Chapter 27: Final Four Revealed—Draft Stock Rises!
A day later, the NCAA Tournament's Final Four—the most anticipated stage of March Madness—was officially set!
Alongside the red-hot Texas Longhorns, the other three teams to punch their tickets were the Florida Gators, the UCLA Bruins, and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Every one of them? Certified heavyweights.
Florida is the reigning national champion. UCLA made it to last year's title game. And Ohio State? They've got this year's projected No. 1 pick: Greg Oden.
Shortly after the bracket was finalized, ESPN dropped the semifinal matchups:
Texas Longhorns vs. Florida Gators
UCLA Bruins vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
For Texas fans, this wasn't the draw they were hoping for. Going up against the defending champs right out the gate? Brutal.
Florida isn't just experienced—they're stacked. Six of their guys are projected to be drafted, with Horford, Noah, and Corey Brewer all sitting comfortably in the lottery range.
Four out of their five starters are juniors. Their shooting guard, Lee Humphrey, is a senior. That experience and chemistry? Dangerous.
Honestly, this Gators lineup might go down as one of the most loaded in NCAA history.
But when Chen Yan saw who they were facing, he didn't flinch.
If the goal was to win it all, he was going to have to go through Florida anyway.
So why be scared now?
"Bring it on." That was his mindset. No matter how dominant Florida looked on paper—he was ready to go toe-to-toe.
---
Over the next few days, ESPN ran nonstop coverage of the Final Four.
From team profiles to highlight reels, they milked the hype for all it was worth. Four teams, looped endlessly. But the fans? They couldn't get enough.
The coverage hammered home four storylines:
Texas's "King Bomb" duo of Chen Yan and Durant lighting it up
Florida's unmatched team chemistry and experience
UCLA's balanced offense and defense
Ohio State's insane raw talent
It was the same stuff over and over, but people still ate it up.
In America, March Madness isn't just a basketball tournament—it's a full-blown cultural event. Like a holiday where hoops take center stage.
---
Back in Texas, the Longhorns were soaking it all in.
Seeing themselves on national TV every time they turned it on? That was a surreal feeling.
And as the semis approached, the side industries were heating up too.
Especially the betting world.
"Who's winning the chip?"
"Texas or Florida—who takes it?"
"Will Chen Yan drop another 30-bomb?"
"Will there be another on-court scuffle involving Chen?"
"What flavor of ramen did Chen and Durant eat pregame?"
Yeah, you read that right. People were placing bets on that.
Creative prop bets were everywhere, making the madness even more fun for fans and fueling the hype around the games.
---
Meanwhile, Chen Yan's NBA draft stock was skyrocketing.
Analysts had said it from the start: if Texas kept advancing and Chen kept hooping, his ranking would climb.
Now?
ESPN had him at No. 10.
DraftExpress bumped him up to No. 9.
At this rate, a lottery selection was almost guaranteed.
Back in China, fans were losing their minds.
Yi Jianlian (A-Lian) had already declared for the draft and was projected top 10. Now Chen Yan might join him?
With Yao Ming already an All-Star in his fifth year, having three Chinese players in the NBA, two of them lottery picks? That was a dream come true.
The Chinese men's basketball team? On the rise.
The 2007 draft class was already being talked about as one of the best ever, right behind 1984, 1996, and 2003.
To stand out in a class this stacked? That was no joke.
Scouts released a detailed evaluation of Chen Yan's strengths and weaknesses:
Strengths:
Elite athleticism and wingspan
Excellent ball-handling, combo guard potential
Dangerous off-ball mover with good instincts
Lightning-fast in transition, elite in fast breaks
High basketball IQ, mature decision-maker
Durable body, no injury history
Weaknesses:
Relies on gambling for steals—high risk, high reward
Slight frame—may struggle with NBA-level physicality
Needs more consistency from deep
Lacks long-term high-level experience
NBA Comparison: Dwyane Wade
Some said his flashiness and speed were more like Iverson. Others pointed to his scoring instincts, calling him Kobe-lite. But his official comparison was Wade.
Chen was confused.
"Wade? Is it just 'cause I use the Euro step a lot?" he joked to Durant.
The countdown to the Final Four continued. Inside the Texas Longhorns training facility, intensity was building.
After a full morning grind, Chen Yan wiped the sweat off his face and headed toward the locker room.
Then, he heard two familiar dings.
"Ding! Mid-range Shooting +1!"
"Ding! Defense +1!"
Chen Yan: "Wait, what? Did I just level up twice?"
He blinked in surprise.
"Yo, System, what's going on? Did I unlock some hidden reward or something?"
System:
"This is the natural result of the host's consistent effort during training and games. When you utilize a certain skill frequently, you gain experience in that attribute. Once that experience fills up, the attribute increases automatically. The higher your current attribute, the harder it is to improve through normal training or competition."
Chen: "Ohhh… okay, that makes sense."
So it wasn't a hidden bonus—just good old-fashioned hard work paying off. A little disappointing, but also kind of satisfying.
Even with a system cheat, Chen still had to put in work like everyone else. That made the grind feel real.
He opened the system panel and used the two honor points he earned from their last win.
Both went into three-point shooting.
His new rating? 76.
It wasn't climbing super fast, but progress is progress. And being able to see your improvement like this? That was a whole different kind of motivation.
---
Three days flew by.
Game day was almost here.
Texas vs. Florida.
Collision course.
The NCAA had scheduled the matchup to be played in Los Angeles. But surprisingly, not at the Lakers' home—not at Staples Center.
Instead, it would be held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a massive outdoor football stadium.
Why?
Simple. Capacity.
Basketball arenas like Staples Center couldn't handle the insane ticket demand for the Final Four.
The Memorial Coliseum could.
Over 90,000 seats. Wide open air. March Madness on the grandest stage.
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