Chapter 8: Regional Semifinals (Part II)
Mississippi State's tactics were very simple, with point guard Marcus Blatter dribbling the ball past half court and giving the ball to Russell Walters, a big man at the free-throw line.
Then, Dampier pouted his ass in the low position on the right side, and as long as the card position was successful, he immediately played a high and low position.
Knight is still a little thinner, and this time he was successfully stuck by Dampier, but fortunately, Rudy Johnson was fast enough to help defend this time, and Dampier could only helplessly pass back.
Without much pick-and-roll, the team's first tactical option was Dampier's low-post offense.
Li You, who was on the court, watched his opponent score and play, and could only run back and forth with the little man Daryl Wilson.
The future "No. 1 center in the West" still had a rough handwork, arching into the basket in close to 35 seconds, missing the basket, and Knight protected the backcourt rebound for the first time this time.
"Shet!"
didn't grab the rebound, Dampier, who was playing well during this time, scolded in a low voice, and turned his head to find that Li You, who received the ball, took the ball and rushed forward, and it was already half time...
The big men on both sides were still in the backcourt, but Li You didn't wait for his teammates to settle down, noticing that Daryl Wilson, who was quickly retreating, did not choose to stick to the defense, and immediately bent his hips to slow down when he approached the three-point line.
In the surprised eyes of the opponent, there was still a small step away from the three-point line, Li You suddenly stopped suddenly, and then quickly closed the ball, raised the ball and threw it!
"Huh!" Three-pointer again!
At 18:15, the difference was narrowed to three points in the blink of an eye, and Dampier, who was still trying to defend himself, had straight eyes, this is a blind chicken throwing!
Li You, who completed the goal, patted his chest, raised his right hand and raised three fingers, and the University of Connecticut fans shouted again, they were going to tie the score!
[Marksman] This is a talent that was automatically activated by Li You after strengthening his three-point shooting training, which took two and a half years to activate.
Although there is no explanation, it has brought Li You infinite confidence, which is also the reason for the sudden change in his high school style.
Coach Calhoun also raised his arms and cheered, and then stood on the sidelines and shouted:
"Hold on for a turn! Defend well! ”
Ray Allen, who has a poor hand, is also on the floor, constantly reminding the big man inside to pay attention to rebounding.
Mississippi State is still a Flex player, with everyone involved in the cover and then giving the ball to the low post at the end.
Dampier pouted and asked for the ball in the low post on the left side as soon as he got the ball, but the 35-second attack time allowed the opponent to adjust calmly.
Li You continued to follow Daryl Wilson all the way, and the little man in front of him was always trying to find the right shot.
The tactics came to a complete standstill, with six seconds left on the offensive clock, Darryl Wilson picking up the pot on the left flank.
Immediately after receiving the ball, he broke through with the ball in his left hand, and Daryl Wilson tried to get rid of Li You with his speed, but the first step was not explosive enough, and he completely crashed into Li You's arms.
The offensive time is coming, and Daryl Wilson leans on Li You in the left blocking area and throws the ball to the basket with his left hand!
As soon as the ball came out of his hand, he was split by the jumping Li You with a big hat on his face!
"Oh!"
Daryl Wilson was flipped to the ground by the hat, and the fans at the scene followed with an exclamation, and Li You, who had completed the block, took advantage of the situation to catch the ball, and then threw the ball directly to the frontcourt.
It was almost halfway through the half, and Ray Allen was in a rush after receiving the pass.
Against the defense of the opposing guard Marcus Bullard, he rushed up in three steps in the paint area, grabbed the ball with one hand with his right hand, and carried the opponent away to complete the pick-and-roll!
"Squeak! Bang... Swish! ”
The referee's whistle blows, the ball hits the frame, and Ray Allen, who has lost his center of gravity and rolled around on the floor, sits up and throws his fists wildly, then pounds his chest and roars.
Rupp Arena was completely boiling, and the UConn fans jumped and cheered.
Commentator Billy Parker didn't expect that Li You would be tied for less than three minutes on the court:
"Lee changed the game and was impressive on both ends of the floor!"
"We should be less biased, and basketball is all about the ball."
Li You ran to the front, pulled up Ray Allen, who fell to the ground, and encouraged with a smile:
"A beautiful finish, it's time to find your form!"
Suddenly feeling that Li You had become the boss of the team, Ray Allen, who stood up, hurriedly responded confidently:
"I'll blow up my opponent here!"
Their teammates also came along to celebrate, and if they hit a free throw, they would have equalised.
Coach Richard Williams on the sidelines heard the cheers from the scene again and reluctantly asked for a timeout.
Ray Allen hit a free throw and UConn hit a 9-0...
In terms of the player's personal strength, Ray Allen at this time is definitely an outside player who crushes the opponent.
After Lee Woo helped the team through the predicament, Ray Allen, who had returned to his normal form, made a burst of shots and scored consecutive points.
Towards the end of the first half, Ray Allen was a three-point shot from the left wing outside the three-point line!
At 35:43, UConn turned the game around.
Li You, who had already sat back on the bench, waved his towel, knowing that the game was basically stable.
As the next game began, Mississippi State fans began to despair, and the shouts of head coach Richard Williams were to no avail.
Under the defense of the inside line, Dampier had difficulty scoring, and the outside line of the headwind game suddenly lost accuracy, and accelerated the offensive tempo several times, and was counterattacked by the Connecticut side.
After the margin reached 12 points, Coach Calhoun was completely relieved, and UConn resumed its slow pace of play.
Li You, who came on again in the second half, played a step-by-step strategy, and even if there was an opportunity to switch attacks, he would deliberately slow down.
Dampier can only follow the hurry, but there is nothing he can do, not every player can play against the wind...
As the game drew to a close, UConn fans cheered on the University of Connecticut Arena as they made it to the Final 8 for the second year in a row!
In the end, 65:77, Mississippi State University failed to make it to the bottom and stopped in the Sweet 16.
On the bench, Ray Allen cheered loudly with his teammates, and Li You, who walked to the bench, also smiled, they have a chance to reach the final four this year!
Lee You made a deep impression on the commentator Jim Nantz, and at this time the veteran sports journalist couldn't help but praise a few words:
"Stepping up after the team is in trouble, I'm sure Lee will succeed."
'We should look at the talent he showed and not dwell on his shortcomings, because there are no perfect players in the world.
Billy Parker immediately laughed and teased when he heard his partner's words:
"Isn't Michael Jordan perfect enough?"
"God, Lee is just an 18-year-old boy, he's only 6'3", don't be too demanding of him!"
“...”
Played 19 minutes, Li You was 5-of-8 and 2-of-4 from beyond the three-point line, with 12 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 block.
The stats are mediocre, but many scouts on the scene have changed some of the stereotypes.
Dave Wall pondered for a moment and marked it in his notebook again:
"Big players?"