Is He Really Just a Caddy?

There are several types of scholarships in the United States. Both undergraduate and graduate programs offer academic scholarships. The full scholarship that this body had previously applied for and failed to get was an undergraduate full scholarship.

However, aside from academic scholarships, each school also allocates a certain number of athletic scholarships each year, though the quantity is much smaller.

According to official statistics, less than 2% of American high school students receive athletic scholarships each year. Even among NCAA Division I athletes, that percentage is only 56.

Furthermore, NCAA Division I scholarships are only available in six sports: men's football, men's basketball, women's basketball, women's volleyball, women's tennis, and women's gymnastics.

For men's basketball, each school has only 13 full scholarship slots per year, and that number also has to account for potential redshirt players.

Unlike professional leagues, the NCAA has no roster size limit, but generally, a team's roster will be between 10 and 15 players.

It seems like almost everyone gets a share, but the prerequisite is that you have to make the team. Getting into an NCAA Division I program is almost as difficult as getting into the NBA—both are like crossing a single-plank bridge over a chasm of thousands of troops.

Old Man Cahoon's question was the opportunity Tang Tian had been waiting for.

Cahoon hadn't expected Tang Tian to answer so quickly, and he was stunned for a moment.

"I've been with the team for over half a year now, and I've basically memorized all the plays. It shouldn't be a problem." Seeing the old man's reaction, Tang Tian explained.

Cahoon nodded after listening and gestured for the training to continue.

Ollie shook his head helplessly on the sidelines.

UConn, in this turbulent period, had actually resorted to using a ball boy!

Walker high-fived Tang Tian with a smile, showing that the two of them usually had a pretty good relationship.

The full-court scrimmage was between the starters and the bench team. Tang Tian was subbing in for Forsyth, playing the center position on the bench team.

As he took the court, he observed the lineups on both sides.

Walker was a third-year player, Alex Oriakhi was a second-year player, and the remaining seven were all freshmen.

However, among these freshmen, a few would eventually make it to the NBA, like Shabazz Napier and Jeremy Lamb. But that was in the future; right now, their faces were full of youthful inexperience.

The scrimmage continued. Walker drove on Napier and hit a stop-and-pop jumper.

As the team boss, he was giving the rookie Napier a lesson.

"Tighten up! Don't give him that much space to shoot!" Ollie shouted loudly at Napier from the sidelines.

Old Man Cahoon stood on the sidelines, biding his time. He had mostly left this kind of reprimanding to his successor.

After being yelled at, Napier got a bit anxious. He drove straight at Walker all the way to the basket on the next possession.

His speed and physicality were decent, and he squeezed past Walker, but his shot was forced and he got stuffed by Oriakhi with a huge block.

Ollie shrugged helplessly on the sidelines. This was UConn's current level.

The bench team's sideline ball inbounded, but they still couldn't score. Walker pushed the ball to the frontcourt again and didn't go at Napier this time, saving face for his younger brother.

The ball was swung to Lamb.

Lamb was a standard lanky swingman. He was the most talented player in UConn's high school recruiting class this year, with sharp drives, a stable shot, good rebounding, and defense that ranked among the top in the NCAA.

If Walker left UConn, Lamb would be the clear successor.

He called for a pick from Oriakhi, then accelerated straight to the rim after the screen.

His explosive first step and timing were excellent, and Ollie on the sidelines was delighted.

This looked like it had a bit of promise.

But immediately, his expression changed.

Because Lamb was stopped by Tang Tian right after his first step.

Tang Tian had appeared perfectly on Lamb's driving path and completely sealed off his route to the basket.

Ollie's brow furrowed tightly. Lamb had actually been stopped by a ball boy!

None of the team's new players were in form today!

But Cahoon's eyes lit up at this moment.

Tang Tian's anticipation was very accurate, and his defensive movement was spot on. It seemed that his claim of knowing the team's plays wasn't just empty talk.

Lamb had been ready to go up for the layup, but he was surprised to see Tang Tian there. However, he didn't panic. He used a crossover to create some space between them, then tried a change of direction to accelerate past.

But to his surprise, Tang Tian appeared on his driving path again!

"Huh?" This time, Ollie also shifted his attention to Tang Tian.

Failing to get past once could be a coincidence, but twice was something else.

Lamb hadn't been with the team long, and Ollie knew his abilities well.

This Tang Tian, looks like he's got something!

Lamb's brow furrowed.

Both the head coach and assistant coach were watching from the sidelines, and he had failed to get past a ball boy twice in a row.

Unlike Walker, he hadn't been with the team long and didn't have that good a relationship with Tang Tian.

He changed direction again, this time with a wider move.

"Smack!"

But just then, Tang Tian suddenly struck, swiping the ball clean out of his hands in one motion!

Ollie's eyes went wide.

Lamb had actually been stripped!

Stripped by Tang Tian, a ball boy!

The other players on the court didn't react in time at first.

After the steal, Tang Tian immediately passed the ball to Napier, who drove the length of the court for an easy layup.

"How did you do that?" Only then did a teammate from the Bench Team shout at Tang Tian.

"Luck," Tang Tian said modestly.

He wanted the scholarship, so he had to make the team—he had no desire to sour things with Lamb.

That was his thinking, but Lamb didn't see it that way.

Before coming to UConn, he'd been a top-ranked player among high schoolers nationwide. Even here, he'd gone straight into the Starting Team. Being stripped by a ball boy? That was a blow to his pride.

Walker dribbled to the frontcourt, and Lamb actively signaled for the ball.

He'd been careless before. This time, he'd play seriously and reclaim his lost dignity.

Crossover, double crossover, accelerate, decelerate, then another crossover.

Lamb executed a series of Technical moves with practiced skill, but Tang Tian—he simply didn't get past him.

"Interesting," Cahoon said with a rare smile.

He hadn't known Tang Tian since yesterday; in fact, he'd known him about as long as he'd known Walker. But he never expected Tang Tian to possess such strong Individual Defense. This really caught him off guard—and pleasantly surprised him.

Unable to break through from the front, Lamb turned his back to the basket, posting up. After bracing himself, he suddenly spun around.

"Slap!"

Lamb turned his body, but the ball was swiped away by Tang Tian.

Again!

Lamb had been stripped by Tang Tian once more!

And it happened the instant Lamb spun—a perfectly timed steal.

Clean, beautiful, flawless.

Ollie stared, dumbfounded.

This... was he really just a ball boy?