This year, the March Madness games were hosted in Syracuse (East Regional), Austin (South Regional), Albuquerque (West Regional), and Chicago (Midwest Regional). (Note ①)
Having previously won the ACC Tournament, Wake Forest was set to compete as the #1 seed in the Syracuse Regional. Compared to last year's experience of being "exiled" across half the country, this year, with the final bracket out, Wake Forest wasn't just the home team in the hearts of neutral Eastern fans. Playing essentially on home turf also significantly reduced their travel fatigue.
Historically, the North Carolina Tar Heels would have received East Regional fan support this year and made it all the way to the finals to win the championship. However, Wake Forest "possessed" their spot. What's even worse than being "possessed" is that the Tar Heels will play as the #2 seed in the Albuquerque Regional this year.
This means they're about to embark on a cross-country journey, and in Albuquerque, they won't get the same neutral fan support from the entire regional as they did historically. Plus, according to the bracket, to reach the finals, the Tar Heels will have to defeat Illinois, a team Zack had previously labeled a "serious threat."
In Zack's view, this undoubtedly greatly reduced the championship pressure on Wake Forest, who entered March Madness with an undefeated record.
First Round Dominance
On the 16th, as is tradition, the play-in game between Oakland University and Alabama A&M University took place at the University of Dayton Arena. Led by star forward Rawle Marshall, Oakland University defeated Alabama A&M University 79-69.
Since the winner of this play-in game would challenge Wake Forest as the #16 seed in the Syracuse Regional, Zack and his teammates patiently watched the entire game from their hotel.
Marshall, standing 6'7" and weighing 198 lbs, was lean with a well-rounded offensive skill set. Nicknamed "Oakland Kobe," he could put the ball in the basket in various ways. Of course, in higher-level games, players with Marshall's characteristics can simply be understood as:
Good at nothing in particular.
Zack couldn't remember every NBA player's name and story perfectly. However, historically, Marshall's experience of playing two years in the NBA as an undrafted free agent before being cut proved that someone like him... honestly, he should have played in the CBA
A day later, on the evening of the 18th.
Amidst the roaring cheers of tens of thousands of fans, the Syracuse Regional's #1 seed, Wake Forest, with an aura that made the Oakland University players envious, officially kicked off their March Madness debut.
That night, to thank the neutral fans from the East, Zack, right from the start, under everyone's gaze, scored an incredible, jaw-dropping highlight-reel play.
On the court, Zack, using an in-and-out dribble to shake off Marshall on the perimeter, then, facing Cortney Scott's help defense, glided through the air, palmed the ball, and finished with a reverse layup.
This shot, which completely defied common sense and perception, immediately ignited the entire arena. Underneath Oakland University's basket, Marshall, who had trailed Zack the whole way and witnessed this gliding single-hand reverse finish, still couldn't forget the play years later. "Can you imagine an M1A2 tank taking off like a Raptor fighter jet? Yes, that's what I saw that night."
Although Zack's height and weight meant he couldn't glide through the sky like Michael Jordan in his prime after getting the [Acrobat] badge, the hang time granted by the badge, combined with his dynamic and static talents, allowed Zack to create his own memorable moments in March Madness this year.
That night, with the fervent support of the home crowd, Wake Forest absolutely crushed Oakland with a score of 108-64. Afterward, multiple American media outlets claimed that the Demon Deacons had already shown championship potential in their debut. In the game, Zack and Paul scored 30 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals, and 18 points, 14 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, respectively.
A Star's Touch
After a day's rest, Wake Forest faced their second opponent: the Iowa State Cyclones.
Compared to the incredible hang time he displayed in the first game, this game, Zack's soft shooting touch left an even deeper impression on people. In the first half, he shot 6-for-6 from three-point range. After hitting his sixth three, he mimicked Michael Jordan's famous shrug to Yao Ming, who was in attendance that night, saying, "I really don't know why my threes are so accurate."
Seeing this, Yao Ming immediately responded with his signature "囧" (embarrassed/puzzled) smile.
