"My heavens! Tsinghua High, the strongest, truly lives up to its name!" exclaimed Chen Feng from the stands, his voice filled with awe. "Yan Hui, that nationally top-ranked player from Tsinghua Affiliated High, number 14 Wang ZhiZhi, can you handle him?"
"Whether I can handle him or not, I have to try!" Yan Hui responded in a low, muffled voice.
"Well said! Old Yan, we need that 'who else but me' kind of dominance! Don't worry, don't be afraid, I've got your back..." Zhang Zhenpeng patted his chest, encouraging Yan Hui.
Yan Hui shot him a glare. "Which eye of yours saw me being afraid?"
Zhang Zhenpeng was momentarily speechless, then sheepishly said, "My mistake, my mistake... I'm just here to back you up..."
"Forget it! You'd better think about how to deal with Li Nan! That guy's three-point shooting percentage is much more stable than yours..."
"Uh... can't we just compare three-pointers? For a swingman, it's about all-around ability... I admit, his three-pointers might be just a tad better than mine, but my drives are stronger, and my beast-like dunking style, isn't it stronger than his floaty, wandering-around-the-perimeter shooting style..."
"Brother, can we say less?" Zhang Tian'ai, unable to listen any further, stepped forward and interrupted Zhang Zhenpeng's bragging. "Tsinghua Affiliated High's number 11 Li Nan, the holder of the three-point record for the past two national championships... he's hailed as the greatest three-point shooter in high school history..."
"Hmm... can he dunk? We're talking about dunking here..."
Zhang Zhenpeng looked around, refusing to admit that he was outmatched.
The first match in the upper bracket concluded, and the second match in the upper bracket was about to begin: Nanmo Middle School vs. Shude Middle School.
Shude Middle School's team-building model was very similar to Nanmo Middle School's.
Their center, Wang Shu, at 2.10 meters tall, was dubbed Sichuan's number one center. His playstyle mimicked Hakeem Olajuwon's, possessing solid footwork, decent mid-range shooting, and playmaking abilities, making him comparable to Yao Ming at this stage.
Their small forward, Meng Da, at 1.95 meters tall, played with an elegant style, a quality swingman, capable of going toe-to-toe with Zhang Wenqi.
Originally, Shude Middle School's guard line had a genius-level point guard...
With a center, small forward, and point guard as their strong points, Shude Middle School was a formidable team!
Unfortunately, fate intervened. That summer, Shude Middle School's talented point guard tragically passed away in a car accident...
This year, Wang Shu and Meng Da, carrying their friend's dying wish, fought their way through the Sichuan and Western regional qualifiers, successfully reaching the national tournament stage! Their original goal was to compete for the national championship... but unfortunately, in their very first match, they encountered Nanmo Middle School...
Among the eight teams in this year's national tournament, when it came to the center position, facing a one-on-one matchup, the only players who could surpass Wang Shu were Tsinghua Affiliated High's DaZhi and Nanmo Middle School's Yao Ming...
After a hard-fought battle, Nanmo Middle School narrowly won by two points against Shude Middle School.
Wang Shu and Meng Da, eliminated in the first round, broke down in tears after the game...
Because Shude Middle School's story had been featured by Sichuan's sports media as an inspiring example before the national tournament officially began.
Therefore, Nanmo Middle School, and the spectators present, understood Wang Shu's emotions after the loss.
Yao Ming, Liu Wei, Zhang Wenqi, and others led the applause for Shude Middle School.
It was a tribute to the ill-fated genius point guard of Shude Middle School, and to Wang Shu and Meng Da, who had strived and battled relentlessly to fulfill their friend's last wish...
Even the viewers watching the live broadcast on television, with the commentators' explanations and emotional narration, had tears in their eyes...
The morning's matches on the first day concluded.
As everyone left the gymnasium and headed to the hotel for lunch, most of the players were discussing the power of Tsinghua High. Meanwhile, Zhang Tian'ai was lost in the sorrowful story of Shude Middle School, unable to shake it off.
"Why didn't Nanmo Middle School go easy on Shude Middle School?"
"Uh... why should Nanmo Middle School have gone easy?"
"To help them achieve their deceased teammate's unfinished business!"
"Uh... the best way to pay respects to an opponent is not by holding back, but by giving your all!"
"What if that fallen genius point guard didn't want his teammates to go easy, but instead wished for them to bring home a championship trophy?"
...
Never argue with a woman, especially a beautiful and compassionate one...
The first match of the afternoon was Zhengzhou No. 11 Middle School vs. Shenyang No. 2 Middle School!
Zhengzhou No. 11 Middle School's starting lineup consisted of center Zhu Xuhang, power forward Gao Shang, small forward Wang Lei, shooting guard Li Gen, and point guard Li Chuqing!
Shenyang No. 2 Middle School fielded center Wu Naiqun, power forward Sun Jun, small forward Wu Qinglong, shooting guard Zhang Qingpeng, and point guard Li Xiaoyong.
Zhengzhou No. 11 Middle School's core players were the backcourt duo, Li Gen and Li Chuqing!
Li Gen was physically strong with explosive power, a drive-and-kick type of shooting guard.
Although Li Chuqing was physically slender, he possessed excellent ball-handling skills, speed, and accurate perimeter shooting, earning him the title of Henan's number one point guard.
Of course, those who emerged from the sub-divisional tournaments were generally the strongest players in their respective positions and provinces, especially the ace players of the teams.
However, facing Shenyang No. 2 Middle School's small, fast-paced lineup, Zhengzhou No. 11 Middle School's prized twin guard strategy couldn't unleash its full potential.
Under the relentless pressure from Li Xiaoyong, Wu Qinglong, and Zhang Qingpeng, Li Chuqing and Li Gen's outside shots were frequently off the mark.
Although center Zhu Xuhang had a height advantage, his skills were rather raw, a defensive-minded blue-collar center whose offensive support for his teammates was limited.
In contrast, Wu Naiqun, although most comfortable at power forward, thrived in Shenyang No. 2 Middle School's small, fast-paced lineup, either driving to the basket or scoring with his signature "crooked handle" shooting form, outperforming Zhu Xuhang.
And at power forward, Gao Shang was no match for Sun Jun...
Ultimately, Shenyang No. 2 Middle School dominated Zhengzhou No. 11 Middle School throughout the game. Although in the final moments, Li Chuqing seemed to awaken, hitting three consecutive fast-break three-pointers to narrow the score to just 2 points!
But at a crucial juncture, Sun Jun sealed the victory with a thunderous one-handed dunk, like a "tiger descending from the mountain"!
In the end, Shenyang No. 2 Middle School defeated Zhengzhou No. 11 Middle School 79:75, successfully advancing to the national semifinals.
"Zhengzhou No. 11 Middle School's Li Chuqing's three-pointers were quite sharp... unfortunately, he exploded too late..."
"Shenyang No. 2 Middle School's small, fast-paced lineup is more stable..."
"Sun Jun's final dunk was truly magnificent..."
...
"Stop chatting, it's our turn to play!"
The final match of the first round of the national tournament was Zhuji Middle School vs. Panyu Middle School!