novel-bin Chapter 10, First Champion
Chapter 10, First Champion
"Wang, hang in there! You're the best. I believe in you. Your abilities surpass everyone else's. Hold on, and we'll win the game."
Although high school games are only 8 minutes per quarter and each offensive possession is limited to 35 seconds, it is rare for a high school team to let its starters play the entire game. After all, the bodies of fifteen or sixteen-year-olds are not yet fully developed, and at least in terms of physical fitness, they are not comparable to professional-level athletes.
Wang Kai and Lao Ke had a rather miserable Christmas, and Wang Kai even caught a cold, which led to the Montverde Hawks losing by a large margin to their opponents.
Coach Kevin Boyle used this opportunity to dampen the team's arrogant atmosphere, resulting in him having to prepare Wang Kai to play the entire game in the upcoming match against the formidable Delan High School Honey Badgers.
Wang Kai's physical abilities, thanks to his coaching and his own exceptional talent, surpassed those of his peers. However, he was only sixteen years old and still a minor. Moreover, the intensity of competition in American high school basketball is relatively high. So, before the game, Wang Kai didn't think much of it. But by the third quarter, he felt somewhat tired.
The Delan High School Honey Badgers finished third last season and are known for their fast-paced offense and defense transitions and accurate outside shooting. They are a traditional powerhouse among high school teams in Florida.
Moreover, Eddie El, who twisted his ankle, continued to be sidelined in this game, and a group of teammates who had been trained into being weak by Coach Kevin in the three days before the game, it can be said that the Hawks did not collapse in the third quarter because Wang Kai carried the team alone.
In this game, Wang Kai not only carried the team on the offensive end, but also repeatedly cleaned up the messes for his teammates on the defensive end.
"You little rascal, are you even up to par? I used to play 48 minutes a day all the time. You still have a lot to learn from me!"
Old Ke rarely gets a chance to see Wang Kai make a fool of himself, so naturally he won't miss the opportunity to tease Wang Kai.
"Ten minutes left, you old scoundrel, just watch, I'll end the game."
Although he was panting heavily, Wang Kai remained confident in his abilities.
Faced with the predicament, Wang Kai completely let go of himself. He stopped thinking about the team's tactics and started to focus on himself. Even when the opponent doubled or tripled on him, Wang Kai would still attack against the defense.
Perhaps it was because he had spent too much time with a certain eccentric guy, but Wang Kai's current performance reminded Kobe of himself back then. However, the difference was that Wang Kai's shooting ability was superior to Kobe's back then.
Kevin Boyle was about to call a stop when he saw Wang Kai shooting over the defense, but Wang Kai's amazing performance silenced Kevin Boyle.
The Delan High School Honey Badgers knew that Montverde only had one Asian kid on the court today, so they double-teamed Wang Kai as soon as he crossed half-court.
Wang Kai used his dribbling and agile footwork to outmaneuver the opponent's double team, and then, when the opponent's center came out, he hit a three-pointer despite the opponent's defense.
Wang Kai then scored repeatedly, driving into the paint to score whenever the opponent tried to defend against a three-pointer.
Wang Kai's scoring streak completely affected the opposing team's performance. After all, he had given it his all, but the opponent could score whenever they wanted. This would be hard to accept even for an adult team, let alone for these impulsive and short-lived young players.
Wang Kai hit three consecutive three-pointers, followed by a three-point play and a layup. In just three minutes, Montverde went on a 16-2 run, widening the score gap significantly.
Ultimately, after three quarters of close play, the Delan High School Honey Badgers were swept away by Wang Kai in a single go, shocking all the fans in the arena.
Wang Kai played the entire game and was so tired that he didn't want to move at all, but this feeling excited him. He felt that he liked scoring even more and enjoyed the feeling of leaving his opponents helpless.
After a tough game, 2001 came to a close, and then from January to mid-February 2002, the Montverde Eagles went on a 16-game winning streak.
The 2001-2002 Florida State Championship season has officially ended. In the 6A division, the Montverde Eagles won the Florida High School Central Division Championship with a record of 29 wins and 1 loss, which also propelled them into the State Championship Final Four. Before March Madness arrives, the Montverde Eagles will have two games left to win their state championship.
The other three teams that made it to the state championship semifinals were Miami Northwest High School, Lakewood High School, and their old rival Delan High School.
Montverde Academy's performance in the regular season surprised everyone, considering they hadn't made it to the state championship semifinals for five years.
Wang Kai's sudden rise to prominence has made the entire Florida high school basketball community aware of this Chinese player with extremely strong offensive firepower, and some Florida high schools have also begun to take notice of this international student player.
In the North American high school basketball scene of this era, there are very few international student players who can make it big, and even in the NCAA, there are very few international players who perform well.
The Montverde Hawks' first opponent in the Final Four was Miami Northwest High School, a team known for its tough defense. Their core center, Anthony Shedd, is only sixteen years old but already stands at 2.01 meters tall and has considerable athleticism, earning him the nickname "the Garnett of Florida."
Wang Kai continued to be the ball-handling playmaker in this game, repeatedly using his teammates' screens to force Anthony Shedra to the perimeter for training.
With Wang Kai's smooth and unpredictable dribbling rhythm, Anthony Shedd was unable to demonstrate his ability to defend from one to five.
In the first half alone, Wang Kai drew four fouls on Anthony, which ultimately led to the complete collapse of Miami Northwest High School's defense in the second half, and the Hawks defeated last season's state championship champions by a score of 82-68.
Meanwhile, Delan High School also defeated Lakewood High School to advance to the tournament finals.
In the finals, the Hawks, who had won their previous regular season matchup, gave their opponents no chance.
Wang Kai broke the "recording pen" before the match, which completely freed Eddie El.
Although Eddie El initially respected Wang Kai out of fear of the recording pen, he completely came to admire Wang Kai as the season progressed.
In this game, Wang Kai played the role of the second-in-command, facing Eddie El, who was about to enter his senior year of high school. He hoped that Eddie El could have a better future in a year.
Relying on simple and efficient pick-and-roll offense, coupled with Delan High School's unwavering emphasis on Wang Kai, Eddie El transformed into a master of easy baskets in this game, scoring a game-high 26 points and grabbing 14 rebounds on 12-of-18 shooting.
Wang Kai also became a master of assists, delivering 16 assists throughout the game, more than half of which went to Eddie El.
The Montverde Hawks ultimately defeated their opponents by a landslide score of 91-73, which also secured them the 2001-2002 Florida Championship title.