One Guard

The sky in Long Beach always lights up very early, and only when the sun rises high does the unkempt place in the Wood District experience a brief moment of tranquility.

Wen Xue pushed open the window and took a deep breath of fresh air. Her complexion no longer looked so pale, this still beautiful woman was smiling and looked as full of vitality as Chaoyang. In fact, Wen Xue is not very old, because she gave birth to Yi Yang when she was very young. It's just that years of hard life have made this woman a little more melancholy.

It has been a month and a half since Yiyang went to Butler University to study. As agreed, Stevens did apply for a full basketball scholarship for Yiyang.

This means that not only does Wenxue not have to worry about Yiyang's college expenses, but Yiyang also uses the basketball scholarship to pay off her family's debts.

Humming a little tune, the young mother took out an old suitcase. This box was brought by their family when they came to the land of America from China. At that time, Yiyang was only eight years old.

Wen Xue wiped the suitcase clean, and then began to stuff things into it. After all these years, she never thought she would use the box again.

In two days, the 2009-10 NCAA season will be fully played. Hundreds of schools and countless talented players will compete fiercely in just a few months.

Wen Xue, on the other hand, had saved enough to buy a train ticket to Indianapolis. Wen Xue didn't want to miss her son's first NCAA game. She believed that her son would definitely make her proud.

※※※

"Tact No. 3! Tactic No. 3!" Stevens clapped his hands and shouted from the sidelines. Tactic No. 3 was actually a tactic specially formulated for Hayward.

Hayward slipped out of the baseline through the off-ball pick-and-roll, and Yiyang broke through to score the ball, creating opportunities for Hayward.

The key to this tactic is not only Hayward who needs to run out of space, but also Yiyang's ability to distribute the ball.

Ronald Norid, the starting point guard of Butler University last season, stared intently at the yellow-skinned guy with black whip scissors in front of him. After one and a half months of training, Norid has already figured out Yiyang's ability.

Let him take a two-step shot, but prevent breakthroughs. This is the best defensive strategy for Yiyang.

Yiyang can't stop the ball. He knows that if this tactic is to be successful, he must keep up with Hayward's rhythm and give the ball the moment Hayward runs out of space.

So Yiyang didn't go it alone, but quickly beckoned for a pick-and-roll. Matt Howard, the white center who was scolded by Yiyang at the beginning, immediately brought it up. Yiyang didn't hesitate, and suddenly accelerated!

Ronald immediately moved sideways, but before he could step out, he bumped into a "high wall".

After that, things were quite easy. Yiyang broke through to attract the defense, while Hayward, who was running secretly, was completely emptied in the bottom corner.

Yiyang made a layup, but passed behind the back in the air and sent the ball to Hayward.

The NCAA's three-point line is much closer than the NBA's, not to mention the corner. For a player like Hayward who trains for the NBA, this position is almost like a mid-range shot with a slightly longer distance.

Hayward, a white small forward who looks childish, takes shots calmly, but his shots are often very deadly!

"Swipe!" Hayward hit a three-pointer, and the No. 3 tactic was executed flawlessly. Stevens applauded from the sidelines. Yiyang's performance in the past one and a half months has not let him down.

At first, Stevens was worried that Yiyang, who had such a strong impact, would become a point guard like Westbrook who didn't like to pass the ball. But it turns out that the opposite is the case.

Yiyang likes to pass the ball very much. For him, sharing the ball seems to be the greatest joy on the basketball court.

Yiyang has been instilled by his father in the concept of teamwork since he was a child, so he is very different from those "point guards" who can only score in recent years.

However, Yiyang is not perfect. In addition to the unsteady shooting and physical confrontation, there is another problem that Stevens has not solved in the past one and a half months. a lot of.

For example, the ball just now, Yiyang Mingming can directly and quickly pass it into the hands of Hayward. But he had to feint to attack the frame, and he also had to make a back pass in the air. There is no doubt that such an approach will make the scene very good-looking, but at the same time it will greatly increase the risk of mistakes.

"Hey, you can handle that goal a little easier." After scoring the goal, Stevens pulled Yiyang to the sidelines alone.

"But we still scored a goal, didn't we?" Yi Yang said sarcastically, then returned to the court, opened his arms, and prepared to defend.

It seems that this child's rebellious character cannot be changed in a day or two.

Although Yiyang has never had any conflicts with his teammates, he still doesn't talk much in the locker room or on the training ground.

This kid is holding back a lot of energy in his heart.

