I really can't handle the ball

Chapter 24 The Importance of Li Xuan

"Resolutely double-team the opponent's No. 13 player. Don't give him a chance to play singles. Going up in turns consumes his physical strength. After his physical strength declines, it is impossible to maintain difficult shooting movements, and his shooting percentage will definitely drop."

"As long as the No. 13 player is restricted, we will have a chance to come back. Show your hard work and strike when it's time to strike. Don't be gentle like a girl. When it's time to fight physically, don't be soft-hearted."

"Remember! You can't let your opponent shoot comfortably."

"Understood, Coach!"

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Tabby Smith nodded with satisfaction, the morale of the team has returned, and the game is still playing.

On the other side of the Marquette University bench, the head coach Klein asked with concern: "Li, can you still hold on to your physical strength? Why don't you rest on the bench for a while and play in the second half."

"Coach, I have plenty of energy, don't worry about me, and I think that if we directly press the opponent to death in the first half, we will play easily in the second half. If we can't hold on, we will take the initiative to ask to end." Li Xuan blushed. suggested nonchalantly.

Klein saw that Li Xuan's physical strength seemed to be fine, so he felt relieved and called his team to arrange the next offensive and defensive tactics.

At the end of the timeout, the referee blew his whistle and the game continued.

After returning, the Kentucky Wildcats immediately responded.

Most of their tactics rely on tacit cooperation, and their individual singles ability is not very good.

After passing the ball many times, power forward Estier hit a mid-range jumper from the left low frame and recovered 2 points.

In the next round, Li Xuan attracted the defense in the low position on the right side and gave the ball to Wade. After several times of transferring the ball, Novak, who was ambushing in the left corner, had a chance, raised his hand and hit a three-pointer.

Although the Wildcats strengthened their defense and increased physical confrontation, the Golden Eagles had two scoring output points, which they could not limit at all.

Double-teaming Li Xuan, Wade can easily get rid of the defender and rush into the interior to cause damage. Marquette University also has a fixed-point high fort on the outside line. No matter how strong the mobility is, it is difficult to achieve complete defense.

In the next game, taking advantage of the Kentucky Wildcats' mistakes, Li Xuan made another three-pointer in the fast break, widening the point difference to 15 points.

With a big score behind, the morale of the Kentucky Wildcats did not drop. They unswervingly chased after the score, seized the weakness of Marquette University's inside offense, firmly bit the score, and avoided the game losing suspense before entering the second half. .

In response to this situation, Marquette University immediately adjusted its defensive strategy, continuously shrinking its defense, and compressing the interior offensive space, which prevented the University of Kentucky's offense one after another.

At the critical moment, the Wildcats had no players who stood up to take on the tough task. Their level was too average, so that none of them were top-notch.

The Marquette Golden Eagles seized the opportunity, Li Xuan played unlimited singles, and Wade broke through the inside to make a kill. The two teamed up and firmly occupied the initiative on the court.

With Li Xuan's last shot, the first half of the game ended.

When Li Xuan missed the last shot, everyone who watched the game breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that this guy is also a human being, not a god, and his physical strength will also decline, so hitting the iron is inevitable.

At the end of halftime, the audience looked up at the score on the big screen. At 42:24, the lead of the Marquette Golden Eagles had almost reached 20 points.

What about the number one seed?

What about absolute defense?

Before the game, no one would have thought that the Kentucky Wildcats would be so embarrassed and vulnerable.

Leading by a big score, the game no longer had the anxious feeling at the beginning of the game. No one was discussing whether Marquette University would be upset. The fans seemed to be very looking forward to whether Li Xuan could score 30+ points in this game.

In the first half of the game, Li Xuan made 10 of 9 shots, including 2 of 2 three-pointers and 1 of 1 free throw. He has scored 21 points.

If he continues to follow the style of play in the first half, breaking through 30 points is like picking something out of a bag.

The short 15-minute break passed quickly, and the second half officially started.

Due to the big lead, the head coach of the Golden Eagles Klein put Li Xuan on the bench to rest and recover his strength. If the team encounters difficulties, it will not be too late to send him on the field to relieve the urgent need.

The fans of the Golden Eagles felt strongly dissatisfied that Klein did not send Li Xuan to play in the second half of the game, and they kept complaining about Klein.

Not long after the start of the second half of the game, such voices became more and more loud, and they strongly urged Klein to send Li Xuan to the game to stabilize the situation.

But Klein turned a deaf ear, it was not time for Li Xuan to play.

In the first half of the game between the Marquette Golden Eagles and the Kentucky Wildcats, it felt like the Golden Eagles were the top seed and the Wildcats were an unknown team.

But less than 3 minutes into the second half, the situation on the sidelines changed subtly.

"After the start of the second half, Marquette University can't continue to increase the score?!" Many fans have such doubts in their hearts.

I have to say that the Kentucky Wildcats, who were shot through by Li Xuan alone in the first half, were really impressive. The toughness of a well-established team is extraordinary.

Not to mention the fans at the scene, even the head coach of Marquette University Tom Klein was very surprised.

Of course, he looks at the game from a different perspective than ordinary spectators, and he sees something deeper during the game.

"Without Lee, Travis' three-pointer still can't open up space for Dwyane."

The [-]-pointer does seem like a great way to open the floor.

If the opponent's defense is loose, a three-pointer can directly take the opponent away in a wave.

But if the opponent's defense is very aggressive, very aggressive.

Then the weakness of the three-point shot is obvious compared to the mid-range shot. The three-point shot is not stable enough, there are many variables, and it is not as practical as the mid-range shot.

The three-pointers of Dinard and Novak are already top-notch in the NCAA, but under this iron-blooded defense, the shooting percentage of the two can be said to have plummeted.

Unable to open up space for the team, the three-pointer seems very tasteless.

"Li's effect on the team is far beyond our imagination!"

As the head coach of Marquette University, Tom Klein discovered this problem immediately, and the players of the Marquette Golden Eagles who played on the court also discovered the problem after a while.

Obviously, the team lacked only Li Xuan in the starting lineup in the second half. To be honest, the overall strength of the team should not have changed.

However, Wade played very uncomfortable in the second half of the game, which reminded him of the game in the NCAA tournament opener.

"If Li Shenbing hadn't descended from the sky, the Golden Eagles would no longer be the protagonists standing on this field tonight. They would have been eliminated and become ordinary spectators in front of the TV."

"Lee led the team forward again tonight. He is still improving, and I can't fall behind. Anyway, I am also the boss of the Marquette Golden Eagles."

There was fire in Wade's eyes, and he was full of fighting spirit. Even without Li Xuan present, he could maintain the lead to the end.

(End of this chapter)