Chapter 70: Bloody Sacrifice Flag
Chang Wei didn't show up at the team dinner the next night, of course, it wasn't because he had something to do, he just didn't like to join in the fun. However, he still learned from the players' words that Rappers was definitely bleeding profusely during the meal, and it is said that when he pulled out his wallet, both hands were trembling slightly.
Chang Wei just smiled at Rappers's flesh pain, who let him lose the bet? Moreover, it is indeed a cause for celebration to be able to continue to be undefeated, and the manager should give the players a bloodbath.
He was pleased that on the morning of the third day, everyone arrived at the training hall early to warm up, which had rarely happened in the past. Originally, Chang Wei thought that these guys would be carried away by the manager's compliments, and thus complacently think that they could beat their opponents casually, but now it seems that they have matured a lot.
Every player took the training session very seriously, and it was only after the previous food poisoning that they really felt the value of standing on the pitch and playing side by side with their teammates. In the face of the upcoming game, everyone is full of a strong desire to fight, and it is impossible to eat a defeat immediately after the return of all members, right? That's definitely the biggest black humor of the season.
Chang Wei's Dantley talent card for Battier has expired, which also means that it will be difficult for the latter to play in the last game. But Chang Wei keenly noticed that Battier had become more active on the offensive end, running empty-handed to catch the ball and shooting, using the cover to slip to the bottom line for layups, and after a steal, he made a quick break and dunk...... He's done pretty much everything he can do on the offensive end.
It seems that talent cards may also have a subtle impact on players, which Chang Wei did not expect before. He looked at Battier, who was extremely active on the field, and silently asked himself: "If you use different talent cards for the same player multiple times, what will become of this player in the end?" ”
Well, it's all from Chang Wei's bad taste, he doesn't plan to do such a thing, what if it makes the player schizophrenic because of it? Chang Wei said that his small shoulders can't bear this responsibility!
However, it seems that Battier's change should be a good thing for now, at least Villanova's offensive routine will become more of a game, and the opponent will not focus entirely on Maddy and Brand, which will invisibly liberate them both.
It's a pity...... Chang Wei shook his head secretly, the next game actually didn't need Battier to participate in the attack, his main task was to lock Hamilton. There is nothing wrong with saying that the UConn Huskies are Hamilton's one-man team, as long as you carefully study the Connecticut game, you can find that Hamilton's play has a lot to do with the team's victory or defeat, as long as he plays a bad game, Connecticut's winning rate is ...... Zero.
Connecticut has been able to bite Villanova this season in large part because Hamilton rarely faces opponents of the same level, and his off-ball runs throughout the court can easily break down opposing defenders. The few games that Connecticut lost were all excellent outside defenses.
And this time, Hamilton's opponent is Battier.
In fact, even though Battier turned his last game into a scoring extravaganza, he still comes across as a more versatile version of an upgraded 3-and-D player, and his defense remains a nightmare for every outside scorer.
Hamilton certainly knew that, so his face was ugly throughout the Connecticut players' warm-ups, and he looked over to Villanova's half from time to time, and everyone knew he was afraid of someone in the opposition lineup.
The game went as everyone imagined before the game, Hamilton was entangled in Battier from the start, and the off-ball running that he was good at didn't do anything at all, because Battier completely treated the other people as air, just staring at him with all his mind, which made Hamilton feel more uncomfortable, more uncomfortable than any previous game.
Battier stared at Hamilton intently, but his heart kept echoing the words that Chang Wei had warned him before the game: "Sean, every basketball player has the desire to put the ball in the basket, but a great player is always willing to do what is good for the team." When teams need them to score, they can step up and score; When teams need them to defend the opposing team's scoring arrows, they can put all their energy on the defensive end. Forget about the 42-point game, now that the team needs you to contribute on the defensive end, I'm sure you can be a great player! ”
Fortunately, Battier is a gentle player in his own right, and while his interest in scoring has increased dramatically, that doesn't mean he's ready to devote himself to scoring. In the previous game against Boston College, he scored 42 points while also providing seven assists to his teammates, which is the best proof of that.
As a team player, of course he knows what is good for the team, but Chang Wei speaks more thoroughly. So now Hamilton sees a battier who doesn't plan to score at all, and it's painful for him, and he'd rather fight his opponent than be chased all over the court like he is now.
Throughout the first half, Hamilton barely got any decent shots and was tackled twice by Battier, which was completely unthinkable in previous Connecticut games. But that was the case, Hamilton finished with just five points and two assists on 2-of-8 shooting in the first half, and Connecticut trailed by more than 15 points as a result.
In the second half, the situation still did not improve, Hamilton had expected that Battier would lose his physical strength due to chasing him, but when he had already vaguely felt that his legs were starting to become heavy, Battier, who had been by his side, looked no different, which meant that Battier's physical strength might be much stronger than him.
Connecticut completely lost hope of winning at this time, and although the two main players of Maddy and Brand were constantly looking for touch in this game, and the shooting percentage was quite low, Villanova maintained a huge lead. This was all thanks to Battier's successful defense, and while he only scored two points and contributed only three steals and one block, his contribution on the defensive end was not reflected in the stats.
Just look at Hamilton's stats, nine points, one rebound, and four assists, which is arguably his worst game so far this season, and Connecticut also suffered a 62-88 defeat to Villanova to help the opponent further cement the lead in the Great East Conference.