone defense, which is the most effective defensive formation against skilled penetrators.

TJ Ford, who is not good at shooting, fell into the trap as expected, making a series of mistakes at the start of the game, and missing several long-range attempts.

After Syracuse started with a 9-2 run, they maintained firm control of the game and repeatedly extended their lead to more than 10 points. Texas proved to be a formidable force with incredible resilience, managing to keep the score close and prevent Syracuse from widening the gap further.

The turning point of the game came when Texas's leader, TJ Ford, picked up his third foul with six minutes left in the first half and had to leave the game early. Before leaving, although he had 7 points and 7 assists, which seemed quite impressive, he also had 5 turnovers and only made 2 of 8 shots.

After he left the court, the rest of the Texas team found their rhythm and went on a 10-2 run, narrowing the gap to 3 points!

At the end of the first half, the score was 48-45!

In the second half, Ford returned to the starting lineup and finally showed some of the flair expected of the NCAA Player of the Year, scoring on two consecutive drives, including one 2+1 play!

After scoring 5 consecutive points, Texas finally took the lead!

This was the first time they had taken the lead in the game.

"Dissatisfied with me? Think I'm unworthy?" After scoring consecutive points, Ford roared excitedly, "I'm the fucking NCAA King this year!"

Unbeknownst to Ford, his roar had activated another beast.

Cameron Anthony.

This guy toned down his performance in the first half, only taking 8 shots and scoring 10 points, grabbing 6 rebounds. His performance was at best mediocre.

But right after Ford's boasting, Anthony suddenly turned on his offensive mode!

Mid-range jump shot, three-pointer, layup, post-up play, and rebounding and scoring after a missed shot!

He unleashed his full range of skills, showcasing his versatile offensive prowess to all the scouts present!

He is good at all ways of scoring; he can put the ball in the basket from anywhere on the court.

On the offensive end, this guy is simply unstoppable!

"Absolutely NBA-level scoring ability, able to adopt different offensive methods against different opponents, a smart scorer." Riley, who had somehow arrived in Louisiana, sat in a private box and kept muttering to himself. He found that Anthony's performance was exactly the same as described in the scouting report.

"NBA level?" Riley chuckled suddenly. "This guy could become a scoring champion in three years at most. If we can get a top-three pick, selecting him is definitely a win-win situation!"

Then, Riley looked at another player he wanted to scout that night.

Ford's performance was much more disappointing to him than Anthony's.

This guy is nicknamed "Little Iverson," but apart from speed, he can't compare to Iverson in any aspect. Even compared to Iverson at the same age, he's completely inferior.

Aside from top-tier speed, whether it's dribbling, shooting, playmaking, defense, or even mentality, he's far inferior to Iverson.

"Top ten? No, it's a waste to pick it with the lottery! 15-20 might be a good range."

Riley watched the game, analyzing and thinking about the players' abilities, imagining who could join the Heat and help the team rise quickly, and who he could offer a training camp contract to give them a try.

While Riley continued to think, Anthony on the court was completely unstoppable.

This guy drove hard to the basket for a layup but got blocked. However, he quickly grabbed the rebound using his second jump and then put it back in for a basket.

This is his 18th point in the second half!

After that basket, Syracuse once again extended their lead to 10 points, and for the first time in the second half!

In stark contrast, Ford failed to score after his initial 5 points, repeatedly missing shots and committing several turnovers against Syracuse's zone defense.

Since the team's star player couldn't carry the production and couldn't match the opposing team's star player, Texas was naturally always at a disadvantage.

With 4 minutes and 24 seconds left in the game, a goal came that made Ford's value plummet to the Mariana Trench.

He made a mistake and was dispossessed. He then made a hasty attempt to steal the ball back, but the referee called a defensive foul on him!

The fifth time!

This impulsive and pointless move resulted in Ford being sent off.

In another box, West shook his head as well: "Ford is finished. Nobody will consider getting him in the top five. That's not good news for us."

What further diminished his draft value was Texas's subsequent offensive surge, where they tenaciously narrowed the score to 85-81 with 1 minute and 20 seconds remaining!

Only 4 points behind!

Unfortunately, just when they were about to see the light at the end of the tunnel, Anthony delivered the fatal blow.

A powerful dunk followed by a steal and a fast break layup brought Texas to four consecutive points, effectively ending their dream of reaching the finals.

The rest of the game became garbage time, and Syracuse University ultimately advanced to the finals with a score of 95-84!

Carmelo Anthony became the hero who saved the team tonight, scoring 33 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, including 7 offensive rebounds. His points and rebounds both set new career highs in college!

He proved his ability and draft position with his most impressive game of the year!

After the game, Anthony only said one thing to the media: "They didn't choose me for the Wooden Award? They didn't choose me for the Naismith Award? They didn't choose me for the All-NBA First Team?"

"Excellent! That's the result!"

A smug and arrogant Anthony left the arena, his nostrils practically pointing to the ceiling as he went.

Before he left the court, the Kansas players had already left the arena.

They're going to the locker room to prepare for the game.

At the same time, Marquette's players had also left the meeting room and boarded the bus.

They live less than 10 minutes away from the stadium.

On the team bus, Coach Krein was also making the most of every minute, asking his players, "I've already gone over the instructions for the upcoming match many times, what do you think, Ye?"

Ye Feng, who was always the first to be mentioned, immediately said, "Anthony is indeed a top-tier offensive player. His scoring area covers the entire half of the court, and this was demonstrated to the fullest in tonight's game."

"What's more frightening than his all-around scoring methods is the versatility and adaptability he displays when facing different defensive strategies and different defenders."

"Who the hell asked you that!" Coach Crain snapped. "I'm asking you about Kansas!"

"Kansas, huh?" Ye Feng chuckled. "They're doomed!"