Meanwhile.
Kentucky also cruised past Louisville in the other semifinal.
Steve gathered his players together. The day after their semifinal win, they were already studying Kentucky game film.
On screen, Anthony Davis looked absolutely unstoppable. At 6'10" with an incredible wingspan and terrifying athleticism, he was like a mobile fortress, dominant on both ends.
Additionally, the 6'7" Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was equally dangerous.
Known as "The Relentless Fighter," he was one of millions who faced speech impediments.
He'd been mocked for his stutter since childhood, which had forged his personality—he preferred proving himself through action rather than words.
Of course.
While this guy would eventually become another one of Jordan's "masterpieces," at Kentucky, he was genuinely one of the best wing players in the country.
His statistics weren't eye-popping—just 9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.
Which naturally raised the question: how could someone with those numbers go second overall in the NBA Draft?
Part of it was Jordan's unique eye for talent. The other part was that Kentucky's roster was simply absurd.
Setting aside the presumptive number-one pick AD, there was also senior Terrence Jones averaging 18 points.
Courtney Lee, a senior guard projected to go 21st in the first round.
Marquis Teague, a freshman point guard projected 29th in the first round.
It wasn't just a roster full of future NBA players—it was a roster full of future first-round picks!
While some players' stock was inflated by team success, this year's Kentucky squad had exactly what Michigan State lacked: talent.
Their roster was overflowing with talent, and yet Kentucky ran a team-oriented system with all that firepower.
It was simply unfair.
Of course, UCLA couldn't really complain—they'd once used similarly stacked rosters to win 11 championships.
But Steve hadn't.
Looking at Kentucky's lineup, Steve could already feel his hair thinning.
Aside from Courtney Lee and Marquis Teague, every Kentucky player stood over 6'7" with excellent mobility.
When you're that big and can still run as fast as everyone else, basketball becomes much easier.
Kentucky head coach John Calipari preached a five-man defensive philosophy.
Their defensive scheme was built around Anthony Davis.
Elite rebounding control was one of the keys to their dominance.
They also excelled at fast-break offense. They didn't rely on complex half-court sets—instead, they used their defense to swallow opponents and their transition game to score quickly.
Steve looked around the room, and his gaze inevitably settled on Yuuto.
This player, who could maintain over 50% shooting even in the most physical battles, was the Bruins' only hope for victory.
Kentucky's recent shooting percentage was nearly identical to Yuuto's.
But theirs was a team percentage. The Bruins only had one player shooting that well.
"Should we slow the pace?" Steve considered it briefly before abandoning the idea.
While Kentucky didn't run complex half-court offense, that was only on the offensive end. On defense, with Anthony Davis anchoring, they could hold their own in any grinding possession battle.
Against Louisville, Davis had recorded 6 blocks in a single game.
Nobody was stupid enough to engage Kentucky in a half-court slugfest—that would be playing right into Davis's hands.
Then, championship day arrived.
The Georgia Dome.
Tonight it loomed like a silver warship docked in the heart of the city.
From early morning, fans wearing both teams' jerseys flooded toward the massive venue that could hold 70,000 people.
Outside, television broadcast trucks from every major network lined up, cameras already in position. Renowned commentator Bill Raftery sat in a temporary broadcast booth, a sea of fans stretching behind him.
Some held up Wildcats signs. Others waved Bruins banners.
They pounded their chests over their team logos, danced and sang, and occasionally their verbal sparring escalated into fistfights.
Riot police had to intervene.
The arena lights dimmed as the court was bathed in gold.
The jumbotron rolled highlight reels of both teams' seasons.
Yuuto and Anthony Davis appeared frequently.
You could see Davis roaring at the heavens after every monster block and every thunderous dunk.
In contrast, Yuuto usually turned away silently after draining three-pointers—like a cold-blooded assassin.
Of course.
There were also clips of Yuuto's early celebrations and his free-throw line dunk.
These two would be tonight's protagonists, the focal point of 70,000 frenzied fans.
"UCLA's journey has been incredible, but I think their road ends here. Even Yu can't penetrate the Wildcats' defense—they're the best defensive team in college basketball this year."
The game hadn't started, but the commentators and analysts were already warming up.
"I actually think UCLA has a shot at winning it all."
"The Wildcats have AD!"
"But the Bruins have Yu!"
The commentators inevitably started arguing. One of them, Duff, was a California native and fully supported UCLA.
He said, "AD's talent is obvious. He can put up 6 blocks and 2 steals in a game, score 20 points and grab a dozen rebounds. Kentucky's defensive system built around him is ironclad."
"But the Wildcats face one of the best players in NCAA history tonight. Yu is absolutely the most dangerous scorer in college basketball. If he gets hot, he can drop 40—even 50—in a single game."
"That's impossible. Nobody scores over 30 on AD. 40 or 50? If anyone other than you said that, they'd be considered unprofessional."
"That's bias. Because of his race, Yu spent a long time being mocked in draft projections that didn't reflect his ability. And what happened? He proved himself. He's shown talent rivaling AD. His comparison is Jordan."
"Give me a break. How many 'Next Jordans' has the NBA had? And what happened? Not one came close. It's just marketing..."
Duff and his co-host argued heatedly.
Some of it was genuine, some theatrical. But regardless, before the game even tipped off, the tension had already permeated the arena and spread across America.
This game wasn't just about a championship—it might determine this year's number-one pick.
...
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