He Ximeng gave Zhang Tian'ai a thumbs-up, a little surprised.
Zhang Tian'ai smiled knowingly and concluded, "Zhang Zhenpeng, Huangfu Yanlin, Fu Xinyuan, and Zhu Ningzhen. These four guys are basically the four freshmen with the strongest overall physical fitness in this year's first-year cohort!"
The current Zhuji Middle School roster includes three players from the third-year cohort: He Ximeng, Yan Hui, and Feng Chen.
There are five players from the second-year cohort: Tang Chenfeng, Wang Xian, Chen Feng, Qin Rui, and Ming Hanfei.
According to the regulations for the national competition, each team's roster is 12 players, meaning Zhuzhong currently has exactly four spots to fill.
He Ximeng, armed with the materials provided by Cui Pangzi and Zhang Tian'ai, communicated with his teammates like Yan Hui. Their opinions largely aligned with Zhang Tian'ai's.
While the physical fitness test data was only one component of the recruitment assessment, serving primarily to gauge players' physical talent, tests of fundamental skills such as dribbling, passing, and shooting had already provided a clear indication of the caliber of this year's new recruits.
However, following the recruitment process, there was still a need for team scrimmages to evaluate their performance in actual gameplay.
This year, exactly 16 freshmen had signed up. He Ximeng had Zhang Zhenpeng, Huangfu Yanlin, Fu Xinyuan, and Zhu Ningzhen each lead a team of four. They would play 4-on-4 half-court games, with each game to five points, to assess their practical abilities.
First up was Zhang Zhenpeng's team versus Zhu Ningzhen's team!
Due to Zhu Ningzhen's lack of on-ball offensive capability and the absence of a strong playmaker on his team, the game was exceptionally chaotic. Their offense lacked structure, and their defense was riddled with holes. If not for Zhu Ningzhen anchoring the paint, it would have been a completely one-sided affair.
Zhang Zhenpeng's skills were even more well-rounded than He Ximeng had anticipated! He could post up and score against Zhu Ningzhen, and drive to the basket against the opposing team's smaller guards. This indicated that Zhang Zhenpeng possessed both strength and speed. According to Zhang Zhenpeng himself, he primarily played shooting guard and small forward overseas, capable of handling both positions. However, in He Ximeng's opinion, Zhang Zhenpeng could easily play power forward in the domestic high school league. This meant he could competently play at least three positions.
Although Zhu Ningzhen had weak individual offensive skills and a somewhat stiff shooting touch, his rebounding ability was indeed commendable, and he displayed good defensive awareness in the paint. When Yan Hui needed to rest, Zhu Ningzhen could serve as his replacement.
Zhang Zhenpeng won the first game.
Next up were Huangfu Yanlin's team versus Fu Xinyuan's team!
Their height, weight, vertical leap, and speed were all very close! It was said that they had been fierce rivals since middle school. Huangfu Yanlin was the captain of Chengguan Middle School, and Fu Xinyuan was the captain of Huan Sha Middle School. Their middle school experiences were essentially a mirror of He Ximeng and Chen Qiudao's. The only difference was that He Ximeng played point guard and Chen Qiudao played shooting guard back then, whereas Huangfu Yanlin and Fu Xinyuan had both played small forward on their respective middle school teams.
Their abilities were quite similar, both being fast, possessing excellent vertical leaps, strong driving capabilities, and decent shooting.
However, Huangfu Yanlin's playmaking ability seemed to be slightly superior to Fu Xinyuan's.
Ultimately, Huangfu Yanlin sealed the win with a brilliant assist, defeating Fu Xinyuan's team 5-4.
Huangfu Yanlin won the second game!
The final game was Zhang Zhenpeng's team versus Huangfu Yanlin's team!
In terms of height, Zhang Zhenpeng stood at 1.95 meters and Huangfu Yanlin at 1.88 meters. The difference wasn't significant on paper, but the contrast was stark when they were on the court together!
When they jumped simultaneously, Zhang Zhenpeng's vertical leap was significantly higher than Huangfu Yanlin's.
During rebounds, Huangfu Yanlin had absolutely no chance.
Furthermore, Zhang Zhenpeng's core strength was far superior to Huangfu Yanlin's. In post-up situations, Huangfu Yanlin was completely outmatched.
Ultimately, Zhang Zhenpeng finished the game with a post-up, spin move, jump shot, and a powerful two-handed dunk.
Zhang Zhenpeng dominated Huangfu Yanlin with a score of 5-1!
After three games, the results of the freshman selection were crystal clear.
Zhang Zhenpeng, Huangfu Yanlin, Fu Xinyuan, and Zhu Ningzhen were not only the four freshmen with the strongest physical fitness this year, but also the strongest in terms of skill and the best fit for the team's strengthening plan.
Coach Zhang Yide finally stepped forward and personally selected these four players, while the remaining freshmen who participated in the tryouts were automatically eliminated.
Just as He Ximeng was about to welcome the four freshmen on behalf of the veteran players, Zhang Zhenpeng stepped forward and issued a direct challenge to the older players on behalf of the newcomers!
"On the basketball court, strength speaks for itself! You've seen our skills just now, now it's time for us to see yours..."
Who said young people in the nineties respected elders and cherished the young?
He Ximeng covered his face and shook his head. This Zhang Zhenpeng was certainly no pushover!
"The newcomers have issued a challenge, you can't back down... So, who's going first?" Third Master looked like he was enjoying the drama.
All seven veteran players turned their gaze to He Ximeng, their unspoken message clear: "You're the captain, we'll follow your lead!"