At six o'clock in the morning on November 13, 2007, the sun had not yet appeared in the sky of Ames. Pen Fun Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 InfoExcited and nervous, An Jie found that he couldn't sleep anyway, so he had to get dressed and go to the toilet to wash.

An Jie kept reminding himself that this was just an ordinary regular season game of the college basketball league, and finally calmed down, but when he thought of the basketball court that would be full of tens of thousands of people at night, the game under the spotlight, reporters, basketball commentators, scouts, cheerleaders....... An Jie's excited and nervous feeling filled his whole body, he had never experienced such a big scene, in China before, sitting next to a few girls on the wild court was already the biggest attention An Jie received.

Anjie's father is also a longtime basketball fan, and he is equally excited for his son to play in the NCAA. It's just that there has been very little consultation about the NCAA in China, let alone news of an underdog like Iowa State University. So in the past few days, he has made more and more calls to An Jie, all of them asking about the team's situation and preparation status. He couldn't see his son's game in the country, and he could only pray in his heart that everything would go well for this kid today.

………………..

"How's this blue one?" said Rickard, straightening his tie in front of the mirror and asking his wife's opinion.

"You look fantastic, my dear, don't worry, you're dressed very well. ”

"The NCAA Division 1 is like a dream. ”

"The show is yet to come, you're going to lead your team to victory, and I'm going to be in the audience cheering for your team. Peggy put her arms around her husband from behind. "What? George Ricard, the head of the Devil's Cult, was nervous too?"

"Kansas State University is not a soft persimmon, if we lose in the first game, then the next ....."

Before Rickard could finish speaking, Peggy gently placed her index finger on Rickard's mouth.

"Well, let's go to the dressing room in the afternoon and tell your players. Now, you have to take it easy and go out and enjoy the breakfast I prepared for you. ”

"Whew, you're right. Ricard took a deep breath and put the game behind him for the time being. He's been researching Kansas State for a few days now, and maybe it's not a bad idea to let his mind relax for a while.

Rickard walked over to the table and sat down, as usual, reading the newspaper as he ate his breakfast. Today's sports section is buzzing, with the NCAA basketball tournament just around the corner, and the newspapers full of commentators' hopes and predictions for various universities and players. After looking for a long time, Riccard came across a review about Iowa State University.

"When I got the Iowa State roster, I couldn't match the names on the roster with the players. I haven't heard of any names on the list other than Mike Taylor, who just transferred, and that includes their new head coach, George Ricard. Can you imagine what a team with no experience in NCAA games, from players to coaches, would play? But this is Iowa State University, and it's been years since they last made the March Madness playout round. They won't be in much better shape this season, so let's focus more on the other teams in the Big 12. ”

In a very short review, this reviewer can be said to have taken Iowa State University in the slightest. What can a belly team say? The only people who pay attention to them are the local fans.

"Well, soon you'll be able to meet people who know our player list. Riccard tossed the newspaper aside disdainfully and concentrated on his breakfast.

Since today is the home of Iowa State University, the basketball arena is already bustling with activity long before the game starts. Although his team's record has been poor in recent years, this has not stopped the enthusiasm of the fans. They were in groups, carrying banners and signs with cheering slogans, and many of them wore the team's red home jerseys, and the atmosphere was very frenetic.

In addition to the fans, reporters with "long guns and short cannons" also surrounded the stadium. But most of these reporters weren't here for the home team, and the reason they came was because of the away team, Kansas State University.

In addition to Derek Rose of the University of Memphis and O.J. Mayo of the University of Southern California, another candidate for the top pick in the NBA Draft is Michael Beasley of Kansas State University.

Like Rose, Beasley was already a high-profile sports star in high school. He had a terrifying 138-5 record in his four years of high school and averaged 20+10 per game in every year of high school. In 2007, he scored 23 points at the McDonald's All-American High School All-Star Game, was named the Most Valuable Player of the Match, and won the Adidas Classic MVP award. Not only that, but he was also selected to the All-America Third Team in his junior year and the All-American Second Team in his senior year. The first NCAA game of such a basketball genius who became famous in high school was destined to be the focus of media attention. No one had any hope for the outcome and course of the game, and poor Iowa State University was just a foil to Beasley's killing spree in the eyes of the media.

The Whirlwind players entered the basketball court after lunch, where they warmed up and mentally adjusted. Even though the basketball hall is not open to the public at this moment, the noise outside has already made the players in the court a little uneasy.

"Michael Beasley, I've only seen him on TV before, but in a little while I'm going to be going to play against this goddamn genius, oh my god it's crazy. "It's Anthony Ben, the current starting small forward for the Whirlwinds, who is very athletic.

"Yes, but after the game people start talking about Anthony Ben's violent dunk. "Morris joked with his teammates and was an encouragement to them.

