Court Coach

Individual Defense (Tony Allen) was a Purple Skill. Its direct effect was to reduce an opponent's shooting stability by 20%, with a certain chance of stealing the ball.

However, its foundation was an all-around enhancement to the user's reactions, speed, anticipation, and more, giving him top-tier individual defense in the NBA.

Tang Tian was not as physically strong as Tony Allen, so he could not bring out the skill's full power. That was why he had been unable to completely contain Walker in the scrimmage, but dealing with Butler during his NCAA days was more than enough.

After being forced to stop again, Butler chose to turn around for a fadeaway jumper.

Tang Tian extended his long arm and pressed forward, applying plenty of pressure.

"Bang!"

Butler's shot had never been particularly stable to begin with, and with his shooting stability reduced by another 20%, the ball struck the front rim cleanly.

Tang Tian turned and secured the Defensive Rebound.

A burst of cheers suddenly erupted from the stands.

Tang Tian had stopped Butler once again!

This was one surprise after another!

Tang Tian had been a coach before, so he handled the details exceptionally well. After grabbing the rebound, he immediately held the ball high over his head.

Butler tried to steal it but failed.

Cahoon let out a breath of relief from the sideline.

Basketball IQ really could make up for many things. Tang Tian had deliberately stayed far away from Walker on the offensive end, so the opponents had not noticed at all that he could not score. Yet the changes he brought to the team on the defensive end were a Qualitative Change.

Walker's shot under a frontcourt double-team missed, and O'Riaqi used his height to grab another offensive rebound.

"Pass to Jeremy!"

Just as O'Riaqi was preparing to force another shot, Tang Tian shouted at him.

As a coach, he was exceptionally good at reading the situation.

Lavoy Allen was clearly the short, stocky type of interior player. His rebounding protection was not very good, but his long wingspan made him highly intimidating when defending in the paint.

O'Riaqi was tall enough to grab Offensive Rebounds, but it would be difficult for him to force his way through Allen.

Walker's earlier drive had already drawn Marquette University's defensive attention, leaving Lamb wide open on the perimeter.

Hearing the shout, O'Riaqi turned his head. After seeing that Lamb was indeed open, he flicked the ball out to him.

Lamb caught the pass. Marquette University's Help Defense rotated over, but he deceived the defender with a shot fake, took a one-step dribble forward, and took a Mid-Range Shot.

"Swish!"

A crisp sound rang out.

Lamb's shot went in as well!

UConn's momentum did not let up. After a 6-0 run, they had cut the deficit to just 5 points!

The gloom on Cahoon's face vanished, and he could not help smiling.

"Old man, why do I feel like he's more of a coach?" Ollie could not help saying.

"An 18-year-old coach?" Cahoon asked with a smile.

Ollie shook his head. Coaching required time and experience; there was no such thing as an absolute genius at it.

"Then his basketball IQ really is something else," he said after thinking it over.

Cahoon nodded.

Many things in basketball could be trained, but some fixed traits could not, such as height, wingspan, and basketball IQ.

Even if a player with high basketball IQ was somewhat lacking physically, he could still survive, or even carve out a world for himself.

The most typical example was Steve Nash. Without his high basketball IQ, with his level of physical confrontation, it would have been impossible for him to become the dominant Son of the Wind.

Marquette University did not call a timeout. It seemed their Head Coach preferred the players on the court to solve the problem themselves.

Once the ball reached the frontcourt, it was worked back into Butler's hands. He did not force an attack again, instead giving it to Allen and letting him go for One-on-One Domination against O'Riaqi.

Allen looked somewhat excited after receiving the ball.

He had originally been a freshman recruited by UConn in the summer, but Cahoon had not valued him much at first. Coupled with UConn's turmoil, he had chosen to transfer.

Now, he was thriving at Marquette University. Naturally, he wanted to perform well in front of UConn's fans and prove what a poor decision the old man had made by not using him!

His wingspan and speed were his advantages. He used a fake move as though driving forward to force O'Riaqi to step back, then suddenly rose for a Mid-Range Shot.

The shot came a little too suddenly. O'Riaqi was slow, and after retreating, it was already too late for him to rush forward to contest it.

"Swish!"

Allen's mid-range jump shot went in again.

Allen looked excited after scoring. He pounded his chest, then let out an angry roar toward the crowd.

The arena stirred.

Allen had only been a reserve at UConn! Now that he was at Marquette University, he was a starter, and before the half was even over, he had already scored 6 points!

The NCAA only had two 20-minute halves. Moreover, the clock did not stop after made baskets except in the final two minutes of the second half and overtime. With 35 seconds per possession rather than 24, scoring was generally lower, so 6 points in a half was already a very respectable performance.

Cahoon's expression turned somewhat ugly. Allen was slapping him in the face!

"Stay on him! Stay on him!" Ollie also felt his face burning and shouted loudly at O'Riaqi.

O'Riaqi lowered his head, looking visibly frustrated.

Tang Tian took the initiative to run over to him.

"Lavoy really likes mid-range jump shots. When you defend him, focus mainly on stopping his shot," he reminded him.

What Ollie had said was not exactly wrong, but his approach was too rough, and he had not explained anything at all. O'Riaqi could not grasp what he meant.

"He's faster than you, but he's much shorter. If he chooses to drive past you, you'll still have plenty of time to catch up and provide Help Defense," Tang Tian added.

O'Riaqi had been a little dazed after Ollie scolded him, but Tang Tian's words suddenly made everything clear.

He nodded along, and the confidence returned to his face.

Although Tang Tian was a freshman, he explained things step by step, making them easy for O'Riaqi to accept.

On UConn's possession, Walker called for O'Riaqi's screen, drove to draw the double-team, then forced up a shot and drew a foul.

With both free throws made, UConn kept the deficit at 5 points.

"Thump, thump!"

"Defense!"

"Thump, thump!"

"Defense!"

During this stretch, UConn and Marquette University were evenly matched. The on-site fans were also highly energized, and led by the DJ, they cheered the home team on once more.

Marquette University brought the ball into the frontcourt. At Butler's instruction, the guard fed the ball back to Allen at the free-throw line.

Allen was a little overexcited.

He had never expected that he could become one of the team's primary scorers too. Sure enough, a tree died when moved, but a person thrived when moved. His decision back then had truly been wise!

O'Riaqi was pressing him tightly now, and none of his repeated Hesitation Steps could force him back.

This guy reacted pretty quickly, but just because I liked mid-range shots didn't mean that was all I could do!

Today, I was going to destroy O'Riaqi and prove just how badly old man Cahoon had misjudged me!