Inside Beast

"This is a clash of titans. Based on our pre-game rankings, whoever wins this game will rise to second place in the league," the pre-game commentator began, building the atmosphere.

"Yes, UConn is in great form and playing at home, so they'll definitely want to extend their winning streak. But Georgetown's Monroe won't agree to that; he scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in their last matchup! I heard UConn's Tang will be the new starting power forward, which might not be the best choice for a game like this," the guest commentator added.

Monroe is a traditional center, standing at 2.11 meters and weighing 114 kilograms, making him an Inside Beast in the NCAA.

UConn putting Orland on the bench and starting Tang Tian at this moment would indeed put them at a disadvantage defensively.

Remember, Tang Tian's previous defensive assignments were against small forwards or shooting guards; his defensive effectiveness against a big center like Monroe definitely wouldn't match Orland's.

"We don't know Cahoon's tactical intentions, but I'm still quite looking forward to Tang's starting debut. He's brought us too many surprises in the past."

As the two commentators spoke, the players from both teams completed their final pre-game warm-ups, and the starting lineups began to take the court.

For UConn, the backcourt consists of Walker and Lamb, the forward line has Smith and Tang Tian, and the center is O'Riaqi.

Georgetown University is led by Greg Monroe.

Amidst the cheers of the home fans, O'Riaqi and Monroe faced off for the jump ball at center court.

Monroe tipped the ball over O'Riaqi back into their half.

O'Riaqi was slightly taller than Monroe, but Monroe had a much better wingspan and quicker reaction speed, making the tip-back easy.

Georgetown's guard brought the ball upcourt and passed it directly to Monroe.

The Princeton Offense, developed by Pete Carril during his time at Princeton University, has a core philosophy of player and ball movement. It utilizes the center's playmaking from the high post to create endless Cuts and Backdoor plays, finding the best shooting opportunities with ample freedom.

As Monroe held the ball, Georgetown's wing players were constantly setting off-ball screens and making backdoor cuts.

However, Cahoon clearly learned from their previous loss. They were now employing a 2-1-2 Zone Defense, and after their players secured their respective areas, they didn't give Georgetown many good offensive chances.

Seeing his teammates had no opportunity, Monroe backed down O'Riaqi and turned directly towards the basket.

O'Riaqi chased him from behind, attempting to block Monroe like he did Lavoy Allen.

But Monroe's finishing ability was clearly much stronger than Allen's, and he immediately threw down a powerful one-handed slam dunk.

Georgetown scored first.

On UConn's offense, Walker used Tang Tian's screen to drive to the basket and finished with a layup off the glass over the defender.

However, he underestimated Monroe's help defense speed. As soon as he released the shot, Monroe's large hand was already covering it.

"Bang!"

Walker's shot was swatted directly out of bounds by Monroe!

After the block, Monroe let out a roar towards the sideline.

The arena erupted in a frenzy.

This was Greg Monroe. He had steadily improved year by year at Georgetown University, and now as a junior, he was averaging 17.7 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2 blocks per game, already making him one of the top Inside Beasts in the NCAA.

UConn's sideline out-of-bounds play. Walker drove and pulled up for a floater, but it missed. Monroe, boxing out O'Riaqi, secured the defensive rebound.

O'Riaqi's height usually allowed him to grab many offensive rebounds in most games, but he was completely outmatched by Monroe now.

After Monroe grabbed the rebound, Georgetown didn't rush their offense. The guard slowly dribbled the ball upcourt.

Unlike other universities that were speeding up their pace, Georgetown University consistently stuck to their traditional style of play, employing the Princeton Offense, where a slow offensive tempo was also one of their characteristics.

Monroe was once again orchestrating from the high post.

UConn's defense was also working hard, and Monroe once again opted for a turnaround post-up move.

O'Riaqi was trying his best but still couldn't keep up.

However, at this moment, Tang Tian abandoned his defensive assignment and came over to help.

"Bang!"

His help defense was timely, but Monroe didn't slow down and collided directly with him.

The referee blew his whistle, signaling an illegal screen by Tang Tian.

Tang Tian was helped up by Walker and Smith, and he couldn't help but rub his chest.

That collision really hurt. Monroe was truly an Inside Beast.

And it was a defensive foul.

He mused that he still needed to find a way to earn some cash points and exchange for a Diver or something, otherwise all this help defense would just result in him getting hit for nothing.

Since they hadn't reached the foul limit of six in the half, Georgetown University took the sideline ball.

With limited time left on the shot clock, Georgetown ran some off-ball screens, and Monroe found himself matched up against Tang Tian.

After Georgetown passed the ball to the perimeter, the guard prepared to throw a lob inside.

Given Monroe's excellent passing ability, UConn didn't dare to double-team him easily.

The crowd buzzed. Tang Tian had just been hit by Monroe and now had to guard him one-on-one. This first start was proving to be quite rough!

The guard saw an opening and threw a high lob inside, and Monroe got ready to catch it.

But at that moment, a figure suddenly squeezed out from beside him.

Tang Tian!

He wouldn't be foolish enough to wait for Monroe to back him down!

After that collision just now, he already knew their physical strength wasn't on the same level. Waiting for the opponent to back him down would be asking for trouble.

Monroe's strength and physicality were his advantages, but his speed definitely couldn't match Tang Tian's.

While Monroe was posting up, Tang Tian had already begun his half-front-pivot move. The moment the guard passed the ball, he executed a half-front-pivot and rushed out.

Monroe lost his footing and couldn't exert force. He watched Tang Tian flash past him, then decisively steal the high lob pass meant for the inside!

The murmurs from the crowd immediately turned into cheers.

Ollie excitedly stood up.

This was a classic example of playing with your brain!

After stealing the ball, Tang Tian passed it to Lamb, who was closest. Lamb then passed it to Walker, who accelerated from the backcourt all the way to the frontcourt for a fast-break layup.

Monroe protected the paint like an iron bucket in half-court sets, but with a fast break like this, his speed couldn't keep up!

UConn finally got on the scoreboard!

On Georgetown University's offense, Monroe continued to orchestrate from the high post. This time, a teammate created a good three-point opportunity, and Monroe dished the ball out.

BANG!

Monroe was strong, but the rest of Georgetown's players were limited in skill. This open three-pointer was noticeably short, bouncing high off the front of the rim.

O'Riaqi reached out to grab the defensive rebound, but at that moment, Monroe stormed the basket. Like a dark cloud covering the sky, he extended his arm over O'Riaqi's head to tip the ball, scoring on the put-back!

A wave of gasps swept through the crowd.

For a center, wingspan was the greatest gift. At this moment, Monroe was demonstrating absolute dominance through pure talent.