At that moment, watching Zack's seemingly omnipotent presence on the court, Yao Ming was filled with emotion. Especially in the second half of the game... Zack's multiple fast breaks initiated after grabbing rebounds further redefined Yao Ming's understanding of players' dribbling abilities.
Although Yao Ming often searched for Zack's highlights online, just as those important figures say... simply watching recordings and highlights can't truly convey the devastating impact Zack has on your perception of basketball.
Furthermore, it's worth mentioning that after this night, Yao Ming's nickname for Zack was set: "Mr. Jack."
After the game, patting Mr. Jack on the shoulder, Yao Ming, who was three years older than Zack, felt a long-lost sense of familiarity while chatting with him. The two communicated , and by the end of their chat, they even discussed "World of Warcraft," which was in open beta in North America.
This was the hottest massively multiplayer online role-playing game of that era, and also a shared youth memory for many born in the 80s and 90s. The only minor drawback was that even as strong as Zack was, he encountered the same awkward situation as Shaq in front of Yao Ming: when taking a photo with Yao Ming, Mr. Jack instantly became "Little Zack."
"Mr. Jack, remember to call me when you're going on raids later!"
"No problem, Old Yao."
Sweet Sixteen Challenge
In the second round, the Cyclones were no match for the Demon Deacons. With Zack's hot shooting, the game's outcome was practically decided by halftime. Moreover, the Cyclones didn't have a future Stephen Curry who would lead Davidson on an upset run in March Madness.
Ultimately, thanks to Zack's outstanding performance of 44 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks, and 8 three-pointers in a single game, Wake Forest smoothly advanced to the Sweet Sixteen with a 112-74 victory.
In this game, Paul's 18 assists set a new March Madness record. However, after these two dominant games, seeing Paul so excited about setting a March Madness record, Zack fell into a moment of self-doubt. Honestly, the opponents in these two big wins played pretty poorly.
But... "In my memory, why did Paul lead the Hornets to lose by 58 points in the playoffs?" Zack simply couldn't figure it out.
Three days later, in the Sweet Sixteen, Wake Forest faced the Villanova Wildcats, a team dubbed "Little Illinois" this season. Similar to another championship contender, Illinois, the Wildcats' offense primarily relied on their three backcourt stars.
Allan Ray, 6'2", attempted over 9 three-pointers per game this season and was widely considered the best shooter in the entire Big East conference. Randy Foye, a 6'4" combo guard, would be the 7th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. This season, Foye averaged 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists for the Wildcats, making him their second-leading scorer.
In college, Foye had a well-rounded offensive game, able to drive and shoot. Before the draft, he was even compared to Dwyane Wade, with scouts calling him "a shooting Wade" in his scouting reports to attract fans. Well, NBA scouts always like to give seemingly outrageous comparisons in young players' reports to generate hype.
As for the Wildcats' other backcourt core, it was Kyle Lowry, who often played as a super sixth man this season. As the player among the Wildcats' backcourt trio who would achieve the most in the NBA, Zack remembered Lowry not only making multiple All-Star appearances but also, after his development, frequently bringing back painful memories for Paul of being dominated by such "steel cannon" guards in direct matchups.
But the future is the future, and now is now. Given Lowry's current experience, if Paul were to get blown out by Lowry in this game... then Zack could only say, "Of course it's you, Chris!"
Elite Eight Showdown
On the evening of the 24th, due to Foye and Lowry taking turns dominating in the first half, Wake Forest, a strong championship favorite, found themselves in a tough battle. The Demon Deacons' perimeter defense had been a persistent issue for the team over the past two years. Of course, you can't blame it all on Paul. In fact, Paul was already Wake Forest's best perimeter defender.
Facing the alternating attacks of Foye and Lowry, Zack knew that if anyone else tried to defend them... it would be like giving away free points. In the 04/05 season, although Reeve's development somewhat freed up the Demon Deacons' frontcourt to help on perimeter defense, given Zack's dominance on the court, Prosser was ultimately reluctant to let Zack expend too much energy on defense.
