blogombal Chapter 21: A Perfect Preseason: USC's Dominance
Chapter 21: A Perfect Preseason: USC's Dominance
"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Lian Dao shouted anxiously in the system space just as the pointer was about to pass through the purple area.
However, the pointer did not obey Lian Dao's will, but slowly passed through the purple area and finally stopped in the blue area—the upper limit of physical talent.
While Lian Dao was slightly disappointed not to have drawn Griffin's all-around potential, discovering the ceiling of Griffin's physical gifts is still a significant gain. This is precisely one of the talents he needs most right now. Griffin's physical gift ceiling is rated A+ in the NBA.
Of course, Griffin's current physical strength has not yet reached A+ level; his fitness level is barely at A level. This upper limit represents Griffin's potential, which has not yet been fully realized.
Griffin's physical potential is rated at 89 points, just one point away from S-level. This is already outstanding. If we exclude a few players with exceptional physical attributes in professional leagues, Griffin's physical potential is enough to place him in the top 20 of the league.
Ranked in the top 20 out of approximately 450 active players is quite impressive.
"Congratulations, host. You have reached the upper limit of Blake Griffin's physical talent. Would you like to proceed with the fusion?"
"Integration".
As the command was issued, the Endurance talent in the Physical Fitness section changed to: 64 (89).
……
After returning to USC, the next four games were held at their home court, the Galen Center, and they won all of them.
On Monday, December 15th, the University of Southern California defeated Pepperdine University 91-77. The team needed only 30 minutes to secure a decisive victory at home.
On Saturday, December 20th, the University of Southern California (USC) defeated the North Dakota Bison 61-57. Despite a poor shooting performance in the first three quarters, USC kept the score close thanks to solid defense. In the fourth quarter, Lien Dao and DeRozan found their rhythm, leading the team on a strong offensive push in the final stages to secure the victory.
On Monday, December 22nd, the University of Southern California (USC) defeated the Georgia Tech Hornets 76-57. Georgia Tech's only two noteworthy players were shooting guard Iman Shumpert and forward Gary LaVar. Shumpert, later selected 17th overall in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, struggled against DeMar DeRozan's dominance. LaVar, later selected 46th overall in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, also couldn't overcome the team's overall weakness. Ultimately, USC won the game easily.
On Sunday, December 28, the University of Southern California easily defeated the Orol Roberts Golden Eagles 66-56 at the Galen Center. The game was played just three days after Christmas.
With these victories, USC finished the preseason with a perfect 12-0 record. They faced many strong teams, including the University of Missouri and the University of Oklahoma.
This undefeated record represents USC's best preseason performance in recent years, giving hope to USC basketball fans and attracting considerable attention from the university's students to this "Troys" team. The other nine universities in the Pac-10 Conference have also taken notice, exclaiming, "The wolf is coming!"
Before the start of the Pac-10 regular season, ESPN released the NCAA 2008-09 power rankings.
The University of Southern California is ranked 19th. ESPN's assessment points out that DeRozan's arrival and Lian Dao's rise have somewhat mitigated the impact of veteran players leaving, but the team still has a weakness at the center position, relying too heavily on outside and mid-range shooting. This dependence on shooting makes them vulnerable to fluctuations in performance. The team's three key players are all freshmen this year (Vucevic will be the starting center), and they lack game experience.
The University of North Carolina is ranked number one. After losing in the national championship semifinals last season, all of their key players chose to stay on. This year, led by senior center Tyler Hansbrough, 6'3" small forward Danny Green, 6'9" junior shooting guard Wayne Ellington, and 6'8" point guard Ty Lawson, their return is sure to be even stronger.
Seeing these four players filled Lian Dao with excitement. Their presence guaranteed the fundamental strength of the University of North Carolina. Three of these players were selected in the first round of the 2009 NBA draft, while Danny Green was selected in the second round, 46th overall, by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Although 2.03-meter power forward Dion Thompson was drafted in 2010 due to his advanced age, his talent should not be underestimated. Last season, he started 38 games, averaging 8.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game, with a field goal percentage of 48.1%, a very respectable performance.
The key is that this season they recruited 2.08-meter power forward Ed Davis and 2.13-meter center Tyler Zeller, making North Carolina's bench stronger than ever. This is the influence of a basketball powerhouse—they are never short of talent, and excellent players are often drawn to them.
Second on the list is another traditionally strong basketball team – the Duke Blue Devils. They also retained their roster from last season, with Gerald Henderson, Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith, Lance Thomas, and Jon Sheyer all staying on, ensuring the overall strength of the Duke Blue Devils.
This year they also recruited some excellent high school players: 1.93-meter shooting guard Elliott Williams and 2.08-meter forward Miles Plumlee. This not only allowed Duke to maintain its existing strength but also strengthened its bench.
UCLA, also a member of the Pac-10 Conference, ranked third. Both USC and UCLA are located in sunny Southern California, but their rivalry dates back to the Victory Bell Incident of 1941, which forged a long-standing feud between the two universities.
Whether it's rugby, campus life, admissions, or basketball, they are always vying for the upper hand.
Of course, in terms of basketball, USC has fallen behind, while UCLA is a traditional NCAA basketball powerhouse.
Their star player was Darren Collison. In the 06-07 season, Collison became the team's starting point guard, with Russell Westbrook as his backup. In the 07-08 season, Collison again led the team to the NCAA Tournament Final Four, but they were ultimately eliminated by Derrick Rose's University of Memphis.
This left Darren Collison feeling very resentful. He chose to stay in school instead of entering the draft like Westbrook. Collison's decision foreshadowed his comeback.
This year, they recruited Jrue Holiday, the 2008 All-American point guard and a high school prodigy, and Malcolm Lee, an All-American point guard from McDonald High School. With the addition of these two talented players, along with Darren Collison, this season's backcourt roster has somewhat compensated for the loss of Russell Westbrook.
The University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles, both members of the Pac-10 Conference, will face each other twice in the regular season, once at home and once away, and they are likely to meet again in the playoffs.
Despite ESPN's high praise for UCLA, it's clear that their strength has declined significantly this season. While Holiday and Malcolm are excellent, they can never replace Westbrook—what they need first is to gain experience.
Furthermore, the departures of Kevin Love and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute have left UCLA's frontcourt weaker than ever. Alfred Abaya and Nikola Dragovic are not capable of replacing Love and Mbah a Moute.
……
14th: Michigan State University. This team was a nemesis for USC last season, with USC losing to them. That loss was largely due to USC underestimating their opponents. Michigan State University has the potential to be a dark horse this season, and their true strength is often underestimated. While ESPN acknowledges the players' exceptional skills, they often overlook the influence of their championship-winning coach.
Apart from Draymond Green, who joined the team as a freshman this year, the Spartans lack outstanding individual talent—Green is ranked fourth in USA Today's national high school rankings.
However, Green was still adjusting during his freshman season, and the Spartans' success largely depended on their bench depth.
When it comes to Michigan State University, the name Tom Izzo is practically synonymous with it.