71 to 54.

Thanks toZack’s27 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal in this grueling battle,Wake Forestdefeated the Badgers and successfully joined theIllinois Fighting Illini(Chicago Region),North Carolina Tar Heels(Albuquerque Region), andMichigan State Spartans(Austin Region) to form theFinal Fourof this year’sNCAA March Madness.

According to the bracket, theDemon Deaconswould face the Spartans in the Final Four. Meanwhile, the Fighting Illini would square off against the Tar Heels. Both games were scheduled for April 3rd and would be held at theEdward Jones Domein St. Louis, the former home of the Rams (as pictured).

Although this stadium would later be voted the worst NFL stadium by fans in 2008, for NCAA players accustomed to arenas holding only one to two tens of thousands of spectators, standing before the colossalEdward Jones Dome, almost every player who practiced on April 2nd instantly felt tiny. They also felt the palpable tension and excitement of the impending Final Four.

Of course, everyone exceptZack.

On the court, watching a calmZack,Paulcuriously asked, "The Final Four game is almost here, how come you’re not excited at all?"

Hearing this,Zacklooked down at Paul’s incredibly animated face and said, "Because the closer a big battle gets, the more I want to stay calm."

In that moment, gazing atZack’seyes, which were completely different from before, and recalling how he used to need Paul to calm him down before his college debut, Paul said, "You’ve really grown a lot in these past two years."

The next second, after playfully elbowingZackin the lower back, Paul continued, "When we get to the NBA, I’m really going to miss the time we spent fighting alongside each other in college."

Seeing this,Zacksmiled slightly and placed a hand on Paul’s shoulder, saying, "Two more games, and our college careers will be over."

Two games: one was the Final Four matchup against the Spartans, and the other was the championship game against the winner of the Fighting Illini versus Tar Heels.

On the evening of April 3rd, as theDemon Deaconsvs.SpartansFinal Four game took center stage as the night’s main event, the fervent cheers from both teams’ fans in theEdward Jones Domeinstantly drowned out everything in sight.

Especially during the players’ introductions.Zack’sentrance almost instantly pierced the eardrums of reporters who had come to the U.S. for the first time to cover the NCAA Final Four. As the universally acknowledged best player in American college basketball sinceTim Duncan, theWake Forestfaithful used their most passionate noise to completely blow the roof off the dome when Zack appeared.

In the VIP boxes, all the big figures who had come to watch also turned their gaze toward Zack.

Then, at center court, the starting fives of both teams took their positions. For theDemon Deacons:Ellis,Zack,Reeves,Gray,Paul. For theSpartans:Paul Davis,Maurice Ager,Alan Anderson,Shannon Brown, andChris Hill.

After the tip-off,Wake Foresthad the first possession.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is CBS Sports, bringing you the 2004-05 NCAA Final Four game between theDemon Deaconsand theSpartans!"

On the court, after Paul brought the ball across half-court, theWake Forestplayers, positioned in a 2-3 alignment, quickly initiated aFlex offensearoundZack.

Inside,Paul Davis, whoZackremembered would be drafted by the Clippers as the 4th pick in the second round in 2006, was prevented byReevesfrom switching with a teammate to faceZackdirectly in the low post. Though slender, Reeves successfully cut off the passing lane between Davis and Ager during his cross-screen with Zack.

Maurice Ager, who would be selected by the Mavericks as the 28th pick in the first round in 2006, was never known for his defense throughout his college career. Although scouting reports stated that the 198 cm (6’6") Ager possessed perfect body control and could perform incredible alley-oops and put-back dunks, in reality, his trademark was his unrestrained jump shots and freestyle dribbling. When he was hot, Ager often single-handedly destroyed opponents with his shooting. But once he was off and couldn’t fool opponents with his dribbling, Ager would make unbearable, elementary mistakes on the court.

Reeveshad studied Ager thoroughly before the game, which allowed him to complete that crucial inside screen, effectively blocking two defenders. On the court, seeing this, Zack immediately moved up to the top of the arc, received a pass from Paul, and sank a jump shot.

Coming back, it was theSpartans’possession. As the team’s primary scorer, Ager’s nonchalant play cost the entire Spartan team. After his wild, off-balance three-pointer missed and bounced off the rim,Zackout-jumped Davis, who was also 6’11" in shoes, to secure the rebound and immediately pushed the ball upcourt for a fast break.

As a well-known rebounding monster on the college circuit, Davis was utterly bewildered when he noticedZackpicking up speed with the dribble. "We’re both 6’11," so why can you be so fast and so agile when you get going?"

Zackdribbled all the way past half-court. Then, he took three long strides into the paint, powering throughBrown’sattempted block to sink the ball. At this moment,Shannon Brown, officially listed at 6’4", wasn’t overestimating himself. Because in the 2006 NBA Draft Combine, he recorded a 45-inch (approximately 114 cm) vertical leap.

However, the moment Brown jumped to try and stopZack’sattack, he was utterly crushed. Not only didZack’ssheer size prevent him from reaching his highest point, but even if he could, what could he possibly do to stop this raptor-like fighter jet with astounding dynamic and static athleticism?

