Volume One: I Came, I Saw, I Conquered!

Volume One: I Came, I Saw, I Conquered! Chapter Twenty-Four: Coach, We Won! Ben Sladon hadn't expected Zhang Yu to put him in. He froze for a moment, then quickly got to his feet, pulled off his warm-up jacket, and headed to the scorer's table. Facing the 6'7" Woz, Curry—who was only 6'1" at the time—lowered his center of gravity and began dribbling. Woz watched his every move as if he were facing a deadly threat. Meanwhile, Kerr's hot hand had cooled. He missed three after three, and against the Bulldogs' zone defense, Indiana State had to rely on individual players to force their way to the basket. Their success rate was low, and they could only watch the gap grow. The score was 67–72, and the Bulldogs still led by five. Only 1 minute and 8 seconds remained. Zhang Yu walked over and whispered in his ear: The fans in the stands thought the team had the game all but won. They chatted and laughed, looking relaxed. The score was 64–69, and the lead had grown to five. Zhang Yu repeated himself. Graves didn't understand, but he followed the instruction anyway, backing up two steps to guard against the drive and leave the shot open. Before long, Curry had thrown Indiana State's defense into chaos. He switched seamlessly between attacking with and without the ball, and Moore couldn't keep up with him. Curry kept scoring. The ball swished through the net. 67–69—the lead was down to two again! "Remember the play I had you practice a few days ago?" The score was 64–69, and the lead had grown to five. Boom! "Give him the three! Let him shoot!" Meanwhile, Kerr's hot hand had cooled. He missed three after three, and against the Bulldogs' zone defense, Indiana State had to rely on individual players to force their way to the basket. Their success rate was low, and they could only watch the gap grow. Zhang Yu and Stevens were both smiling. The 12-point lead was short of what they'd hoped for, but given how the game had gone, it was still a sizable advantage. "Remember the play I had you practice a few days ago?" "Remember the play I had you practice a few days ago?" At the scorer's table, McKenna looked at the Bulldogs' lineup and felt an absurdity rising within him. "I do, Coach!" Ben Sladon answered with a nod. He dribbled to the top of the arc and immediately launched a three. The game suddenly changed. Moore exploded, scoring seven points with drives and outside shots, including a difficult three-pointer. He fired up Indiana State, and the team buckled down on defense, catching the Bulldogs off guard. The timeout ended quickly, but when McKenna saw the Bulldogs' lineup, he was so angry he nearly threw down his clipboard. The score was 62–66, with the Bulldogs leading by four. "Good. Run the play when you get in. You'll handle the ball." Zhang Yu patted him on the shoulder and sent him onto the court. "I'd rather trust our offense than try to win with defense," Zhang Yu said calmly. "And I don't believe Indiana State will focus on attacking inside. Moore's playing so well that McKenna won't give the ball to anyone else." "Remember the play I had you practice a few days ago?" "Julian will replace Campbell, and AJ will replace Ben. Switch to man-to-man defense and collapse into the paint to protect the boards. On offense, set screens for Stephen. Stephen, run the pick-and-roll. Take the shot if you get a chance; otherwise, go one-on-one. If they double-team you, pass to a teammate right away. Got it?" AJ Graves returned to the bench, panting, and covered his face with a towel. Zhang Yu strolled over and smiled: To everyone's surprise, Drew failed to stop Moore. His broad-looking frame shifted to the side as soon as Moore bumped into him. After grabbing the rebound, Curry stood still. When the whistle blew, he threw the ball high into the air, ran excitedly to Zhang Yu, and threw himself against him, shouting: Zhang Yu was delighted. He'd guessed right—McKenna really wasn't going to focus on attacking inside! On the bench, Zhang Yu looked around at his panting players, his face livid. He roared: But the Bulldogs' center was only a role player, and that young coach still dared to set up like this. Had he given up? Indiana State's defensive formation was completely scrambled. Their attention was fixed on Ben Sladon, and the original matchups had shifted, leaving Curry guarded by Woz. "Look at what you're doing! Stephen's the only one moving according to the play. You're all panicking like a bunch of mice, scurrying around with your heads down. You don't look like NCAA players at all!" "Coach, we won!" "What, you don't want to get taken out?" After Curry drove past Woz, Arnold immediately came over to help. Curry faked a