Fortunately, that night, the Villanova backcourt trio's polish was still slightly lacking. Thanks to Zack's spectacular second-half performance, with a "reverse-Kobe-esque" 10-for-11 shooting, Wake Forest ultimately scraped by with an 88-74 victory.
In the entire game, Zack amassed 38 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 blocks, and 1 steal. Paul, who contributed significantly on the defensive end (and took a beating), finished with 15 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals.
After the game, seeing a somewhat dejected Paul, Zack decisively treated him to a delicious... junk food feast. Zack knew that besides fried chicken, French fries were also Paul's favorite. So, at times like these, in Zack's eyes, only a junk food meal could comfort Paul.
Actually, for basketball players with such incredible energy expenditure, so-called junk food isn't entirely off-limits. As long as they exercise moderation, they'll also enjoy normal food in their daily lives. In fact, Zack considered those NBA stars often hyped by marketing accounts to be utterly abnormal.
On to the Elite Eight
After sending off the Wildcats and comforting Paul with a big meal, Wake Forest, now in the Elite Eight, would face the #6 seed Wisconsin Badgers in the next round.
Known for their defense this season, the Badgers averaged around 50 offensive possessions for their opponents per game. The team's star player, Alando Tucker, standing 6'6", averaged 15.2 points per game for the Badgers this season.
In terms of overall strength, the Badgers didn't have many particularly outstanding players besides Tucker. This team made it all the way to the Elite Eight primarily through their utterly tormenting defense. In their previous three March Madness games, their opponents only averaged 56.6 points per game.
And if their defense was just tormenting, that would be one thing... As a team that liked to fully utilize the 30-second shot clock, the Badgers also had a particular fondness for deliberately delaying the game after an opponent scored.
Yes, in NCAA games, the clock only stops after a made basket in the last two minutes of the second half or overtime. In short, this was a team that fully adapted to its own characteristics and was extremely adept at using the NCAA's clock-stopping rules.
Zack knew very well that if Wake Forest's mentality was affected by the Badgers' style of play... then the Demon Deacons weren't immune to an upset. After all, this was March Madness, a single-elimination tournament.
On the evening of the 28th, as the latest game to tip off in the Elite Eight, and the final game of the Syracuse Regional, Wake Forest welcomed the challenge of the Wisconsin Badgers with great anticipation.
Since this year's Final Four would be held in St. Louis, "Advance to St. Louis" became the rallying cry for Wake Forest fans cheering on their team that night.
On the court, as soon as the game began, Wake Forest immediately felt the Badgers' incredibly slow offensive and defensive pace. That night, Zack intentionally reduced his perimeter shooting frequency. Because against an opponent like the Badgers, if you can't guarantee your success rate every possession... then your mentality will only crumble further and further.
Zack knew very well that only by playing inside could he effectively tie up the Badgers' defense and compress their defensive area. And at this point, Paul's value became fully apparent.
In the game, unable to prevent Paul from passing to Zack, the Badgers were immediately hit by an offensive surge from Wake Forest. On the scoreboard, it was 18-4, Wake Forest in the lead. This opening run established Wake Forest's winning momentum.
Duncan's Endorsement
Meanwhile, watching the game on TV, Tim Duncan also made up his mind: first thing tomorrow morning, he would actively go out and talk to reporters. You ask what Duncan wanted to talk about? Of course, it was to sing the praises of Zack's low-post dominance in the game against the Badgers.
"Did you see my junior's elegant fadeaway? Did you see my junior's sharp spin move to the basket? Did you see my junior's dreamy footwork, using rhythm changes to leave defenders bewildered?"
"Yes, Zack's post-up moves were all taught by me. Although his comprehension was slightly less than mine back in the day, I'm still proud of the progress he's made in college basketball."
Note ①: This year, Chicago was indeed the Midwest Regional. Readers who often watch the NBA shouldn't find this strange. After all, the NCAA's geographical regions differ from the NBA's Eastern and Western Conference divisions.