"Let's not forget that basketball is a team sport, Michael Beasley is just one person, and unfortunately, we are a team against him. Mike Taylor also encouraged the young brothers who had no experience in the game.

Two hours before the start of the race, the Kansas State University bus finally pulled into the campus of Iowa State University. Their arrival immediately caused a stir among the media who had been waiting for a long time, and reporters rushed towards the bus with cameras on their shoulders.

The Kansas State players were also flattered, they had never seen such a large formation. Only Michael Beasley, the protagonist of the reporter's pursuit, looked out the window with a cold face, disapproving. He's used to this kind of scene when he's been in high school, and he's long since stopped making a fuss about the hordes of reporters.

As soon as the driver pulled over the car, reporters surrounded the Kansas State University bus. After Kansas State had a team member squeezing out a way, Michael Beasley was the last to get out of the car. As soon as he got off the bus, countless microphones reached out in front of him.

"Michael, how many points do you think you can score in your first NCAA fight?"

"Derek Rose or you, who do you think is better between the two of you?"

"We all know your high school record, 138-5, and now you're in the first game of your college career, can you bring a win to the team?"

Michael Beasley finally stopped, trying to answer the reporter's question.

"We came to Ames not just to get a win, but to win beautifully. When I was in high school, I only lost two games a year, and when I got to college, I still kept that tradition. Still as arrogant as ever, Beasley let all of America know his ambitions with his unbridled eyes. Michael Beasley is in college, so the NBA scouts are watching me!

The noise outside the dressing room is getting louder, which means fans and opposing players are starting to enter. Rickard cleared his throat and wanted to make sure the players could hear what he was saying.

"Alright! The time you guys have dreamed of has arrived! If you fight well, more than 10,000 people outside will worship you as heroes. If you are beaten by your opponent and you are powerless, then you and I will be drowned in the saliva from the outside!

"We're going to be heroes!" almost everyone replied in unison.

"Good! I knew you guys weren't fuel-efficient lamps. Now, let me go out for the final warm-up, and give me all the muscles and bones to move! If anyone doesn't do the technical moves on the field later, don't blame me for coming back and giving you too heavy a training task!"

As soon as the words ended, the Whirlwind players got up and left the locker room. Being yelled at by Ricard like this, they weren't nervous at all, and all that was left was excitement.

Walking out of the players' tunnel to the basketball court, the stands were already sparsely packed with one-fifth of the spectators. Since Ricard has been training behind closed doors, it was the first time that fans had seen a player representing his team. This sense of mystery made them even more warmly welcomed.

"See that big Asian man? He's our team's starting center! That guy is also my roommate, and he followed me on the field when he first came to the United States!" His words did attract the attention of several girls, but the purpose of the people was just to get An Jie's phone number through him.

On the other side of the court, Kansas State players also stepped on the wooden floor. They unhurriedly warmed up two hours before the game, and Kansas State coach Rick Chris didn't want to waste too much energy on the game. In his eyes, it was more of a pre-season training game. What is Iowa State going to do with him across the street? We have Michael, and they don't even have a player to name.

During the warm-up period, more and more fans entered the stadium, and the atmosphere at the scene became more and more frenetic. And that wasn't enough, the Iowa State University Whirlwind mascot, a red-headed bird known as "Plug," stormed the gymnasium. He leads the hot girls of the cheerleading team in all kinds of performances, and has been handing out jerseys and small gifts to arouse the enthusiasm of the fans. Journalists' cameras flashed, and fans sang and danced in the stands. Seriously, the NCAA game is quite professional in terms of size and level. Before the game even started, An Jie was already infected by this atmosphere. His adrenaline was pumping, and every joint in his body was stirring.

With half an hour to go, Rickard called everyone back to the dressing room to make the final moves. The players were already extremely excited, bouncing towards the players' tunnel one by one, and the fans stretched out countless hands to high-five them.

The winks of the cheerleading girls, the disdain in the eyes of the opposing players, the shouts of the fans in the stands...... The venue is so complicated, there are people everywhere watching their every move. Either way, when they return again in half an hour, the brutal fight will begin.

When they went back to the dressing room and closed the door, the players suddenly felt a lot quieter in their ears. Ricard looked at the young men below and couldn't help but smile, he was worried that these young men were too nervous, and prepared a lot of words to relieve their stress, but now it seems that he is too worried. His players are not only not nervous but also very motivated, which is exactly what he wants to see.

"All right, guys! I don't need to say more, you know, Michael Beasley has to be treated with great hospitality!" Rickard picked up the marker pen and drew a large circle around Beasley's name.