drive, then whipped the ball left to the unguarded Mike Green. Green caught it and shot at once. The three-pointer went in! On the change of possession, Zhang Yu suddenly called out loudly: This time, Graves still stood three steps away from Moore. Moore didn't hesitate. He adjusted and fired a three. Stevens had seen the play Zhang Yu designed for Curry for the first time and had given it a name: "Curry and His Pick-and-Rollers." But the Bulldogs' center was only a role player, and that young coach still dared to set up like this. Had he given up? Zhang Yu had made his players practice this play a few days ago, hadn't he? "I do, Coach!" Ben Sladon answered with a nod. The game suddenly changed. Moore exploded, scoring seven points with drives and outside shots, including a difficult three-pointer. He fired up Indiana State, and the team buckled down on defense, catching the Bulldogs off guard. Zhang Yu quickly called a timeout as soon as he saw the game threatening to slip away, then carefully laid out a play. Graves nodded firmly, quickly grabbed his warm-up jacket, and put it on to keep from losing too much body heat. In the end, Moore's next three-point attempt missed, and Indiana State gave up on the possession. Curry caught Ben Sladon's pass, pulled the ball to his left between his legs, then followed with a behind-the-back dribble and switched it to his right hand, leaving Woz completely behind. He charged into the paint, contorted his body in midair to avoid Tannell's block, and made the layup! After Ben Sladon checked in, he relayed Zhang Yu's instructions to his teammates, took Mike Green's baseline inbound pass, and dribbled up the court. On the bench, Zhang Yu looked around at his panting players, his face livid. He roared: The score was 41–45, and Indiana State was keeping close. Moore answered with a difficult pull-up jumper, keeping the gap at two. Moore stuck close to Curry, still throwing little fouls at him, but Curry was off the ball. Using screens from Drew and Campbell, he first circled into the paint, then abruptly cut back the other way and shook Moore. Coming back down the court, Curry used a screen to get Tannell switched onto him. He struck a triple-threat pose, then suddenly shot when Tannell backed up. The three-pointer bounced off the rim and in! Curry shook off Moore, but Woz, the power forward, was waiting in front of him. No way. They were still up by two... Curry shook off Moore, but Woz, the power forward, was waiting in front of him. At the scorer's table, McKenna looked at the Bulldogs' lineup and felt an absurdity rising within him. AJ Graves returned to the bench, panting, and covered his face with a towel. Zhang Yu strolled over and smiled: Before long, Curry had thrown Indiana State's defense into chaos. He switched seamlessly between attacking with and without the ball, and Moore couldn't keep up with him. Curry kept scoring. The fans in the stands thought the team had the game all but won. They chatted and laughed, looking relaxed. "I'm not taking you out because your defense is bad. The team needs Ben on offense. Don't overthink it. Get some rest—we'll need you again." Zhang Yu's voice was low. Just keep leaving me open! After two months of training, every Bulldogs player had "get the ball to Curry" ingrained in his mind. The play was designed to create room for Curry to shoot. Everyone on the Bulldogs except Drew had moved out to the three-point line, nearly giving up on offensive rebounds. To everyone's surprise, Drew failed to stop Moore. His broad-looking frame shifted to the side as soon as Moore bumped into him. Ben Sladon seized the chance to use his driving ability, charging into Indiana State's paint. But Tannell and Woz guarded the basket closely, and when he found no opening, he circled back out. Ben Sladon immediately passed the ball to Curry, who caught it and shot. The three-pointer swished through! "Remember the play I had you practice a few days ago?" Zhang Yu saw that the game might slip away and immediately called a timeout to carefully lay out a play. Graves nodded firmly, quickly grabbed his warm-up jacket, and put it on to keep from losing too much body heat. In the end, Moore's next three-point attempt missed, and Indiana State gave up on the possession. Curry caught Ben Sladon's pass, pulled the ball to his left between his legs, then followed with a behind-the-back dribble and switched it to his right hand, leaving Woz completely behind. He charged into the paint, contorted his body in midair to avoid Tannell's block, and made the layup! Could he really risk letting the defense inside collapse? After Ben Sladon checked in, he relayed Zhang Yu's instructions to his teammates, took Mike Green's