"Who are you here to observe this time?" the scout for the Phoenix Suns asked the person next to him.
"Karl-Anthony Towns," replied the scout for the Lakers next to him.
"Haha, Towns' draft position is quite high, and with your current record, you might have a chance to get him," joked the Warriors' scout.
The past few seasons with the Lakers were about tanking, just accompanying Kobe on the court, and the Lakers scout just shrugged at their team's performance.
"Aren't you considering a guard? After all, Kobe seems about ready to retire," suggested the Thunder's scout.
"We do want a guard as well, but I'm unsure of the management's plan—whether they're looking to rebuild or let Kobe play a few more seasons," the Lakers scout expressed helplessly.
The situation with the Lakers is a bit awkward. As long as Kobe hasn't retired, their slogan each year is certainly aiming for the championship.
But since his major injury, Kobe's competitive form has obviously declined, and making him the core won't even guarantee a playoff berth, let alone a championship.
With Kobe around, other big stars don't quite fancy coming to the Lakers.
"Who's that Asian player on the Wildcats? Do you guys know?" asked the Thunder scout.
"No idea, never seen him in high school leagues," replied the Suns scout.
"I don't have any impression either, probably a player Calipari brought in from Asia, we could observe him a bit," the Lakers scout said.
"Asians aren't quite suited for basketball, I haven't even scouted there in recent years," said the Timberwolves scout.
"Their basketball talent development system is a bit problematic, it's very messy, Yao is a very unique existence."
The scouts continued their discussion.
As they talked, the game began.
The NCAA, with its rules, often differed from the NBA games Zeng Xingyang usually watched.
For instance, this season's new rule, the NCAA has a 30-second shot clock, while the NBA has a 24-second shot clock.
Other rules also differ, such as the NCAA has two 20-minute halves and no defensive three seconds.
On the 7th common foul, teams execute a 1+1 free throw, missing means no second chance.
These rule differences made the NCAA unique.
Historically, the Florida Gators weren't that competitive, but since the late '80s, they've become strong contenders for the Southeastern Conference championship along with the University of Kentucky and University of Tennessee.
However, in comparison to the Kentucky Wildcats' luxurious lineup, the Florida Gators seemed very modest, with no player having an NBA prospect.
The Gators approached today's away game with a mindset to lose as little as possible and fight until the end.
Naturally, Zeng Xingyang wasn't a starter; He sat at the corner of the bench as always.
Zeng Xingyang constantly paid attention to the game details on the court, preparing himself at every moment.
Occasionally, he would stand up to shout and swing a towel to cheer for his teammates.
When players were subbed off, he would high-five them as a sign of respect.
Zeng Xingyang noticed that compared to the NBA, the NCAA style emphasized more on tactical coordination, with both teams tirelessly running plays to get the ball to the best player in the most suitable position.
The Kentucky Wildcats' tactics mainly revolved around Booker and Towns.
At the start of the game, Booker and Towns showcased their individual skills by frequently scoring against their matchups.
But the Gators quickly adjusted their tactic, double-teaming whenever the two had the ball, while others assumed a zone defensive posture.
This double team reaped noticeable results, Booker's isolation plays became ineffective under this pressure, and Towns made passing errors when dealing with the double team, leading to frequent Wildcat turnovers.
The original lead instantly narrowed, with the score tied at 10-10.
Kenny Payne, in charge of directing, swiftly called a timeout.
"Karl, after you're double-teamed, pass the ball quickly, don't try to break through the double team."
"Devin, when Karl has the ball, make sure you position yourself in the corner instead of just waiting to attack."
"Let's build around Karl for now."
Both core players were thinking of isolating with the ball, which made Kenny Payne a bit worried.
It's not that Booker can't play without the ball; it's just whether he's willing to or not.
When the Gators face the Wildcats in a half-court defense, their offensive efficiency wasn't actually high; tactical plays rarely resulted in scores, but on the fast break, their scoring efficiency increased significantly.
"OK!" Booker reluctantly responded. Compared to catch-and-shoot, he preferred having the ball in his hands.
"Alright, Devin, have a rest first. Zeng, you're up!" Kenny Payne called out.
Seeing Booker's reluctance to give up ball control, Kenny Payne decisively made a substitution.
Upon hearing the coach call his name, Zeng Xingyang was a bit surprised; he didn't expect to be called up so early.
However, wasn't he waiting for this moment?
Zeng Xingyang quickly stood up, placed his towel on the seat, walked over to Kenny Payne to hear the tactical arrangements.
Kenny Payne put his arm around Zeng Xingyang's shoulder, pointing to the corner, and said: "On defense, you need to hold your position, don't let them easily get past you, and on offense, move into positioning, if you have the chance, shoot from the corners."
Kenny Payne had a very clear role for Zeng Xingyang, as a 3D player.
What the team needed now was someone who could spread the floor.
Zeng Xingyang nodded frequently, indicating that he understood.
On the other side, Aaron Harrison remarked sourly, "Why was he sent in first?"
Dakari Johnson said, "He just got lucky; the team needs his three-point shooting to spread the floor."
Aaron Harrison said, "I can shoot threes too."
Someone nearby quipped, "But not as accurate as him."
Harrison's three-point shooting ability was just average for a guard, clearly lacking compared to sharpshooters.
Zeng Xingyang's three-point shooting in recent times had won over not a few teammates, and there were those who would speak up for him.
The brutal honesty stung a bit, and all Aaron Harrison could do was hope for Zeng Xingyang to perform poorly.
The timeout quickly ended, and Zeng Xingyang took to the court.
"Defense, keep an eye on the double team."
"Don't give them a chance to go one-on-one."
The Gators' coach continued shouting from the sidelines.
It was the Wildcats' possession.
The point guard quickly dribbled the ball past half-court.
Zeng Xingyang also started moving around.
The Gators' defense is a zone strategy, with a heavy center inside that greatly limits star players' breakthrough damage.
After upgrading his positioning to Level 2, Zeng Xingyang's read on the opponent's lineup vulnerabilities became even sharper.
The point guard chose to pass the ball to Towns at the free-throw line.
As soon as Towns got the ball, the Gators swiftly double-teamed him.
Zeng Xingyang broke free at a 30-degree angle on the right, but Towns didn't pass to him; instead, he passed to Lyles cutting inside from the left.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Lyles faced high-intensity defensive contests inside.
Under such pressure, Lyles' floater missed, and the rebound was secured by the opposing center.
The power of the zone defense was evident, as the Wildcats' attack failed once more.
In the subsequent two possessions, Zeng Xingyang didn't even touch the ball.
The Gators, however, utilized two cuts into the lane to score layups.
The score moved to 14-10.
Towns' rim protection wasn't outstanding, providing little defensive intimidation.
Zeng Xingyang didn't feel dejected; he continued waiting for his opportunity.