North Carolina actually likes to play positional battles, and their starting lineup for this game is very suitable for playing slowly at half-time. But Villanova kept the pace of the game flying, often scoring just on this side, and two or three seconds later the other side had already pushed the ball across the halfway line, and the two big men of Okuraja and Haywood had to pant and run back and forth.

Originally, they still had a height advantage on the inside, and although they lacked offensive means, they were at least better than Villanova in rebounding. However, the pointless switchback run was a huge drain on their energy, and soon the pocket interior of Brand and Battier regained their footing under the basket, and the rebounding disadvantage gradually came back.

Smith couldn't sit still, he walked around the sidelines like an ant on a hot pan, his somewhat messy tie showing that he wasn't at peace. The only thing he can count on now is a breakaway from Carter and Jamison, and it would be nice to be able to get the ball out at the right time to at least keep the team's offensive firepower going.

However, before North Carolina's forward twin stars could make a move, Villanova had already made a change, and their new routine on the offensive end was the same as that of North Carolina, both of which were pick-and-rolls, but a closer look will reveal that the two sides are very different.

Maddie holds the ball at the top of the arc and will block and pick and roll with Battier and Brand in succession, so that at the end of the day, it will become the tall but clumsy Haywood. And Battier and Brand are both players who can go inside and out, Maddy has a lot of passing points to choose from, and Brown and Selesstad have even been lying in ambush in the two bottom corners, just waiting to catch the ball and shoot threes.

However, it is clear that Maddie did not plan to share the ball, firstly, he originally planned to compete with Carter, and secondly, Haywood's defense was almost like air in front of him, since he was sure to send the ball to the basket, he did not need to pass it to his teammates, which was also his privilege on the court, and he could decide his own tactics according to the situation on the court.

Rappers didn't give Maddie that power at first, after all, he was really speechless when it came to offensive options. However, after Chang Wei's hellish training, Maddie's ability to read the opponent's defensive system has improved greatly, and his performance on the court has become more and more aged, so Rappers has put his on-the-spot decision-making ability in his hands.

Maddy's scoring skills are undoubted, and although he and Haywood are both freshmen, there is a big gap between the two in terms of talent and strength. And Haywood isn't experienced enough and likes to reach out and interfere, which gives Maddie the opportunity to foul. Maddie used feints to cause Haywood's fouls in two consecutive rounds, once hitting 2+1 and getting two free throws in one time, which instantly increased Haywood's personal fouls to three.

The rules of the NCAA are very different from those of the NBA, and the individual foul limit per game is a clear example. Six fouls in the NBA take you to get a foul, but five in the NCAA. The first half was still over and Haywood had already been fouled three times, which meant he had to sit on the bench before the start of the second half.

Smith is also angry and anxious, Haywood fouled Maddie twice in a row before he could react, which is undoubtedly to bankrupt his big lineup, after all, there are many forward players in the team, but there are not many big men on the inside, Haywood is off the court, and the team can only return to the original traditional lineup, which is obviously unable to fight against Villanova.

But now everyone knows that Haywood is a weakness in North Carolina's interior defense, and everyone is holding their back to get the ball and want to play against him in order to make another foul. Not only is Maddy, who is eager to try, but Battier, who covers him, has also changed his previous style of pulling to the outside to shoot three-pointers, and actively rushes inside, Brand, as a counterpoint player, is constantly asking for the ball on the inside, and it is not difficult to cause Haywood fouls directly on the inside offense and defense with his ability.

In desperation, Smith had no choice but to replace Haywood, who replaced him with the original starting point guard Kuta, which also meant that North Carolina switched back to its original lineup. In fact, this lineup looks more suitable for Villanova than the previous big one, at least except for Okuraja, the other four can keep up with Villanova's speed.

But Smith's face is still ugly, and if the regular lineup had worked, he would have replaced Kuta long ago. It seems that Shamond, Kuta, Carter and Jamison can keep up with the rhythm of their opponents, but in fact, Carter VS Maddy is already at a disadvantage, and Okuraja is not Brad's opponent, as long as the opponent switches to singles tactics, North Carolina will soon have to rest.

Everyone encounters Murphy's Law in their lives, and Smith is no exception, one of Murphy's Laws is that if you're worried about something happening, it's more likely to happen. When he saw Rappers walk to the sidelines and make a simple gesture to Maddie, he had a vague sense of foreboding.

Sure enough, Villanova's players didn't use the pick-and-roll tactics they had been using in the next offensive round, and Brand went to North Carolina to get stuck under the basket and raised his right hand to signal Maddie to pass the ball to him. Okuraja kept pushing him hard behind his back, but he never let Brand move his feet.

Seeing this scene, Chang Wei felt very relieved, which was of course his credit. Chang Wei has been helping Brand improve his movement speed all season, and at the same time strengthening the latter's strength, so that the counterintuitive thing can only be done by him with the system. Therefore, in this game, Brand can not only follow in the footsteps of his teammates as a center for the small-ball lineup, but also be able to get stuck under the basket and ask for the ball alone, which will undoubtedly greatly improve his draft pick.

Maddie didn't hesitate, after all, Brand's position was so good, only a turn away from the basket. Maddie dodged Carter's big hand and hoisted the ball directly into the inside, Brand leaned back while receiving the ball, and Okuraja behind him only felt an irresistible force surging in, and was knocked back again and again.

Brand caught a glimpse of Okuraja staggering back, and he turned around and smashed the ball into the basket. Although it did not cause the opponent to foul, it boosted the team's morale, and the difference between the two sides widened to double digits, and his domineering appearance of standing in front of Okuraja and looking up to the sky also murdered a lot of reporters on the sidelines.

The players on the Villanova bench also waved their towels and cheered on Brand's slam dunk. While they may not have played much in this game, they all know that the team is very close to victory.