baseline inbound pass, and dribbled up the court. On the bench, Zhang Yu looked around at his panting players, his face livid. He roared: Moore answered with a difficult pull-up jumper, keeping the gap at two. Moore stuck close to Curry, still throwing little fouls at him, but Curry was off the ball. Using screens from Drew and Campbell, he first circled into the paint, then abruptly cut back the other way and shook Moore. No way. They were still up by two... Curry caught Ben Sladon's pass, pulled the ball to his left between his legs, then followed with a behind-the-back dribble and switched it to his right hand, leaving Woz completely behind. He charged into the paint, contorted his body in midair to avoid Tannell's block, and made the layup! After Ben Sladon checked in, he relayed Zhang Yu's instructions to his teammates, took Mike Green's baseline inbound pass, and dribbled up the court. The score was 38–45, with the Bulldogs leading by seven. Meanwhile, Kerr's hot hand had cooled. He missed three after three, and against the Bulldogs' zone defense, Indiana State had to rely on individual players to force their way to the basket. Their success rate was low, and they could only watch the gap grow. "What, you don't want to get taken out?" But the Bulldogs' center was only a role player, and that young coach still dared to set up like this. Had he given up? Zhang Yu had made his players practice this play a few days ago, hadn't he? Curry's return to the bench was like a hero's homecoming. His teammates either slapped him hard on the back or jumped up to bump into him. Drew was the worst: taking advantage of his height, he vigorously rubbed Curry's head with both hands. The players lowered their heads in shame. Zhang Yu paused, then continued: Kerr answered with a wide-open three after running off the ball. "I do, Coach!" Ben Sladon answered with a nod. The game suddenly changed. Moore exploded, scoring seven points with drives and outside shots, including a difficult three-pointer. He fired up Indiana State, and the team buckled down on defense, catching the Bulldogs off guard. That Chinese guy had actually taken out the power forward and put in a backup small forward? Indiana State had possession. McKenna put all his hopes on Moore, but Moore's magic had worn off. His desperate three bounced off the rim, and Chris Pol grabbed the rebound and immediately passed to Curry. The score was 41–45, and Indiana State was keeping close. The Bulldogs had possession, with Ben Sladon handling the ball and Curry moving without it. Curry stuck close to Moore, still throwing little fouls at him, but Curry was off the ball. Using screens from Drew and Campbell, he first circled into the paint, then abruptly cut back the other way and shook Moore. Ben Sladon seemed not to have expected Zhang Yu to send him in. He froze for a moment, then quickly got up, pulled off his warm-up jacket, and headed to the scorer's table. While the two were talking, the referee blew the whistle to resume play. It was the Bulldogs' possession. Indiana State had possession. McKenna put all his hopes on Moore, who had the ball, and gave him the green light to shoot whenever he wanted. After Ben Sladon checked in, he relayed Zhang Yu's instructions to his teammates, took Mike Green's baseline inbound pass, and dribbled up the court. The score was 38–45, with the Bulldogs leading by seven. Meanwhile, Kerr's hot hand had cooled. He missed three after three, and against the Bulldogs' zone defense, Indiana State had to rely on individual players to force their way to the basket. Their success rate was low, and they could only watch the gap grow. "What, you don't want to get taken out?" But the Bulldogs' center was only a role player, and that young coach still dared to set up like this. Had he given up? This was part of the Bulldogs' regular practice. If Moore got past Campbell's screen, he'd find Mike Green waiting for him on the left wing. Curry's return to the bench was like a hero's homecoming. His teammates either slapped him hard on the back or jumped up to bump into him. Drew was the worst: taking advantage of his height, he vigorously rubbed Curry's head with both hands. The players lowered their heads in shame. Zhang Yu paused, then continued: Moore answered with a difficult pull-up jumper, keeping the gap at two. Kerr answered with a wide-open three after running off the ball. "I do, Coach!" Ben Sladon answered with a nod. The game suddenly changed. Moore exploded, scoring seven points with drives and outside shots, including a difficult three-pointer. He fired up Indiana State, and the team buckled down on defense, catching the Bulldogs off guard. That Chinese guy had actually taken