Y13 [EN]: Chapter 15

00015 NCAA Opener

(This is a non-conference game between the San Diego State Aztecs and Pomona-Pitzer College. The Aztecs’ performance has been formidable lately, right?)

(That’s right. While the Aztecs have been a strong defensive team in the Mountain West Conference, this year they are truly formidable, wielding both a solid defense and a potent offense. Speaking of a potent offense, we immediately think of Youngjae Yoon. As you know, he averages over 20 points in just about 30 minutes of playing time. Looking at his stats for this 09-10 season, Yoon’s field goal percentage is 54% for 2-pointers and 46% for 3-pointers. He boasts truly amazing accuracy. Moreover, he leads the team in assists as well.)

(Wouldn’t that make people think he’s a pass-first player?)

The commentator asked with an excited, high-pitched voice.

(That’s not quite right. His play is so concise and clean that he might be misunderstood that way, but absolutely not. He knows his role well. He’s a player who can score when scoring is needed and assist to boost his teammates’ shooting touch.

He doesn’t get greedy for shots if a better scoring opportunity opens up for someone else. He *could* play selfish basketball, but after all, basketball is a team sport, right? He’s a player who understands that you can’t succeed alone.

He’s very skilled at boosting his teammates’ confidence and performance. Moreover, his defense is excellent, and his size is above average for a shooting guard. So, even though Yoon is a shooting guard, he can play point guard when D.J. Gay is out, and he can lock down opponents at the small forward position when Billy White, who isn’t a great defender, struggles against point-forward style players.)

(I see. I’m really looking forward to seeing how well this player performs today.)

The players, who couldn’t possibly hear the enthusiastic commentary, gathered together before returning to their positions, putting their arms around each other’s shoulders to steel their resolve.

“Hey, Yoon. Say whatever you want to say.”

Captain D.J. Gay passed the final word to Youngjae, and Youngjae, feeling Gay’s consideration, gripped the shoulders of Leonard and Thomas, who were standing to his right and left, a little tighter and said.

“We’re going to March Madness.”

Going to March Madness. Youngjae mentioned the NCAA National Tournament.

“I want to go all the way with these guys, no matter what. So, I don’t want to lose in a place like this. Of course, losing this game doesn’t mean we’re out, and we can’t win every game, but I’m greedy enough to want to win them all. But I hope everyone plays without getting hurt. That’s all I wish for on this court.”

At Youngjae’s words, the teammates expressed their heightened spirits, gripping the shoulders of the people next to them a little tighter.

“Ah, and I hope Thomas gets a girlfriend soon. Thomas? Become the Man of the Match [MOM] in this game and pick up a girl!”

The players, while stifling their laughter at Youngjae’s unexpected joke, responded with comments like, ‘Yeah! If you become MOM, there will be a line of girls behind you on campus!’ from White, or ‘Hmm—there might be a chance. Work hard,’ from Leonard, who took it seriously, and Gay’s intense gaze, promising to make him MOM today, and so on. The atmosphere, which could have become overheated, was relaxed. Thomas made a sound like ‘Eek-‘ with a wronged expression as if asking why him, but he didn’t get angry.

“Yeah!!! Get MOM so you can date Lucy again!!!”

“Yeah! Aztecs!”

“Oi!!”

With a powerful shout and the roaring cheers of the fans, the five Aztecs starting players, including Youngjae, lined up in their respective positions.

Whoosh-

Wooaaaaah!!!

[Okay, the game has started. The jump ball is won by Justin Sexton of Pomona-Pitzer.]

[Malcolm Thomas has quick speed and flexibility for a big man, but he is considered to be at a disadvantage in height battles due to his 6-9 height. As an undersized big man, he can play both power forward and center, but since he is not a traditional center, he has given up the jump ball to the opponent.]

[That’s right. Thomas’s jumping ability isn’t particularly outstanding either, so Kawhi Leonard is the team’s leading rebounder. Brian Carwell is the only center on the Aztecs, and he’s a bit lacking as a starter. So, Thomas, who is relatively strong, often plays center. Pomona-Pitzer has brought out the same 3-guard lineup as UC San Diego, whom the Aztecs faced for the first time.]

[Yes, it seems that Pomona-Pitzer is using this tactic because they have few starting-caliber forwards and many guards on their roster… But looking at recent records, their performance is so inconsistent that it depends on whether the players have a good shooting touch. We’ll have to see if they have a good shooting touch today.]

[What about the Aztecs’ tactics?]

[The Aztecs are traditionally a defensive powerhouse. But this year, with the addition of the outstanding rookie Youngjae Yoon, the Aztecs have transformed into an ‘all-around team capable of both offense and defense.’ With Youngjae Yoon’s addition, the Aztecs’ stiff offense has become smoother, creating many more open chances.

