Y13 [EN]: Chapter 9

Y13-9

00009 NCAA =========================================================================

“Yahoo~”

Even though it was the end of October, San Diego still enjoyed a warm climate, so most people were dressed lightly. Thomas, having ventured downtown, was clearly enjoying the urban atmosphere and the sight of attractive women in summer clothes.

“Not bad. It would be nice to come here once in a while to clear my head.”

Leonard seemed to be in a good mood as well, smiling as he looked around. Youngjae didn’t dislike the vibe, but it didn’t particularly excite him. All cities felt similar to him, and San Diego’s bright weather only amplified his restlessness. At least, that’s how Youngjae perceived it.

“Let’s meet back here around 7 o’clock. No need to stick together, just do your own thing. Okay?”

With that, Thomas dashed off in a random direction, presumably towards the San Diego harbor and the nearby beach. Leonard shrugged at Thomas’s retreating figure and started walking slowly in the opposite direction, calling out, “See you later,” to Youngjae.

“Then, should I head off too?”

Youngjae began to walk aimlessly, trying to soak in the city’s atmosphere and enjoy the leisure time he hadn’t experienced much since starting school. It was a long-awaited break. As he walked, Youngjae briefly considered what he would have been doing at this time in his past life, but he quickly dismissed the thought, not wanting to dwell on vague memories.

‘That wasn’t a good approach back then.’

Instead of focusing on fixing his weaknesses, he’d tried to force himself to improve at what he already wanted to do, and he struggled to find rest, constantly exhausted from grades and training. Youngjae shook his head at the half-formed memories, thinking, ‘You lived a pretty pathetic life back then too.’

Eventually, Youngjae spent an hour or two wandering the streets before heading into a store that sold basketball equipment, which was his primary reason for coming downtown.

“Welcome.”

Youngjae nodded to the clerk’s greeting and began browsing the shoes. He paid particular attention to the ankle support, a sensitive area for him due to past injuries. Determined to take care of his ankles, Youngjae had saved up his living expenses to buy a good pair of basketball shoes.

“Do you play basketball?”

“Ah, yes.”

Youngjae nodded awkwardly, hesitating in front of several pairs. The friendly female clerk, perhaps feeling a connection because Youngjae was also Asian, began to briefly describe the features of the shoes he was considering.

“The first one is the Air Huarache 2K5 basketball shoe. A lot of people like the red Nike logo and the ankle band. The second is the Kevin Garnett signature pro model series. It’s one of the few Adidas basketball shoes that gets good reviews, but some say the ankle support isn’t as strong as you’d expect, considering how light they are. The last one is the Shox Lethal. They’re known for being lightweight and having excellent shock absorption.”

“Ah, I see.”

Youngjae nodded, considering the options. He wasn’t clueless about basketball shoes; he’d spent a lot of money on stylish and high-performance shoes in the past. But this time, he wanted to buy something practical. Shoes that he genuinely needed.

“If you’re unsure, you can try them on.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Fit is one of the most important things.”

Youngjae nodded and accepted the four pairs of shoes that the clerk brought out. He felt a sense of relief at her kindness.

“Hmm…”

Youngjae focused on assessing the fit of each shoe, paying close attention to ankle support, weight, and shock absorption.

“Feel free to move around a bit more.”

At the clerk’s suggestion, who had been quietly observing him to avoid interrupting his concentration, Youngjae was grateful. He bowed slightly and began testing the shoes on the floor.

He spent a full 30 minutes testing each pair. Thanks to the clerk, who patiently watched for a total of two hours and offered advice and assistance when needed, Youngjae was able to thoroughly evaluate the shoes.

“This one. I’ll take this one.”

Youngjae finally handed the Nike Air Huarache 2K5 to the clerk.

“Thank you so much. I didn’t realize I could choose basketball shoes so comfortably. Even though they’re display models, you let me try them out on the floor…”

Youngjae genuinely wanted to express his gratitude. He also felt more comfortable and at ease because she was also Asian.

“It’s no problem. It’s my job.”

Youngjae thanked the clerk. As he was about to leave, she called out to him, asking with a hint of curiosity:

“Are you a basketball player?”

“Yes, I play for San Diego State University.”

“I see. Thank you.”

Youngjae left the store with the Huarache 2K5 in hand, heading to the meeting place with Thomas in a good mood.

San Diego State University. Their team nickname is the Aztecs, and they compete in the Mountain West Conference. Among the 330 schools in NCAA Division 1 [the highest level of college athletics in the US], their offensive capabilities are average. Until last year, they struggled on offense due to the lack of a reliable scorer. This was because it was difficult to recruit players with exceptional individual skills in their conference. Coach Steve Fisher had experimented for years to overcome this limitation through tactics and defense, ultimately developing a defense-oriented basketball strategy optimized for the Aztecs.

Unlike the NBA, NCAA rules fully permit zone defense. The NBA allows only limited and unconventional zone defense due to the abolition of illegal defense rules. Prior to the 1990s, zone defense was completely prohibited in the NBA, with only man-to-man defense allowed.

The Aztecs primarily play man-to-man defense. However, if the opposing team attempts to exploit weaknesses in their man-to-man defense through pick plays [a play where a player sets a screen to free a teammate], they immediately use switch plays [where defenders exchange assignments] to minimize those openings. Against teams with strong post players, they reinforce their defense under the basket by employing helping defense, essentially double-teaming the player posting up [positioning oneself near the basket to receive a pass]. This was the core of the Aztecs’ defense-oriented basketball. As a result, the Aztecs tend to commit a lot of fouls.

The Aztecs’ strategy has been to minimize points allowed and secure victories, even if their offense isn’t fluid or their ball handlers commit turnovers. But this season promised to be different. Coach Fisher had implemented several changes during team training to facilitate a ‘different style of basketball’ and regularly held scrimmages to refine the players’ skills. He paid particular attention to Yoon Youngjae and Kawhi Leonard.

Kawhi Leonard had been a promising forward since high school, expected to contribute with decent rebounding, ball handling, and overall solid abilities. He was particularly praised for his defensive skills, allowing Fisher to guide and develop him according to his plan.

But Yoon Youngjae was a completely unexpected surprise. Fisher had hoped he would develop into a competent point guard, but he had quickly established himself as the team’s ace. His ball handling, dribbling, and passing skills were exceptional. If that were all, it would be impressive enough, but ‘exceptional’ meant he was already on a different level than the other players. Furthermore, he possessed the ability to read the game and the basketball IQ (BQ) to lead the team to his advantage. He had extremely few turnovers, stable ball handling, and the ability to deliver the ball to the right player at the right time. To top it all off, he had impressive scoring ability.

His shooting range was extensive. Whether he was shooting spot-up [stationary] shots or pull-up [off the dribble] shots, his success rate was remarkably high. While it might be different in actual games, his performance in scrimmages had been perfect for a ‘shooting guard who can lead the offense’. Perhaps a better term would be ‘dual guard’. He was a smart player who cleverly executed the simple strategy of dribbling when close to the basket, shooting when open, and passing when a teammate was in a better position.

============================ Author’s Note ============================

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

American college basketball is divided into Division 1, Division 2, and Division 3. Most of the players who become professionals and advance to the NBA or overseas leagues are from Division 1, and the level difference is extreme. Even in Division 1, the top-ranked high school players all go to major conferences, so the difference in skill between the protagonist’s conference and the major conferences is significant. It consists of a total of 32 conferences, consisting of major conferences (6), mid-major (12), and minor conferences (14).

When evaluating college players, the fact that the records of weak conferences cannot be trusted is also mentioned.

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

Thank you for your advance subscriptions, recommendations, comments, and evaluations.