out the power forward and put in a backup small forward? Indiana State had possession. McKenna put all his hopes on Moore, who had the ball, and gave him the green light to shoot whenever he wanted. Moore stuck close to Curry, still throwing little fouls at him, but Curry was off the ball. Using screens from Drew and Campbell, he first circled into the paint, then abruptly cut back the other way and shook Moore. Ben Sladon seemed not to have expected Zhang Yu to send him in. He froze for a moment, then quickly got up, pulled off his warm-up jacket, and headed to the scorer's table. While the two were talking, the referee blew the whistle to resume play. It was the Bulldogs' possession. Indiana State had possession. McKenna put all his hopes on Moore, who had the ball, and gave him the green light to shoot whenever he wanted. After Ben Sladon checked in, he relayed Zhang Yu's instructions to his teammates, took Mike Green's baseline inbound pass, and dribbled up the court. The score was 38–45, with the Bulldogs leading by seven. Meanwhile, Kerr's hot hand had cooled. He missed three after three, and against the Bulldogs' zone defense, Indiana State had to rely on individual players to force their way to the basket. Their success rate was low, and they could only watch the gap grow. "What, you don't want to get taken out?" But the Bulldogs' center was only a role player, and that young coach still dared to set up like this. Had he given up? This was part of the Bulldogs' regular practice. If Moore got past Campbell's screen, he'd find Mike Green waiting for him on the left wing. Curry's return to the bench was like a hero's homecoming. His teammates either slapped him hard on the back or jumped up to bump into him. Drew was the worst: taking advantage of his height, he vigorously rubbed Curry's head with both hands. The players lowered their heads in shame. Zhang Yu paused, then continued: Kerr answered with a wide-open three after running off the ball. "I do, Coach!" Ben Sladon answered with a nod. The game suddenly changed. Moore exploded, scoring seven points with drives and outside shots, including a difficult three-pointer. He fired up Indiana State, and the team buckled down on defense, catching the Bulldogs off guard. That Chinese guy had actually taken out the power forward and put in a backup small forward? Indiana State had possession. McKenna put all his hopes on Moore, who had the ball, and gave him the green light to shoot whenever he wanted. Moore stuck close to Curry, still throwing little fouls at him, but Curry was off the ball. Using screens from Drew and Campbell, he first circled into the paint, then abruptly cut back the other way and shook Moore. Ben Sladon seized the chance to use his driving ability, charging into Indiana State's paint. But Tannell and Woz guarded the basket closely, and when he found no opening, he circled back out. He couldn't be serious—had he given up on defending the paint? Zhang Yu quickly called another timeout. Once it was over, he'd have only one timeout left, and things were looking grim for the Bulldogs. "Remember the play I had you practice a few days ago?" That Chinese guy had actually taken out the power forward and put in a backup small forward? There was no way Moore could keep Curry from scoring. He switched seamlessly between attacking with and without the ball, and Moore couldn't keep up. Curry kept scoring. "Remember the play I had you practice a few days ago?" Ben Sladon seized the chance to use his driving ability, charging into Indiana State's paint. But Tannell and Woz guarded the basket closely, and when he found no opening, he circled back out. Could he really risk letting the defense inside collapse? Before long, Curry had thrown Indiana State's defense into chaos. He switched seamlessly between attacking with and without the ball, and Moore couldn't keep up with him. Curry kept scoring. Indiana State had possession. McKenna put all his hopes on Moore, who had the ball, and gave him the green light to shoot whenever he wanted. Zhang Yu walked over and whispered in his ear: He'd recaptured his high school form, darting around so deftly that Moore was completely turned around. Mike Green was moving without the ball on the other side, too. With five minutes left, Campbell's dunk put the Bulldogs ahead 61–49, a 12-point lead over Indiana State. Indiana State's defense was completely scrambled. Their attention was fixed on Ben Sladon, and the original matchups had shifted, leaving Curry guarded by Woz. "Let him shoot the three! Let him shoot!" Just keep leaving me open! The play was designed to create room for Curry to shoot. Everyone on the Bulldogs except Drew had moved out to the three-point