"He's an all-round striker who can play both the number three and the number four. Ben, you can't let him go for a single step! Even if he breaks through very strongly, you can't let him go for a single step, and I'll stick to him to death. You must know that this guy's shooting is not covered, so you can't easily give him a chance to shoot. Don't worry, if you are broken through by him, Morris behind you will help you block him. With that, Riccard turned his gaze to Maurice.

"Don't worry, coach, I'll fill in in time. Morris patted his chest.

"Anjie, don't you like blocks the most? Today your chance is here! The opponent's No. 4 and No. 5 players don't shoot well, so they have to get close to the basket if they want to score. No matter whether their center and power forward are pulled out or not, whether your outside teammates are broken through or not, you don't have to go out, I want you to cruise around the three-second zone to ensure the safety of the basket. If Beasley breaks through Ben and Morris and steps into the box at the same time, fine, let him taste your big hat! I want you to play zone defense alone, and you can defend whoever is near the three-second zone. ”

"No problem!" Anjie made an "ok" gesture.

"Offensively, Morris and Angel are going to be aggressive and stay in position! Rest assured, Mike Taylor will deliver the basketball to you with the right shots. If Beasley is Kansas State's strong point, then the interior is their weak point! Everyone else is the same, to actively break through and make their already weak inner line more passive. Don't rush to play slowly, if the pace is too fast, it just gives Michael Beasley room to play. We fought with them one by one, patiently conducting. But that doesn't mean you can be lazy on offense, be aggressive in your runs, block off the ball and do what we normally do, we can always find gaps. ”

"Riccard, almost. Old Moore pointed to his watch and reminded the Riccard players that it was time to play.

"Alright guys, the media and opponents from the outside world think we're going to lose this game, and we're Michael Beasley's foil for the NBA No. 1 title. But they were wrong! They didn't know what kind of people we were on the Whirlwind team, and that was our advantage, and no one knew and studied us, so we were caught off guard. Underestimate us, they'll pay for it!Now, step out on the pitch and let the media and the opponent know whose home ****** it is!" Ricard threw the marker pen on the ground, mobilizing the emotions of the players to the highest point.

"Roar!" a group of young men roared out of the locker room, An Jie clenched his fists, his forehead covered with sweat. At this moment, the stands are full of seats, and one in seven people in the small town of Ames are sitting here, and the noise is several times louder than when they just warmed up.

"Let's go, guys, let's go!" Ricard commanded like a general, and his players rushed out of the tunnel one by one like brave soldiers to the basketball court.

"Let's welcome, Iowa State University's ~~~~~ Whirlwind ~~~~~~ Team ~~~~~~!" the announcer dragged the name of the Whirlwind Team for a long time, and the climax of cheering finally arrived. Since it was the first game of the season and the home fans were very unfamiliar with their players, the announcer was instructed to introduce the starters one by one.

Suddenly, all the lights on the scene were turned off, and only a few spotlights shone out the players of the Whirlwind team. Now, the focus of the audience is on a few of them.

"Let me introduce the starters and welcome our point guard, No. 1, Mike Tay~~~Le. ”

"Shooting guard, No. 5 Tony Cruz. ”

"Small forward, No. 3 Anthony Ben!"

"Our monster insider!Big Bull No. 32 Andrew Morris!"

The announcer finished introducing the first four players in order, and it was Anjie's turn next. At this moment, he looked at the cheering audience, and his body was full of goosebumps. It's not because An Jie feels nervous or stage fright, he is just deeply shocked by this atmosphere.

"Next, the starting center, Yao Ming from distant China, Yao Ming of the Whirlwind team, Dongfang Tower, No. 2 An Jie!" The announcer read An Jie's name lamely, although the pronunciation was inaccurate, but he shouted very imposingly.

An Jie waved to the audience, then stepped forward to bump fists with his teammates. Opposite the Kansas State University Wildcats, the players could only watch their opponents accept the welcome of the audience, but they were left out in the cold. They are all very unhappy in their hearts, and they all plan to steal the limelight back in the next game.

After the Whirlwind starters were introduced, the stadium lights were back on, and the center of the Wildcats was already standing in the center circle ready to jump the ball. An Jie hammered his chest to encourage himself, and walked towards the center circle according to the referee's instructions.

All the players have already taken their positions and the referee blows the whistle to signal that the players of both teams are ready. Then, he picked up the basketball and held it parallel to his head.

He looked at Anjie and Wildcats center Scott Martins and gave them a slight nod before he threw the ball high into the air.

Attached: Iowa State University Whirlwind official roster of players

Centre-forwards: Anjie, Byrne Asakin

Power forwards: Andrew Morris, Walter Sharpe, Ante George, Meeks Washington

Small forwards: Anthony Benn, CJ Fortes, Darnell Harding

Shooting guards: Tony Cruz, Chris Roberts, Nathan Thorton

Point guards: Mike Taylor, Joey Kyle, Dante McNeese