"So, you were under me just now?" On the court, after completing the play,Zack, who had just realized, said to Brown.

Brown: "..."

Next, theSpartans’offensive possession. Because Ager’s previous reckless shot had given theDemon Deaconstwo free points, this time, after dribbling past half-court, the composedHilldecisively passed the ball toAnderson.

Alan Anderson. Another familiar face toZack.

Anderson, who would enter the NBA as an undrafted player, played for several teams, and at 198 cm (6’6"), he was known for being both an offensive and defensive threat. However, the main reasonZackwas familiar with him was because of theCBA( Basketball Association). In Zack’s memory, Anderson would become a famous player for theShandong teamin the CBA.

TheSpartansreaching the Final Four this year was no accident. Besides point guardHill, the other four starters on their team tonight all had future NBA experience.

On the perimeter, after a hand-off withBrown,Andersonseized the opportunity to set a screen, successfully creating an open shot for Brown. Immediately after, Brown hit the jump shot.

4 to 2.

And in the stands, theSpartans’ fans immediately responded with cheers, drowning out the noisyWake Forestsupporters in their eyes.

But coming back, the Spartans still had no answer for theDemon Deacons’ Flex offense. This time, sinceReevescouldn’t blockDavisas planned,Zackdecided to improvise, pulling up to the top of the arc to execute a pick-and-roll with Paul.

The follow-up options for theFlex offensewere constantly changing. AndZack, who was unstoppable on the college court, perfectly amplified the offensive advantages of this strategy.

At the top of the arc,Pauldrove to the basket after gaining speed, completely disrupting theSpartans’defense. Then, noticingZackfollowing for the fast break, Paul immediately passed the ball back to Zack.

CLANG!

In theSpartans’paint,Zackhammered down a one-handed dunk, igniting theWake Forestfans’ emotions once more.

"If theSpartanskeep allowingWake Forestto generate this quality of offense, then I think this Final Four game will quickly lose its suspense," commented the CBS announcer.

On the sideline, the notoriously fierySpartans’head coach,Tom Izzo, began yelling at his players. Meanwhile, noticing Izzo’s agitated expression as he paced the sideline,Zackimmediately recalled an interesting anecdote about the coach.

In 2019, during a tactical discussion, a heated argument with player Henry led the hot-tempered coach to punch Henry in the chest. At the time, many fans online joked thatDraymond Green’s"unruly" behavior in the NBA was likely inherited from Izzo. Yes, as a legendarySpartanscoach, Izzo was indeed Green’s college mentor.

Interestingly, after Izzo threw that punch at Henry, he was immediately removed from the Lakers’ list of new head coach candidates, despite being considered for the role. It made some wonder ifLeBron Jameswas afraid that Izzo, if he coached the Lakers, would punch him for not following tactical instructions.

On the court, after Izzo’s tirade, theSpartans’offense and defense immediately saw a qualitative change. Especially their defense. The NCAA always encouraged physical play, so it would have been a miracle if a fiery coach like Izzo was satisfied with theSpartans’previously soft defense.

However, afterWake Forestwas stalled on two consecutive offensive possessions, theSpartans, who were just about to gain momentum, had their comeback stifled by their star player, Ager.

On the court, theSpartanswere on offense. Ager, after breaking downGraywith his dazzling dribbling, could have passed the ball to Davis, but instead chose to charge directly intoZack’sdefensive area. In that moment, if Ager had passed, evenZackcouldn’t have stopped Davis.

But this wasMaurice Ager. In the future, this guy would prove with his desolate NBA career, like a cold, long river, that both physically and mentally, he was a child who would never truly grow up. InZack’seyes, compared to the cutthroat world of basketball, Ager should have left the sport sooner to pursue his musical dreams. Because if Zack remembered correctly, Ager even received a Grammy nomination after transitioning to the music industry.

SMACK!

On the court, as Ager’s basketball dreams were swatted away byZack’sferocious block,Paul, who secured the second rebound, immediately initiated a fast break. AndWake Forest, who had failed on two previous offensive possessions, once again sent the entire arena into a frenzy afterZackfollowed up with a fast-break dunk.

Seeing this, Izzo on the sideline grew agitated again. It must be said that NCAA head coaches can, in a way, truly determine the character of a team. Because after another round of Izzo’s shouting, theSpartans’subsequent defensive actions could only be described as over the line.

But even this intensity from Izzo couldn’t salvage Ager’s increasingly low morale tonight. After all, if mud could be supported against a wall, what would it be called then?

Perhaps, when he was in a good rhythm, Ager’s freewheeling style could indeed break down opponents first. But tonight, theSpartanswere facingWake Forest.

At theEdward Jones Dome, asZackreceived a pass from Paul and hit a half-courtlogo three-pointerat the buzzer to end the first half, sending the entire crowd into a frenzy, the scoreboard read 47 to 31.

"Now, theDemon Deaconsare just 20 minutes away from advancing to the championship game!" the CBS announcer remarked during halftime.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com