line, nearly giving up on offensive rebounds. Curry caught Ben Sladon's pass, pulled the ball to his left between his legs, then followed with a behind-the-back dribble and switched it to his right hand, leaving Woz completely behind. He charged into the paint, contorted his body in midair to avoid Tannell's block, and made the layup! The score was 38–45, with the Bulldogs leading by seven. That Chinese guy had actually taken out the power forward and put in a backup small forward? The score was 64–69, and the lead had grown to five. AJ Graves looked at Zhang Yu in surprise. As soon as he'd returned to the court, he'd been assigned to guard Moore again. On the bench, Zhang Yu looked around at his panting players, his face livid. He roared: But the appeal of competitive sports lay in its unpredictability. No one knew what would happen next. Zhang Yu walked over and whispered in his ear: Indiana State's defense was completely scrambled. Their attention was fixed on Ben Sladon, and the original matchups had shifted, leaving Curry guarded by Woz. The score was 41–47. In the end, Julian Becko grabbed the rebound and immediately whipped the ball to Curry. Before long, Curry had thrown Indiana State's defense into chaos. He switched seamlessly between attacking with and without the ball, and Moore couldn't keep up with him. Curry kept scoring. But the Bulldogs' center was only a role player, and that young coach still dared to set up like this. Had he given up? This was Zhang Yu's play: he put two point guards on the court, let Curry move without the ball, and had Ben Sladon handle it. That unleashed Curry's off-ball game. But when the other team focused on the ball handler, Curry could attack with the ball from the weak side, tearing their defense apart! The game suddenly changed. Moore exploded, scoring seven points with drives and outside shots, including a difficult three-pointer. He fired up Indiana State, and the team buckled down on defense, catching the Bulldogs off guard. Curry used a screen to get Tannell switched onto him. He struck a triple-threat pose, then suddenly shot when Tannell backed up. The three-pointer bounced off the rim and in! The Bulldogs had possession. This time Curry used a screen to get open, rose immediately, and swished the three! Boom! The score was 41–45, and Indiana State was keeping close. The ball didn't drop through the hoop as hoped. It hit the front of the rim and bounced out, and both teams scrambled for it under the basket. This was a play only the Bulldogs could run. Curry was still raw, but the unmatched off-ball movement he'd shown at his peak was already taking shape. He was every bit as good as top off-ball shooters like JJ Redick, who'd been drafted in the lottery. After a season of development, his on-ball offense had also reached an elite NCAA level. Across the NCAA, no one else could combine off-ball and on-ball play as perfectly as Curry. On the change of possession, Zhang Yu suddenly called out loudly: AJ Graves looked at Zhang Yu in surprise. After returning to the court, he'd once again been assigned to guard Moore. The fans in the stands thought the team had the game all but won. They chatted and laughed, looking relaxed. Could he really risk letting the defense inside collapse? The score was 64–69, and the lead had grown to five. AJ Graves looked at Zhang Yu in surprise. After returning to the court, he'd once again been assigned to guard Moore. Before long, Curry had thrown Indiana State's defense into chaos. He switched seamlessly between attacking with and without the ball, and Moore couldn't keep up with him. Curry kept scoring. But after Moore got past the first screen, Campbell stepped in front of him and stopped him. Curry had called for a double screen! Zhang Yu repeated himself. Graves didn't understand, but he followed the instruction anyway, backing up two steps to guard against the drive and leave the shot open. The Bulldogs had possession. This time Curry used a screen to get open, rose immediately, and swished the three! Graves nodded firmly, quickly grabbed his warm-up jacket, and put it on to keep from losing too much body heat. Clang! "Good. Keep it up!" Meanwhile, Kerr's hot hand had cooled. He missed three after three, and against the Bulldogs' zone defense, Indiana State had to rely on individual players to force their way to the basket. Their success rate was low, and they could only watch the gap grow. The score was 38–45, with the Bulldogs leading by seven. At that moment, Woz experienced what despair felt like. Curry simply changed direction and blew past him. Woz's huge frame looked as clumsy as a log beside Curry; Curry left him completely behind. Before long, Curry had