※※※

After a day of training, the players are showering in the locker room, ready to go home with ease. Tomorrow, Stevens has no training scheduled. Because the day after tomorrow, they are about to usher in the first official game of the season, against the Indiana University Mountain Rangers in the same city as themselves.

Yiyang was not in a hurry to change clothes, because he saw that Hayward was still training under the guidance of the trainer after everyone left.

Hayward, this name has been around Yiyang's ears since before he entered Butler University.

"He's a genius."

"The first white small forward!"

"The top card of Butler University!"

These things are often people's evaluation of Hayward.

So this curious and hyper-competitive guy walked out of the locker room and back on the training ground. Because of himself, he wants to be the best player. During this month and a half, Yiyang only felt that Hayward's shots were accurate, but he really didn't see anything else.

He would like to see how this guy Hayward is different from ordinary people. On the training ground, Hayward is doing shooting training, and his shooting position is one step away from the NCAA three-point line!

"What are you doing?" Yiyang shouted very loudly in the empty basketball court.

Hayward was stunned for a moment, because Yiyang almost never took the initiative to talk to others. He looked around, and besides a few coaches, he was the only one here. Could it be that that guy was talking to himself?

"Why are you so far away from the three-point line?" Yiyang stretched out a finger and pointed to Hayward's position.

"I'm preparing for the NBA, man. The 3-point line in the NCAA is shorter than the NBA. If I want to adapt to the NBA, I have to prepare now." Hayward is a very friendly guy, Even if he is not familiar with Yiyang, he tries his best to make himself as enthusiastic as possible.

"NBA...professional basketball...then it must...can make a lot of money." Yiyang is not a fool, although he spent most of his life in the In the "garbage dump", but he also knows that the NCAA is the most suitable springboard for the NBA. If I can perform well in the NCAA, maybe that dream...

"Hahaha, of course! As long as you can be selected by an NBA team in the lottery, you can become a millionaire overnight!" Hayward smiled at Yiyang, this Asian man stammered It looks like two people in peacetime.

"Millionaire?" Yiyang has never thought of the word millionaire. In his life, a few thousand dollars is quite a large number. The basketball scholarship given to him by Butler University is the largest amount he has ever seen in his life. Millions, what is that concept? Does that mean that I and my mother can escape from the Wood area for the rest of their lives! ?

"Let me train with you. I also want to play in the NBA. I'll try what you do, maybe it will work." Yiyang answered without thinking, and the trainers on the side almost couldn't hold back their laughter. . This yellow-skinned guy thinks where the NBA is! ? Even for a genius like Hayward, the currently predicted pick can only be at the end of the first round. Yiyang? If he declares for the draft, I'm afraid it will only be another down-and-out draft pick.

"If you want to play in the NBA, you have to listen to me in the future!" At this moment, Stevens, carrying a briefcase, came over to Yiyang and Hayward. dialogue.

Yiyang looked at Stevens, the guy looked very serious.

"Your ambition is definitely not just this damn scholarship, kid. Do you still want to make money by playing basketball? Become a star with an annual salary of over one million or even ten million? Let your mother live a life of food and clothing from now on ?” Stevens seemed to have grasped something, something that could completely control the beast Yiyang.

"Tell me how to do it!" Yiyang's resolute expression made Stevens very satisfied. There is no shortage of geniuses in this world, but geniuses often lack the right guidance. Now, he can finally guide Yiyang in his own way!

"Listen to me, go back, go back to the dormitory to rest today. Next, I will give you a new personal training plan, train yourself according to the new content arranged by the coaches, listen to every coach, don't talk back, don't Play your temper, don't bring your Woodlands temper to the basketball court. Use 24 hours like 72 hours and prove yourself in the game. Take it step by step, don't rush and don't quit You will succeed, I promise! Crime, drugs, and the Woodlands will say goodbye to you forever!" Stevens finished speaking, and patted Yiyang on the shoulder hard. "Don't underestimate basketball, kid!"

Yiyang hit Stevens on the chest with his fist, then obediently walked towards the locker room.

More than ten years have passed, since his father passed away, there has never been any man who can say these words to him in front of Yi Yang.

The match the day after tomorrow will be Yiyang's first step to prove himself to the world.

Wen Xue is already on his way to Indianapolis at this moment, while the Indiana University players are imagining how they will get off to a good start at Butler University the day after tomorrow.

What about Yiyang? After returning to the dormitory, Yiyang sat in front of the TV and watched all the game videos Stevens sent him.

This child can't sleep anymore, this child finally has another goal that he is willing to fight for. Do you play basketball for a living? It sounds pretty good...

Indiana University and the entire NCAA league still don't know that a severe storm is about to strike!