Despite the NCAA Division I having many leagues...
Each year, the NCAA ranks the teams to create a fair, objective power ranking based on schedule difficulty and the level of opponents to help people better understand which team is the best.
Last year, because of their winning streak at the start of the regular season, Wake Forest once topped the national rankings.
But compared to last year...
This year, Wake Forest not only deserves to be first in the national rankings but Qin Yue also delivered an outstanding performance in their extremely challenging schedule...
In the team’s already completed 8 games, averaging 27.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 3.0 blocks, and 1.5 steals.
How should we describe this impressive achievement?
Just compare it to the record Duncan set during his senior year in the ACC league, and you’ll know how excellent Qin Yue’s performance is this year.
During his senior year, Duncan managed to average 20.8 points, 14.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 3.3 blocks at Wake Forest.
True, Duncan did not have Paul by his side back then.
Additionally, compared to Duncan, Qin Yue’s scoring method determines that his efficiency on the court is higher, making it easier to achieve high scores...
But... you have to know that Qin Yue’s impressive record was also achieved within the ACC league, which is known as a hellish difficulty in American College Basketball...
So how could people not be fanatical about Qin Yue’s performance after the first month of the new season?
"The ’Qin Storm’ that has swept college basketball this year clearly has impacted the NBA...
In the East, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks seem more determined to tank.
In the West, the New Orleans Hornets, Utah Jazz, and Portland Trail Blazers are experiencing losing streaks that show no sign of stopping.
But speaking of the Lakers, are they truly not tempted by Qin at all?
Shelley Smith reports that the Lakers are facing a terrible season. Kobe’s jerseys, which have always been hot sellers, have dropped out of the league’s top 50 this month. (Note 3)
Rudy Gasiduay says that Kobe is trying to isolate himself from the outside world recently.
Undoubtedly, this is Kobe’s darkest moment, and it’s also the biggest crisis the Lakers have faced since the ’OK’ breakup.
So, Mitch Kupchek, are you really not planning to visit Wake Forest?" — ESPN Special Program "Qin Storm Sweeping College Basketball".
In August 2004, although during the pretrial hearing about the Eagle County incident...
A pair of panties containing DNA from three males appeared as evidence (which proved the victim had intimate contact with other men before contacting Kobe), leading to a huge turn in the Eagle County case.
Even though the plaintiff later opted to file a civil lawsuit against Kobe instead of testifying at the trial, causing the prosecution to drop criminal charges against Kobe.
But just as the famous journalist Scup Jackson revealed in an interview with Kobe:
At that time, he had nothing but basketball.
After all, just this past summer, the Lakers had just parted ways with Phil Jackson and traded O’Neal.
Although Jerry Buss publicly claimed these were separate decisions, unrelated to Kobe.
But as the biggest beneficiary behind the Lakers’ turmoil, those Lakers fans at the time had every reason to believe it was Kobe who caused all this. (Note 4)
Thus, with various pressures coming from all directions, even Kobe had to admit in later interviews that the period nearly crushed him.
And even worse than anticipated before the 04/05 season began...
The media would continue to pressure Kobe and even target his wife, Vanessa.
In February 2005, due to the death of Kobe’s grandfather, The Los Angeles Times planned to publish a deep exposé on Kobe and his wife’s private life penned by Sean Yu Blai.
In this report, Vanessa was depicted as a sharp, money-driven, vain woman who was only with Kobe for the money.
"She is deeply entrenched in the role of ’Mrs. Bryant,’ unable to extricate herself. According to her former friend, she went to school with a photo of Kobe playing with her puppy shortly after they started dating, trying to show everyone she was Kobe’s girlfriend.
Furthermore, before she married Kobe, one day, she excitedly returned home to tell her family that because Kobe loved her so much, he decided not to sign a prenuptial agreement...
From these various signs, ’Mrs. Bryant’ is a veritable modern-day Yoko Ono." (Note 5)
This is the type of criticism Kobe and Vanessa would face next.
Yes, these media reports would eventually become sword-like and lead to Vanessa, who was pregnant at the time, having a miscarriage.
As ESPN stated, Kobe had reached the darkest moment of his life.
Kupchek, suddenly showed interest in ESPN’s report.
Because having privately met with Jerry West not long ago, he understood exactly what kind of player Qin Yue was.
Although at the moment, under Rudy Tomjanovich’s leadership, the Lakers’ record looked decent...
But for Kupchek, who knew how dire Kobe’s situation was...
He knew that to bring about a true revival for the Lakers, he had to do something.
"From past reports, he’s a selfless player willing to make sacrifices for the team.
On the court, he can post up in low positions or stretch out to shoot.
And he can even attack like a guard.
Moreover, on defense, he is an incredibly reliable defensive powerhouse...
Moreover, even Jerry is willing to overlook his Asian appearance and praise him wholeheartedly...
At this moment, as information about Qin Yue flowed into his mind...
Kupchek immediately focused on that date:
On that day, Wake Forest will host the University of Utah.
Qin Yue will be waiting in that game for the challenge from Andrew Bogut.
Note 1: The foreshadowing of the matchup with Bogut was laid in Chapter 38, originally stating "Wake Forest has an upcoming challenge match against the MWC league"; without these setups, many plots would become abrupt.
Note 2: This Mark Jackson is not the NBA Mark Jackson; historically, this University of Utah Mark Jackson during the 04/05 season in the MWC league could average 10.7 points with a 45.5% three-point shooting rate.
Note 3: Kobe’s jersey sales source comes from Roland Lazebnik’s "True Kobe" and media leaks from that year.
Note 4: The Lakers fans at the time refer to the local fans in Los Angeles.
Note 5: Yoko Ono, John Lennon’s second wife; not much explanation here, interested readers may look into it themselves.
PS: New book begging for collection, monthly tickets, and recommendations!