January 4, 2014 – Howard @ Alabama
The arena was louder than usual.
Alabama fans had come out in full force, and their signs pulled no punches:
"Shadow King? More like Flash in the Pan.""Welcome to SEC ball, kid."
Michael Schmidt jogged out, unfazed. But Coach Beasley noticed the fatigue in his legs before tip-off.
The holidays had worn on the team. Too many cameras. Too many appearances. Too little rest.
And Alabama? They smelled blood.
From the start, things were off.
Michael missed his first three shots. Turned the ball over twice. Looked a step slow on defense.
Howard fell behind 12–2.
Timeout.
Beasley grabbed the clipboard—but this time, he didn't draw anything.
"You don't look like you want this."
Michael wiped his face. "I do."
"Then show me. Not with words."
Michael regrouped. Began to fight back. Hit a corner three. Forced a turnover.
But Alabama was relentless.
Their guards blitzed every screen. Their crowd screamed every miss.
And tonight, Michael just wasn't sharp enough.
Howard lost 81–70. Michael finished with:
19 points
5 assists
3 rebounds
5 turnovers
It was his first loss of the season.
[System Notification: Performance Below Legacy Standards][Template Progress: 74.10% → 74.02%]
[Warning: Stagnation Will Lead to Regression in Advanced Tiers]
Michael sat on the locker room bench, jaw clenched. The weight of reality pressed in.
Progress could fall now.
Not just stall—drop.
He didn't speak on the flight back. Didn't answer texts. Didn't even look at the ESPN panel calling it "his first crack."
But when the team returned to campus, Michael didn't go home.
He went to the gym.
Alone.
For four hours.
That night, the System spoke again.
[You have now entered the territory of the elite.][From this point, every percent gained will fight back.][Only consistency under pressure, efficiency under fatigue, and dominance against elite opponents will push the ceiling.]
Michael stared at the fading scoreboard on the wall.
Then said one word.
"Good."