Moreover, you should note that the current students’ grades this year are vastly different from last year since Youngjae Yoon entered. For example, D.J. Gay was the Aztecs’ point guard, but he was criticized for his unstable ball-handling and passing, with nearly 3 turnovers per game on average. But if you look at D.J. Gay’s stats this season, he only has 1.4 turnovers.]

[Wouldn’t it be difficult to attribute that solely to Youngjae Yoon’s influence?]

[What’s even more amazing is what comes next. Kelvin Davis, Tyrone Shelley, who play as bench members, Billy White, Brian Carwell, and Malcolm Thomas, who are starters. These players are currently in their 3rd or 4th year, and their field goal percentages have increased by at least 3% and up to 7% compared to last season? But if you look closely at their field goal percentages, they always have above-average success rates when Youngjae Yoon is on the court. His court margin (the team’s score differential when the player is on the court) is overwhelmingly the best on the team.

When he has the ball, he draws double teams, which increases open chances, and reduces the scoring burden on other players, allowing them to shoot comfortably. There is no player in this conference who can stop him alone with his diverse skill set and speed.

Honestly, when I look at Youngjae Yoon, he’s definitely not just a shooting guard. He’s not just a shooting guard who is good at scoring. You can see that he perfectly handles the roles of point guard and small forward as well. Moreover, not only offense but also defense…]

As the commentator was giving a long speech about Youngjae, Youngjae miraculously touched the ball of the opponent’s shooting guard, Adam Chaimowitz, and stole it.

[There’s the steal! Youngjae Yoon’s fantastic steal!]

[If you look, he wasn’t fooled by the opponent’s dribbling even once in the 1-on-1 situation. It’s as if he knows what the next move will be, anticipating the movement without any error, and taking advantage of Chaimowitz’s confusion to steal the ball, isn’t it? He doesn’t make unreasonable steals, but he never misses an opportunity. And Youngjae Yoon is the top contributor to solidifying the team’s defense by refraining from dangerous defense as much as possible!]

As if to repay the commentator’s praise, Youngjae quickly led a fast break with fantastic footwork. Youngjae wasn’t a monster in terms of physical ability, but he was a nimble player whose speed was at a high level even in the NBA. Of course, NCAA players are younger and still growing, but there was no way they could keep up.

Usually, the speed of dribbling while running is slower than just running. However, Youngjae’s speed while dribbling forward was decent even in the NBA. No matter how much they chase, it’s not easy to close the gap that has already been created.

“Euhaat!”

Not a typical listless shout, but a refreshing shout as if he was yelling!

Kwaaaang!!!

[Splash! Youngjae Yoon!!!]

[One-hander!! An amazing one-handed dunk!]

Youngjae passed the free-throw line and jumped off his right foot with all his might from the low post. Originally, he didn’t have to do a risky dunk, but basketball is also a game of momentum. It’s not for nothing that NBA players dunk. In some ways, a dunk can have a lower success rate than a layup, and it may sound like just a flashy 2 points, but players dunk quite often in the game.

That’s because it’s to bring the momentum to our side. Of course, a center’s dunk is for stability rather than momentum. A significant number of centers are more unstable and have a lower success rate with layups than dunks. This is because their fingertip feel is not excellent. However, in the case of guards, it is often for momentum or showmanship. If that suppresses the opponent from the beginning, they can’t help but be intimidated. Youngjae didn’t want to be pushed back in the momentum battle at all, and he wasn’t kind enough to let go of the opportunity to overwhelm the opponent from the start.

He can’t do 360-degree dunks or between-the-legs dunks like players with monstrous athletic abilities. That’s a skill he can’t do. Of course, even players who can do that don’t do it often. But Youngjae can do a textbook one-handed dunk, flying through the air and slamming the ball accurately into the rim with one hand. It was a power slam possible because Youngjae, with a height of 6-4 [6 feet, 4 inches], 193cm [approximately 6 feet, 4 inches], and constantly bulking up and improving his physical abilities based on his past life experiences.

Then, he hangs on the rim with one hand, looking down from above like a conqueror. The roaring cheers pouring down on him. And the expressions of the opponents looking at him in embarrassment. Even the surprised expressions of his teammates who know that he doesn’t dunk unless he has to. He enjoys all of this from the position of a conqueror for a brief moment and lands on the ground.

Wooaaaaah!!!!

And the momentum shifted.

============================ Author’s Notes ============================

★Thank you to those who gave pre-orders, recommendations, comments, and coupons!!

Milk Boy/// Yes, dynamic sports with a lot of physical collisions like basketball and soccer have a very high risk of injury. Volleyball and tennis also squeeze their bodies to the limit…ㅠ.ㅠ Recent professional sports have injuries as a major topic, and durability is becoming the most important factor in player evaluation.

Bierno-nim, Reedben-nim/// Thank you^^.

dio2n-nim/// Thank you for the compliment. Please keep an eye on the growth period^^. He will grow up wonderfully in the future.

Thank you for the pre-order, recommendation, comment, and evaluation!!

Thank you for the coupon!!