Y13 [EN]: Chapter 22

00022 NCAA National Tournament

There has been a revision to Yoon Youngjae’s game stats.

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Kelvin Davis was sweating profusely, his throat burning after just five minutes. He strained to disrupt Vasquez’s shot, forcing the mid-range attempt to miss. He glanced at the bench and saw Youngjae, who seemed to have recovered somewhat, twirling a towel and cheering.

“So that’s how it is.”

This attack would probably be his last. At least, it would be the last thing he could contribute in this game. He couldn’t afford to miss.

Davis passed to Chase Tapley and called out to Shelly. Shelly seemed to understand, nodding and popping out to the top of the key to set a solid screen.

“That’s it!”

Tapley, also understanding the intention, passed the ball right back to Davis. With Vasquez, who was guarding Davis, momentarily blocked by Shelly’s screen, Davis found a sliver of open space. He took a step to the left and leaped, pushing off the ground.

‘From the tips of my toes to the tips of my fingers, everything in sync.’

‘Keep your eyes locked on the rim, visualize the shot going in.’

Swish!

His fingertips grazed the ball perfectly. It was the most satisfying finger roll he’d had all season. The ball arced beautifully, like a rainbow, and slipped through the net without a sound.

[That’s precise! Kelvin Davis!!!]

[Timeout! Maryland!!!]

Wowwww!!!!

Davis roared towards the crowd and high-fived his teammates. Spotting Youngjae standing near the bench, Davis opened the hand that had received Youngjae’s energy and gave him a stinging high-five.

[2 for 2! 6 points, 1 assist, and 1 rebound in just over 7 minutes. Kelvin Davis is proving to be a crucial sixth man!]

[The point difference widens to 5 points again!]

The Aztecs, energized by Davis’s all-out effort, returned to the court with renewed determination.

[Now, Coach Steve Fisher is going with a lineup that suggests he’s betting everything on these remaining 13 minutes. D.J. Gay is running the point, alongside Youngjae Yoon, Kawhi Leonard, Malcolm Thomas, and Brian Carlwell. Coach Fisher has been managing playing time well, but today, he’s leaning heavily on his starters.]

[Forward Billy White has good scoring ability, but today, he’s been tasked with guarding Sean Mosley, which seems to have hampered his offensive game. Faced with Maryland’s three-guard system of Gravis Vasquez, Eric Hayes, and Sean Mosley, the Aztecs have countered with their strongest possible ‘big’ lineup.]

Coach Fisher’s Aztecs had originally built their strategy around a balanced approach, considering the full 40 minutes of the game. That’s why he consistently substituted bench players, led by Kelvin Davis, for a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 15 minutes in the middle of the game. This gave the starters a breather and allowed the bench to develop. As a result, no Aztec player averaged more than 30 minutes of playing time during the regular season.

Basketball isn’t a five-man game. Stamina demands at least eight players, including substitutions. Plus, the regular season is a marathon, and this approach was also a long-term strategy for future seasons.

But today’s game was a single-elimination tournament. A loss meant the end. Moreover, their opponent was a team considered several levels above them. Overworking the starters was unavoidable. He aimed to get his starters close to 33 minutes each.

So, if they could just maintain their lead for the last 10-15 minutes of the second half, Coach Fisher believed the Aztecs could overwhelm Maryland with their best lineup.

‘Now, we won’t be pushed around on the boards [rebounds].’

Coach Fisher nodded, his expression serious as he watched the court. There was a reason he stubbornly rotated Brian Carlwell and Malcolm Thomas at center, even if they sometimes lost the rebound battle to Jordan Williams and Landon Milbourne. There was a reason he played Chase Tapley and Alec Williams, even though they were at a disadvantage against Maryland’s three-guard lineup.

It was all for this moment. To build a stamina advantage and apply pressure both inside and outside. The best lineup was ready for the second half.

[Now, not much time left in the second half. D.J. Gay is dribbling the ball past the half-court line.]

Gay scanned the court. The Maryland players still had fight in their eyes, but many were breathing heavily, some bent over with their hands on their knees.

Swish!

If that was the case, they couldn’t let their tired opponents off the hook. With DJ Gay at the top of the key, facing the basket, Yoon Youngjae positioned himself on the right 45-degree 3-point line, and Kawhi Leonard was on the opposite mid-range. Malcolm Thomas and Brian Carlwell occupied the post, constantly watching the rim.

Starting with Gay’s pass, a quick passing sequence began: Gay – Youngjae – Thomas. Maryland’s defense had to scramble to track the ball and cover the players. As the ball moved around, and slight positional adjustments occurred, Maryland’s players were subjected to tremendous physical pressure and growing confusion. Gay, Youngjae, and Thomas, positioned on the right, had considerable shooting range for their positions. If power forward Malcolm Thomas drifted out to the mid-range, even rim protector Landon Milbourne had to step out to contest the shot.

Gay and Youngjae, who had rested for about five minutes, were noticeably fresher than Mosley and Hayes, who had been running constantly. And Gravis Vasquez, despite being a point guard, was forced to guard forward Kawhi Leonard due to Maryland’s height disadvantage.

“Huff… Huff…”

Maryland’s coach, Gary Williams, gritted his teeth, but he was helpless. It was his own fault. Gary Williams had initially believed he could easily win the game. He underestimated the Aztecs, thinking they were a one-dimensional defensive team and that his existing tactics and player rotations would suffice. He acknowledged their solid freshman, but considered them only mid-major talent.

