Who is He?

Opportunity came, and both teams started off well, but Marquette University was indeed performing much better than UConn.

Walker was double-teamed at the frontcourt, but this time he used his speed to force his way through, driving into the paint and colliding with Allen to draw a defensive foul.

Both free throws made, and UConn finally got some points on the board.

The on-site fans' atmosphere was reignited.

But not long after, Butler got past Smith on the other end and scored before O'Riaqi could rotate over for help defense.

UConn's defense was practically nonexistent.

"Get up on him! Get up on him!" Ollie shouted anxiously from the sidelines.

The newly recruited Smith and Orland were barely passable on offense, but their defense was really hard to watch.

The game continued on the court. Thirteen minutes into the first half, UConn trailed 26 to 35, and the score difference was about to hit double digits again.

Butler isolated Orland in the low post. After a series of hesitation steps, he suddenly accelerated, squeezed past, and finished with a dunk.

The on-site fans erupted in uproar.

A double-digit score difference, and the air seemed thick with a bloody red—another night destined for a bloodbath.

Cahoon reached out and called a timeout.

After calling the timeout, he rested his chin on his right hand and was silent for a moment, then walked to the end of the bench and called Tang Tian up.

"You're playing the four, guarding Butler. Remember, his shot isn't steady. Do your best to push him out of the three-second zone," Cahoon specifically exhorted Tang Tian.

Tang Tian nodded.

Butler's offense wasn't actually that good during his NCAA days; it was more that UConn's defense was just too poor.

"Stay patient. Remember, you're part of the Connecticut Huskies. Any difficulty can be overcome!" Before they took the court, the Old Man raised his voice as much as possible to shout at the players.

"Let's go!"

"Connecticut!"

The teammates shouted their rallying cry and then stepped back onto the court.

The team was down by 11 points. Despite the unfavorable situation, the on-site fans, spurred on by the live DJ, cheered loudly for the home team.

Walker stepped up again, driving for a layup past Butler's defense and scoring.

Truth be told, with Walker around, UConn's offense wasn't really that bad.

What was truly worrying was their defense.

Marquette University had possession. The ball moved to the frontcourt and ended up in Butler's hands.

Butler was 2.01 meters tall, playing a swing role between the three and four positions in the NCAA, and on the court right now, he was at the four.

Seeing that the person in front of him had changed to someone he didn't recognize at all—someone the coaches hadn't even mentioned during pre-game preparation—Butler was a bit stunned at first.

Was UConn giving up halfway through the first half? Or were they pulling out some secret weapon?

Given their performance so far, the former seemed far more likely.

"Who is he?"

At this moment, it wasn't just Butler; most of the on-site fans were confused too.

NCAA team rosters had no limits, which meant frequent personnel changes. The players fans remembered were either core members or at least rotation-level players. Someone like Tang Tian, at the very end of the bench, was completely unknown to them.

"Isn't that Tang Tian?" someone in the stands spoke up.

"Who's Tang Tian?" This question immediately drew intense attention from the surrounding crowd.

"He's my roommate!"

"..."

"No, wait—wasn't he working a work-study job as a ball boy? How is he playing on the court?"

Tang Tian joining the team was something no one outside the squad knew about, not even his roommate.

But this roommate's words stirred up a commotion among the fans in that section.

UConn had actually put a ball boy on the court?!

And that ball boy was guarding Marquette's ace, Jimmy Butler?!

Had Cahoon's old brain short-circuited?!

Of course, they didn't say it out loud—they just thought it.

But just thinking it was enough to drive them crazy.

Orland's defense against Butler had been like paper, so this ball boy going up would probably be as wide open as a morning highway.

While they were silently complaining, Butler had already snapped back to reality, picked up the ball, and launched his attack.

A crossover dribble to the right, then leaning into Tang Tian's body to drive forward.

This move was Butler's signature on offense, and it had worked every time against Orland.

This time, it looked just as effortless.

But soon, stirring sounds rose from the stands.

Because Tang Tian was stubbornly holding his defensive position, refusing to let Butler drive into the paint.

After a few steps of penetration, Butler was forced to stop the ball!

This happened far too suddenly!

And because expectations had just plummeted, this moment brought the fans an indescribable surprise.

Butler was completely caught off guard too. He never expected this unfamiliar bench player to lock down the defensive position so well.

And after stopping the ball, the opponent immediately stretched out both arms and pressed his body forward, leaving him no room to shoot easily.

He was forced to pass.

"Slap!"

Just as he raised the ball, the opponent suddenly exploded upward and swiped the ball clean out of his hands!

Defense, forcing Butler back, then stealing the ball.

Tang Tian had played out a fluidity on the defensive end that was usually only seen on offense!

After the steal, Tang Tian immediately passed the ball to Walker. Walker drove full court to the frontcourt, encountered a double team, and dished it to Lamb, who quickly made the layup.

UConn had played out a 4-0 mini-run!

"Who the hell is he?!" The fans nearby couldn't help asking Tang Tian's roommate.

"My roommate!"

"...Your roommate is a ball boy?"

"Yeah!"

"You're kidding me, right? A ball boy gets to play? And defends that well?"

"I... how the hell would I know?!"

The fans couldn't get a straight answer, but the name Tang Tian gradually spread through the stands.

So the guy who just shut down Butler, the one with the yellow skin, was called Tang Tian.

Because of his skin color, it seemed Tang Tian only needed one possession for most of the on-site fans to remember his name.

"Defense! Defense!"

The on-site fans, led by the DJ, began cheering and supporting the home team again.

After that mini-run, the fans were fired up, and their shouts were especially loud.

Butler reached the frontcourt, signaled for the ball from the guard, and then chose to post up Tang Tian.

As a senior, he had plenty of experience. After one face-up possession, he knew he couldn't get much of an advantage.

He suddenly turned after the backdown, ready to drive to the basket.

"Bam!"

But the moment he turned, he collided straight into Tang Tian, nearly losing the ball.

Tang Tian, who should have been behind him, had directly appeared on his driving path!

As a fellow elite defender, Butler immediately realized that this bench player who came out of nowhere was no worse than him on defense!

Serving the suspension was indeed a blind spot in my knowledge. I wrote it wrong, but it's hard to fix now, so I'll just let the mistake stand! Also, stop bringing up that other book. It's obviously written by me too. Are some people just messing around? Anyway, if you think this is good, throw in some recommendation tickets! Love you all!!