Chapter 36 – Final Opponent, Domestic Broadcast Confirmed!
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for winning the Final Four! You have earned 4 Honor Points!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for helping the Texas Longhorns make history by advancing to the NCAA Finals for the first time! You've been awarded 2 Honor Points!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for hitting a buzzer-beater in a clutch game! 2 Honor Points awarded!]
As the system had previously mentioned, the bigger the stage, the greater the rewards. Just by securing tonight's win, Chen Yan picked up 4 Honor Points. Add in the school record and that cold-blooded buzzer-beater, and he was walking away with a serious haul.
Lying on the hotel bed, still riding the high of the game, Chen Yan couldn't wait to cash in. He opened up the system and exchanged his 8 Honor Points for 4 attribute points within the 70–80 range, investing them all into his Three-Point stat.
Ding! His Three-Point rating instantly jumped from 76 to 80.
Chen had his eyes set beyond college hoops. He was already thinking about the league.
If he wanted to make it in the NBA, he had to round out his offensive arsenal. And right now, his most glaring hole was his range.
A guard with no outside threat? That's a benchwarmer. He had no intention of being one.
After upgrading, he took a look at his updated player profile:
---
[Player]: Chen Yan
[Height]: 198cm (6'6")
[Weight]: 88kg (194 lbs)
[Wingspan]: 218cm (7'2")
[Standing Vert]: 98cm
[Max Vert]: 105cm
[Ball Handling]: 90
[Speed]: 92
[Stamina]: 90
[Court Vision]: 84
[Driving]: 90
[Layup]: 85
[Mid-Range]: 81
[Three-Point]: 80
[Free Throw]: 80
[Passing]: 85
[Positioning]: 90
[Steal]: 88
[Strength]: 65
[Rebounding]: 58
[Defense]: 66
[Block]: 68
[Mental Toughness]: 95
[Skills]:
God-Level Steal
Answer Crossover
Phantom Step
Hot Start (Passive)
[Honor Points]: 0
[Overall Rating]: A
---
From where he started, Chen's shooting had come a long way.
He wasn't Steph Curry out there, but with a Three-Point rating now at 80, he had the green light to pull up with confidence when defenders went under the screen.
When his Mid-Range stat jumped from 77 to 80 a while back, he'd felt the difference immediately—his shot release was smoother, and his consistency improved.
Now, with the three-ball upgraded too, he expected the same leap.
But experimentation could wait. His body ached from a hard-fought game, and right now, sleep was calling.
---
The Next Morning
"CHEN! Yo, CHEN! Wake up, man! Kobe just called you a natural-born killer!"
Durant's voice hit Chen's ears before he could even open his eyes.
KD was already up and bouncing with energy. He hadn't played much in the previous game, so he was fresh.
Chen groaned, barely peeling his eyes open before Durant shoved a laptop in front of him.
On the screen was an article headline in bold:
"Kobe: Chen is a Natural Killer—His Eyes Remind Me of Myself!"
"See? Even the Mamba sees it!" Durant grinned.
Before Chen could react, KD switched tabs and scrolled through more headlines—this time from entertainment sites.
"Locker Room Secrets! Taylor Swift Spends 15 Minutes Alone with NCAA Star Chen Yan!"
"Taylor Swift Plays Dress-Up in Texas Locker Room!"
"Caught! Chen and Taylor Walk Out Hand-in-Hand After Private Moment!"
"Not Backing Down! Chen Yan Responds to 15-Minute Rumor: 'That's My Worst Time Ever.'"
"Back-to-Back Battles! Chen Yan Dominates On and Off the Court!"
Durant burst out laughing as he read them out loud.
"Bro, they're calling you the Back-to-Back MVP—one game on the hardwood, one in the showers."
Chen groaned and slammed the laptop shut. This was getting ridiculous.
He had no idea how a misunderstanding turned into national gossip. His name was trending not just in sports media—but everywhere.
Fans who had never watched a second of basketball were Googling him just to see what the fuss was about.
His stock was soaring, but Chen wasn't exactly thrilled about the reason.
He wasn't chasing clout. He just wanted to hoop.
But the reality was clear: he'd made it onto the national stage.
And whether it was for his buzzer-beater or locker room rumors—the world was watching.
Early the next morning, just as Chen Yan was finally enjoying some well-earned sleep, his phone buzzed.
"Chen, have you seen the news?"
The message was from Taylor Swift—with a laughing-crying emoji tacked on at the end.
Chen let out a tired chuckle and replied, "Yeah, those reporters are ridiculous. Even fiction writers wouldn't come up with that stuff."
"Hahaha! By the way, when should I return your jersey?" she asked.
"No need to return it. You can keep it."
"No! I have to return it. I'll be at the finals—I'll give it back to you then."
Chen Yan paused. So that's her angle... she's looking for an excuse to meet again.
"Alright then. See you at the finals."
"Good luck!"
"Thanks."
Polite. Brief. To the point.
Right now, Chen had no space in his head for anything other than basketball. Women? They only slow down your dribble.
---
That afternoon, the results of the other semifinal came in—Texas' final opponent was officially confirmed:
The Ohio State Buckeyes.
Unlike Texas, Ohio State had been here before. Way back in 1960, they beat Cal to win their only NCAA title.
But history wasn't the headline this time—it was their superstar big man.
Greg Oden.
Projected as the No.1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, Oden was being hyped as a generational talent.
"He's got the footwork of Hakeem, the strength of Shaq, the versatility of KG, and the winning instincts of Bill Russell."
And it wasn't just hype. Oden was putting up serious numbers:
15.7 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 3.3 BPG
14 double-doubles
5 games with 20+ points
17 games with 4+ blocks
In the Sweet 16 against Tennessee, Oden blocked a last-second shot to seal an 85-84 win. In the Elite Eight against Memphis, he posted 19 points and 9 rebounds, forcing Memphis' bigs into 7 combined fouls. The guy was a wrecking ball.
Chen Yan knew—this dude was a monster. His only real opponent? Injuries.
Meanwhile, back in the hotel, Texas center Dexter Pittman was tossing and turning all night. It wasn't fear—it was awareness. He knew just how wide the gap was between him and Oden.
And Oden wasn't even their only weapon.
Mike Conley, their freshman point guard, was the floor general everyone had slept on. He was putting up 11.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 2.2 steals per game—efficient, smart, and deadly in transition.
The media dubbed it "Mars vs Earth."
The top three draft prospects—Chen Yan, Greg Oden, and Kevin Durant—all appearing in the same NCAA Final? That had never happened before in college basketball history.
Naturally, the NCAA wasn't going to let this hype go to waste.
They ramped up the marketing, pushing coverage into overdrive. Countless promos aired, social media campaigns exploded, and reporters swarmed the teams.
To keep the players locked in, Coach Rick Barnes immediately shifted the team into closed-door training. No distractions. No media. Only basketball.
With all eyes turning to the final showdown, the NCAA announced the venue:
Lucas Oil Stadium.
Yes, another football stadium. After all, if the semifinals got that treatment, how could the finals be any smaller?
---
Meanwhile, back in China, a massive announcement dropped:
CCTV5 will broadcast the NCAA Finals live across the nation.
For the first time ever, March Madness was coming to Chinese television—and it was all thanks to Chen Yan.
His electric performances, coupled with the NCAA's relentless promotion, had finally caught the attention of Chinese sports media.
And now? Millions back home were about to witness his moment.
Chen Yan didn't just lead Texas to the finals.
He also brought March Madness to China.
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