Y13 [EN]: Chapter 23

Y13-23 Finishing NCAA (This isn’t the main story, but a short explanation and some words I’d like to share.)
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I didn’t want to write anything other than the main story in the main story section, but my brother uploaded it due to our poor communication. Since there are already comments from readers, I’ll just leave it as is. Since it turned out this way, I’ll add some explanations.

If you find these explanations annoying, you don’t have to read them. Just read up to the previous chapter and wait for the new chapter that will be uploaded around 00:09 tonight.

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Hello, this is Signature’s younger brother.

First of all, I apologize for posting personal writing like this in the place where the main story should be. However, I thought it would be better to post it here rather than in the announcements section to convey my thoughts and get feedback from more people.

I’m writing this because I thought you might feel that the ending of NCAA is rushed. In the 2010 March Madness [the single-elimination NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament], the San Diego State Aztecs, as an 11th seed, were eliminated in the first game against the University of Tennessee. Yoon Young-jae changed that predetermined course. The seed was changed to 12th, and the opponent was changed to Maryland. But I want to explain the reason why he was injured at the end of the game against Maryland with two reasons.

1. If Young-jae’s expected draft ranking rises any higher, it will cause problems with the established storyline. This is a point of disagreement with my brother… Personally, I think Young-jae could have gone to the Final Four (top four teams) if he continued to perform like that. In terms of performance in the novel, he is at a level that is not inferior to Evan Turner (currently with Boston, 2nd pick in the 2010 draft), who was the MVP of this season. This is because Kansas, one of the strong championship contenders, is eliminated in the Round of 32 (second round). I was trying to lower Young-jae’s draft ranking below the lottery pick (1st to 14th pick). To do that, he shouldn’t perform any better.

The reason for lowering it below the lottery pick is simple. This is not reality, but a novel. If you are drafted with a high pick, you will mostly go to a tanking team [a team intentionally losing to secure a higher draft pick]. In reality, it might be good to grow with a high salary and a lot of playing time. However, in a novel, readers will be frustrated to see the main character in a team that goes 30 wins and 52 losses. You have to be in that team for at least 7 years. Then the novel is already finished.

So, I decided to develop the story in the direction of being drafted into a strong team by going below the lottery pick. When I was choosing a team for Young-jae to go to, I considered the following points:

1. Excellent front office (president and general manager, strengthening the team through player acquisition and release, and rookie drafts)

2. A coach who is considered a master (you can’t get good results with an incompetent coach.)

3. A team that consistently makes the playoffs for 10 to 15 years in the NBA season from 2010 to 2015 due to the harmony of points 1 and 2.

Which team he will go to will be revealed in the draft story. I will write the reason for choosing that team in the afterword. Explaining it any further here would be a spoiler.

My brother said it was difficult due to the limitations of team sports (lack of individual ability), but the following year, the Aztecs advanced to the Sweet Sixteen [the regional semifinal round of the NCAA tournament], led by Kawhi Leonard (currently with San Antonio, 15th pick in the 2011 draft). It’s not that weak of a team. However, the conference is not good, so the evaluation in the draft is not good. In the conference to which the Aztecs belong, Kawhi Leonard has been the only NBA player in recent years. If there is one outstanding ace, he can lead a school like the Aztecs to the Final Four. As one reader commented, basketball is played by 5 people running the entire court, so one person can control the game.

2. Because I set the time for entering the NBA (number of episodes) around this time. Signature’s working method is that my brother first creates the outline and framework, and then delivers information and data for me to write the main story. Then my brother revises and edits the unprocessed text, and I check the edited text again before it is published.

However, it is a task of writing and revising the text from gathering information to just before publication with only two people, and there were great difficulties in the early stages because I had almost no knowledge of the NCAA. In fact, the NCAA part took more than two months, going through the process of completely changing the contents 2-3 times until just before the serialization. Therefore, the content of the NCAA was limited, and it was realistically difficult to extract the amount that readers would be satisfied with.

Of course, the players, records, school names, conferences, etc. mentioned above all reflect reality as they are. Young-jae’s record and the Aztecs’ school record have changed thanks to Young-jae. It takes a lot of time because I research and write everything. So it wasn’t easy to write about the NCAA for too long. Furthermore, I thought that quite a few readers would feel tired if the NCAA became too long.

Both my brother and I are writing a basketball sports novel for the first time, so we are not sure what to do with this excessive love and attention, but on the other hand, we are also burdened. However, there will be no suspension of publication, and we will continue to try to visit you as often as possible and show you a sufficient amount of high-quality writing.

Thank you.

============================ Work Afterword ============================

(P.S. Since there seems to be talk about NBA 2K, let me mention it briefly. I, the younger brother, seem to win about 60-70% of the time. Hehehe. My brother likes archery basketball that focuses on 3-pointers, and I aim for basketball that mixes everything, so it’s difficult to beat my brother when 3-pointers explode. I’m still a bit clumsy with pick plays [an offensive play in basketball where a player blocks a defender to free a teammate for a shot or drive].)