thrown Indiana State's defense into chaos. He switched seamlessly between attacking with and without the ball, and Moore couldn't keep up with him. Curry kept scoring. After Curry drove past Woz, Arnold immediately came over to help. Curry faked a drive, then whipped the ball left to the unguarded Mike Green. Green caught it and shot at once. The three-pointer went in! Stevens had seen the play Zhang Yu designed for Curry for the first time and had given it a name: "Curry and His Pick-and-Rollers." Moore was caught off guard and couldn't get a hand up in time. He could only watch the ball sail over his head, spin rapidly through the air, and drop straight through the net! "Look at what you're doing! Stephen's the only one moving according to the play. You're all panicking like a bunch of mice, scurrying around with your heads down. You don't look like NCAA players at all!" Moore was caught off guard and couldn't get a hand up in time. He could only watch the ball sail over his head, spin rapidly through the air, and drop straight through the net! With five minutes left, Campbell's dunk put the Bulldogs ahead 61–49, a 12-point lead over Indiana State. Moore heard Zhang Yu's words and grew furious. How dare he look down on me! "Good. Run the play when you get in. You'll handle the ball." Zhang Yu patted him on the shoulder and sent him onto the court. No wonder the man had taken out the power forward and put in a backup small forward. NCAA games weren't like NBA games. They weren't 48 minutes long, and they weren't divided into four quarters. Instead, they had two halves, each 20 minutes long, and each possession could last as long as 35 seconds. McKenna couldn't believe it. He'd seen plenty of four-guard lineups, but those needed a dominant center who could anchor both the offense and defense inside. Only then would a team dare to use four smaller players and give its giant room to wreak havoc in the paint. AJ Graves looked at Zhang Yu in surprise. After returning to the court, he'd once again been assigned to guard Moore. That made the pace of NCAA games much slower than the NBA's, and the scores much lower. A 12-point lead was already a big one. Before long, the timeout ended and play resumed. The fans were no longer relaxed. They shouted loudly to cheer on the team. Moore heard Zhang Yu's words and grew furious. How dare he look down on me! The fans in the stands thought the team had the game all but won. They chatted and laughed, looking relaxed. After Ben Sladon checked in, he relayed Zhang Yu's instructions to his teammates, took Mike Green's baseline inbound pass, and dribbled up the court. Moore stuck close to Curry, still throwing little fouls at him, but Curry was off the ball. Using screens from Drew and Campbell, he first circled into the paint, then abruptly cut back the other way and shook Moore. In the end, Moore's next three-point attempt missed, and Indiana State gave up on the possession. Zhang Yu and Stevens were both smiling. The 12-point lead was short of what they'd hoped for, but given how the game had gone, it was still a sizable advantage. The fans in the stands thought the team had the game all but won. They chatted and laughed, looking relaxed. "Ronan, isn't it too risky to have Drew as our only big? We won't be able to protect the paint." Stevens looked at Zhang Yu, confused. But the appeal of competitive sports lay in its unpredictability. No one knew what would happen next. This was part of the Bulldogs' regular practice. If Moore got past Campbell's screen, he'd find Mike Green waiting for him on the left wing. "I do, Coach!" Ben Sladon answered with a nod. Swish! Stevens had seen the play Zhang Yu designed for Curry for the first time and had given it a name: "Curry and His Pick-and-Rollers." The ball was caught by surprise, and Moore had no time to block the shot. He could only watch it sail over his head, spin rapidly through the air, and drop straight through the net! Curry was caught off guard and couldn't get a hand up in time. He could only watch the ball sail over his head, spin rapidly through the air, and drop straight through the net! With five minutes left, Campbell's dunk put the Bulldogs ahead 61–49, a 12-point lead over Indiana State. Moore stuck close to Curry, still throwing little fouls at him, but Curry was off the ball. Using screens from Drew and Campbell, he first circled into the paint, then abruptly cut back the other way and shook Moore. In the end, Julian Becko grabbed the rebound and immediately whipped the ball to Curry. Zhang Yu and Stevens were both smiling. The 12-point lead was short of what they'd hoped for, but given how the game had gone, it was still a sizable advantage. "Coach, we won!"