Those slight miscalculations had snowballed into this predicament. No one could have predicted that Yoon Youngjae would shut down Gravis Vasquez, a senior projected to be a first-round draft pick, so effectively. Coach Gary Williams wished it was all a nightmare.

‘Y… Why 13?’

Yoon Youngjae was a complete enigma. He was unpredictable from the start. Coach Williams couldn’t understand how a freshman with that level of skill and composure could have been such an overlooked guard in high school. Gravis Vasquez, Eric Hayes, Landon Milbourne, Jordan Williams – he was haunted by the buzzer-beater in the first half, which had made fools of four of his players.

He couldn’t even figure out who Youngjae was guarding. He seemed to focus on Gravis Vasquez on defense, but roamed effectively to help wherever needed. On offense, he attacked whoever was in front of him, playing his own game. He scored from everywhere – inside, outside, corner, top. While his quiet demeanor and efficient shooting might suggest a lack of explosiveness, Yoon Youngjae had consistently shot over 60% from the start of the game.

A consistent scorer. A guard with perfect fundamentals and skills. A defender who locks down the opponent’s best player. A slasher who carves through the defense…

‘Just what is that guy!’

The score was already 64 to 55. Less than a minute remained. The Maryland players, exhausted, were losing hope due to the score and the dwindling time.

Swish-

[Youngjae Yoon!! Kaboom!]

[66 to 55! 42 seconds left! This almost certainly secures the Aztecs’ place in the Sweet Sixteen [round of 16 in the NCAA tournament]. It’s truly amazing. Youngjae Yoon… He’s been everywhere for 32 minutes today, scoring 23 points, with 6 assists, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, and only 1 turnover. He’s the perfect example of a flawless guard!]

[His 3-point percentage is a staggering 4 for 6, 67%! 2-point shots are 2 for 4, and free throws are 7 for 7, 100%! And if you look at when he scores, it’s even more impressive. Unlike rhythm scorers, he consistently scores like a machine, not in bursts. Yoon Youngjae’s consistent scoring and contribution throughout the game must feel like a nightmare – Y13 – to the opponent.]

[Moreover, when the offense stalls and time is running out, the Aztecs give the ball to Yoon. They trust him to deliver even in the toughest situations.]

Maryland’s last possession. Vasquez, on the verge of collapse, gritted his teeth and dribbled the ball up the court. It was now out of spite. He was determined to succeed in at least one meaningful attack against Yoon Youngjae, who had stubbornly blocked his path.

“Screen!!”

Vasquez shouted, not caring who heard. Freshman center Jordan Williams nodded and came to the top of the key to set a screen.

“?!”

That unique, quick sidestep that avoided the screen. Vasquez watched Youngjae smoothly navigate around the screen, as if anticipating his move, and stopped dribbling in shock.

Jordan Williams, frustrated that his screen had been ineffective again, deliberately moved the screen, leaning his upper body into Youngjae. Williams wasn’t setting a screen to block the path; he was prepared to foul, and rammed his shoulder into Youngjae.

Crack-

Not good. With a sickening sound, Youngjae screamed and fell backward.

[W, what’s going on? Youngjae Yoon is down on the court and can’t get up!]

[Let’s take a look at the replay… Ah! Jordan Williams! That’s a malicious screen! That wasn’t a screen; he drove his shoulder into Youngjae Yoon’s face! It looks like a bone is broken!]

“Stretcher! Get a stretcher. Now!!!”

Because of Youngjae’s quick and agile sidesteps, Jordan Williams never imagined he would be injured so severely. He wondered why Youngjae was fighting so hard in a game that was already decided.

“You son of a bitch!!”

“Gay, Gay! Calm down!”

“Calm down? Calm down! You son of a bitch!! How can I calm down when they’ve been committing malicious fouls on Yoon all game?!”

Gay, the team captain, couldn’t contain his anger. Kelvin Davis, older and more experienced, grabbed Gay’s arms to restrain him, but Gay couldn’t calm down and continued to curse. Thomas and Leonard, close friends of Youngjae, could only watch in frustration as Youngjae lay bleeding. The rest of the players forgot their victory over Maryland, consumed by sadness as they watched Youngjae, their fallen warrior, being tended to.

“Ugh…”

“Yoon, Yoon! Are you awake? Yoon!”

Youngjae couldn’t process what had happened. Like a memory abruptly cut short, Youngjae didn’t recognize the situation after the collision. He could only gasp as the overwhelming pain washed over him.

He felt something on his face and wiped it away – blood. His nose throbbed. Youngjae knew instinctively that it was broken. And his head was spinning from the impact.

‘Ah… my nose broke because I hit his shoulder…’

It hurts. But more than that, he felt empty. The Sweet Sixteen. If they won another game, they could go to the Elite Eight [round of 8 in the NCAA tournament], the Final Four [the last four teams remaining in the NCAA tournament]… He had dreamed of going all the way with the Aztecs.

“This is… the end.”

“Yoon…”

“This is the end…”

Youngjae mumbled so quietly he could barely be heard, and soon he couldn’t hold back his tears.

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

★Thank you to those who gave advance reservations, recommendations, comments, and coupons!!

퓨로타님///Unfortunately, Youngjae’s March Madness has come to an end here. I also really want to see a Korean player playing in the NBA, but I don’t think it’s possible to grow up in Korea. The language problem, the cultural problem, and of course, the way basketball is taught in middle-high school-university is all wrong. I think the only way to participate in the draft is to go to the United States from high school at the earliest, like Choi Jin-soo. I was able to see similar content in the column of an NBA professional reporter.

태루군님, 우짜스까잉님, 소시빠아닙니다님/// Thank you!!