Yes, it was He Ximeng again!
He Ximeng deliberately took half a step back, letting Paul Marshall challenge Duncan head-on!
Paul Marshall wasn't entirely foolish; at least when facing Duncan, he knew to dodge. As a result, He Ximeng, who pounced from behind, benefited!
He Ximeng disrupted Paul Marshall's rhythm and slammed the ball squarely onto the backboard!
Upon landing, He Ximeng quickly turned, jumped again, and firmly secured the rebound.
"Damn! Wake Forest's number four point guard has incredible physical talent!"
"Excellent vertical leap, super-fast rebound speed, is he really Chinese?"
"Few Chinese people have such physical prowess!"
"Look at his face! Definitely no mixed blood..."
"Truly unbelievable! Paul Marshall is in trouble..."
The two commentators began their incessant chatter, voicing the thoughts of many fans in the stands.
On the court, Duncan, who had failed to block the shot and was also unsuccessful in grabbing the rebound during this defensive play, couldn't help but complain to He Ximeng, "Hey, brother, the paint is my territory!"
"Sorry, Tim, I didn't mean to!" He Ximeng's attitude was respectful, but he showed no remorse. "But that blonde kid looked down on Chinese people, I had to show him a thing or two!"
"Uh oh... I understand! I have to say, that play was beautifully done! Do you need my help next?"
"No need! I'll handle this kid myself! You just help block others..."
"Roger that! I was thinking the same thing..."
And so, He Ximeng, who had originally planned to play a standard game, simply passing the ball to Duncan and comfortably winning, found himself more involved. Because Louisiana-Monroe University's strength was clearly not on the same level as Wake Forest University's, Duncan's presence in the paint was enough to defeat the opponent, and He Ximeng didn't need to overdo it...
As a result, because Louisiana-Monroe University's star player, Paul Marshall, had a big mouth and had been mocking them even before the game started, He Ximeng's anger was successfully ignited, and he began to exert himself on the defensive end!
Steals, blocks, forcing turnovers...
Throughout the entire game, Paul Marshall, who averaged 22 points per game in the Southland Conference, was held by He Ximeng to only 5 successful shots out of 20 attempts, scoring a meager 12 points and, unprecedentedly, committing 10 turnovers...
With an embarrassing double-double of 12 points and 10 turnovers, Paul Marshall was substituted out by his coach with three minutes left in the game.
The suspense had long since vanished.
Wake Forest only allowed Louisiana-Monroe to score 24 points in the first half and a mere 50 points for the entire game...
71:50, Wake Forest swept their opponent with a huge 21-point advantage!
After the game, Paul Marshall had to lower his golden hair, head down, and walk back to the locker room without looking back, not even participating in the final player handshake, losing face and demeanor, utterly disgraced...
In this game, Duncan was in his element, scoring 26 points and 13 rebounds, while also recording 8 blocks, nearly achieving an unprecedented super triple-double, stunning the entire audience.
He Ximeng, on the other hand, dedicated most of his energy to defending Paul Marshall's one-on-one plays. His points and assists weren't very high, 15 points and 8 assists, but he recorded 4 steals and 3 blocks! A significant portion of these steals and blocks were against the mouthy Paul Marshall...
On the NCAA court, He Ximeng displayed a suffocating defensive threat for the first time, making Dave Odom on the sidelines excited once again!
Previously, Dave Odom's expectation for He Ximeng's defense was simply not to be a defensive liability, and he would have been grateful. However, in this game, He Ximeng demonstrated exceptional defensive awareness...
Although some of He Ximeng's defensive choices were risky, the final results were unexpectedly good... He Ximeng's biggest defensive advantage was his ability to consistently anticipate the opponent's movements.
This made Dave Odom secretly resolve that after this NCAA season ended, he would meticulously train He Ximeng, developing him into an all-around point guard with offense, defense, and playmaking abilities. Ultimately, after Duncan graduated, he would become Wake Forest University's next superstar...
It must be said that Dave Odom was thinking quite far ahead...
The first round of the tournament concluded.
Of the 6 teams representing the Atlantic Coast Conference, 3 were eliminated in the first round.
Duke University lost to Eastern Michigan University in the first round.
Clemson University lost to Georgia State University in the first round.
Maryland University lost to Santa Clara University, led by Nash, in the first round.
The remaining 3 teams successfully defeated their respective opponents and advanced to the Round of 32!
Georgia Institute of Technology defeated Boston College.
The University of North Carolina defeated the University of New Orleans.
Wake Forest University defeated Louisiana-Monroe University.
All advancing teams had one day to rest and adjust. On March 17th, the battle would resume!
Wake Forest University's second-round opponent was the wildcard team from the Southwest Conference season, Texas State University!
Texas State University defeated the University of Michigan in their first-round game. Their core player, and point guard, Reggie Freeman, scored a game-high 23 points and 4 assists!
Michigan University, with its "Fab Five," had enjoyed great success in the NCAA in previous years! They reached the NCAA Championship finals twice, but lost to Duke University the first time and to the University of North Carolina the second time, always falling short of the championship...
Subsequently, Webber became the number one pick in the 1993 NBA draft, Juwan Howard became the 5th overall pick in the first round of the 1994 draft, Jalen Brown became the 13th overall pick in the first round of the 1994 draft, and Ray Jackson graduated without entering the NBA. With the "Fab Five" gradually departing, Michigan University declined from its peak, its strength greatly diminished. This year, they were eliminated in the first round of the tournament, a regrettable outcome...