Lamb himself was stunned.
How was that possible?!
He had clearly read Tang Tian's shift in balance just now, so how had he still been stripped when he turned around?
That made no sense!
While Lamb stood there dazed, Tang Tian passed the ball to the Bench Team, and they were already off on a fast break.
It was five-on-four in the frontcourt, and Napier sank another pull-up Mid Range jumper.
That made two straight baskets for him, venting all the frustration he had been holding in.
As he ran back, he even sought Tang Tian out for a high-five.
Both of those baskets had come from Tang Tian's steals!
Ollie could not even bring himself to yell at Lamb now. A thought had actually flashed through his mind: even if that had been Walker, he might not have been certain of getting past him.
The moment that thought surfaced, he rejected it himself.
It was just too absurd.
Lamb was still a rookie. Though he was gifted, he needed more polishing and experience.
Walker, on the other hand, was far better than Lamb.
Lamb still wanted the ball when they reached the frontcourt, but Walker did not give it to him this time.
"Calm down!" he shouted at Lamb.
As the team's leader and a junior, he naturally had far more experience.
The starting team ran a set in the frontcourt. Walker drove, Lamb came free off O'Riaqi's screen, took Walker's pass, and launched a Mid-Range Shot.
Bang!
Perhaps his emotions had not settled yet, but the shot was noticeably short.
O'Riaqi tried to crash for the offensive rebound, but Tang Tian boxed him out and he could not get in. A Bench Team player secured the Defensive Rebound.
Napier brought the ball into the frontcourt, called for a pick-and-roll with Tang Tian, then immediately fired a three-pointer.
He was shooting with confidence now!
Walker got caught on the screen and could not get through, while O'Riaqi was too slow to recover. Neither managed to contest it.
Swish!
With a crisp sound, Napier's three went in again!
He had scored seven straight points!
Napier let out an excited roar, then slapped hands hard with Tang Tian.
The two of them had developed the feel of a perfect partnership.
"I didn't know Tang could play basketball," Ollie said as he turned to Cahoon.
Cahoon smiled and nodded. He was now considering whether to give Tang Tian a chance to make the team's official roster.
The starting team went back on offense. The team had gone scoreless for a while, so Walker had to step up.
After calling O'Riaqi over for a screen, he got Tang Tian switched onto him.
Tang Tian had been making his presence felt on the court lately. Walker needed to take the edge off him.
Their relationship off the court did not affect the game. Walker's choice was the one that benefited the team most.
Seeing Walker prepare to take him one-on-one, Tang Tian gave it his full concentration.
Whether this stepping stone was solid enough would be decided by this possession.
Walker lowered his center of gravity, dribbling alternately with both hands and mixing in deceptive between-the-legs moves.
Compared with Lamb, his Ball Handling Skills were clearly on an entirely different level.
Then, while dribbling, he suddenly exploded forward with One-step acceleration.
Tang Tian retreated a step and claimed defensive position.
He got there!
Walker's drive was forced to a stop!
Everyone on and off the court widened their eyes at that moment.
Even Walker could not get past him?!
Unbelievable!
Though Walker was still playing in the NCAA, his main goal was to win UConn a national championship. His ability was already nearly NBA-level.
And Tang Tian had stopped him too!
This ball boy was seriously fierce!
After being forced to stop, Walker accelerated again, then made a huge change of direction.
Tang Tian tried to steal the ball but failed. Still, he stayed in defensive position, keeping Walker outside the three-second zone.
With little Offensive Time left, Walker could only settle for a step-back jumper.
Tang Tian lunged at him and almost blocked it.
The ball sailed over Tang Tian's hand, struck the backboard, then bounced into the basket.
Hearing the ball go in, Tang Tian turned back, took a look, and shook his head.
His physical gifts were far inferior to Tony Allen's. For now, he could not bring out the skill's full power and completely lock Walker down.
But everyone else was already stunned.
Tang Tian had actually forced Walker into such a situation!
If Walker's individual ability had not been strong enough just now, if he had hesitated even slightly longer before shooting, he might have been blocked.
Walker was not merely top ten in the entire NCAA—he was at least top fifty!
Tang Tian had become the Sweeping Monk from Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. He seemed utterly ordinary when he did not act, but once he did, it was earth-shattering!
"Kevin, do we still have any Scholarship spots left?" Cahoon asked Ollie, turning toward him.
"Scholarship? Old man, you want to give Tang a Scholarship?" Ollie asked in surprise.
Every recipient of a full athletic Scholarship was an elite player in high school competition, let alone at a powerhouse like UConn. Some high schoolers would fight tooth and nail just to get in!
Tang Tian had only played one game, and he had merely defended a few possessions. Cahoon was already considering a Scholarship for him?
Cahoon nodded.
"There are still spots. We didn't recruit many good newcomers this year, and if Lavoy transfers, there will be another one. But old man, shouldn't you think it over some more?" Ollie said.
"Why are you so nervous? I definitely won't give it to him that easily, but we need to reserve one. Don't you think his defense is exactly what we lack most?" Cahoon said with a smile.
Ollie fell silent for a while after hearing that, then nodded.
It was true. This team's offensive talent was decent, but its defense—especially its interior defense—was indeed weak. Starting center O'Riaqi had the build, but he was a little slow. In high intensity games, he could easily be targeted through mismatches.
And NCAA games had a slower offensive and defensive pace. Combined with the lack of a defensive three-second rule, the defensive intensity was actually even greater than in the NBA.
Stars could score because of their ability, but for most teams, defense was still the foundation they relied on.
The game continued, and Tang Tian caused the starting team plenty of trouble on the defensive end. Nearly every possession where they tried to exploit a mismatch against him failed.
When the scrimmage ended, Cahoon called Tang Tian over.
"Are you willing to join the team?" Cahoon asked directly.
"I am," Tang Tian answered without hesitation.
"Very good. I'll try to apply for a Scholarship for you, but there's no guarantee it will be approved," Cahoon continued.
Tang Tian nodded.
He knew Cahoon could not possibly give him a Scholarship based on this one game, but being allowed onto the team was already an opportunity.
If he could help the team later on, Cahoon certainly would not be stingy.
After all, this year's UConn roster was full of rookies. They were exactly when they needed people.
"Tang, you can do it! So you've been hiding your strength all along!" After Tang Tian finished talking with Cahoon, Walker came over and shoved him.
The two had a good relationship, and Walker was happy for him.
"I have a basketball dream too," Tang Tian said with a smile.
Leaving aside his previous life, the original owner of this body had chosen to work part-time through basketball and had trained with the team, which showed that he also loved basketball deeply.
It was just that he might have been too exhausted. Like Tang Tian, the original owner of this body had suddenly died of a heart attack.
Now that he had transmigrated here, it was time to push that dream a little closer to reality.
A lot of people ask why so many people recommend books to me. That's right, I just have good relationships with people.
Before you continue