Chapter 59: Deployment of Troops
Dreams are never that simple, and can even be said to be stupid. People who believe in dreams often encounter cruel blows and tortures from reality, and eventually become like Don Quixote, obsessed and mad.
But do dreams really not exist? Are dreams really unattainable? Maybe, and maybe not.
The only thing that is certain is that if you don’t even believe in your dreams, then your dreams will never come true; similarly, if you refuse to believe in miracles, then miracles will always be a legend in fairy tales, just like in competitive sports, if you don’t believe that you can defeat your opponent, then the battle has already been completely lost before you even get on the stage.
"I want to believe, just like Rudy, that it's okay to be treated as a fool."
Gao Wen, that’s what I thought.
Looking at his friend, MacDonald still didn't seem to understand, but he seemed to understand something. A warm current like golden sunshine flowed in his heart. Bathed under the starry sky, the corners of his mouth smiled slightly, and his heart seemed to become firmer.
MacDonald couldn't help but nodded slightly, not because he understood, but because he was sure, and then he said with a smile.
"Very good, then let's continue to play the role of the training devil and torture those guys."
MacDonald also clenched his fists heavily, and his simple and honest tone did not sound joking at all, but instead revealed a sense of sincerity.
This made Gawain laugh heartily, "Hahaha." He clenched his fist and shouted softly, "Big Devil! Big Devil!"
McDonald also showed a reserved smile, scratched his head, chuckled twice, and then the two of them supported themselves on the ground of the court with their hands, leaned back slightly, and looked up at the starry sky.
Far away from the big city, the small Norman town has no tall buildings and no smog exhaust. The deep and vast sky is clearly displayed before your eyes.
Breathtakingly beautiful.
"What do you think will be their lineup tomorrow?" It was McDonald who broke the silence first, and the topic shifted to the upcoming game tomorrow.
Gao Wen shrugged lightly. "This is what the coaches need to worry about. But I think they should be able to adapt to any situation. After all, they are not at a disadvantage in a head-on confrontation with strong opponents. There is no need for them to avoid our edge."
If the historical trajectory has not changed, the Oklahoma Sooners have indeed not changed their lineup, and the singles rankings will be arranged according to the current rankings.
Because they are indeed qualified to challenge the Bruins.
Since the opening of the 2014 spring season, the Sooners have also started with an eight-game winning streak and are currently one of the four teams that remain undefeated. However, due to the relatively weak opponents, their national ranking is not high, currently only seventh, and is not in the top five.
However, in the team competition, the gap between first and tenth place is not as big as the ranking numbers seem. In the final analysis, it still depends on the deployment of troops and on-the-spot performance. There are indeed many factors that affect the outcome.
Before the start of the season, UCLA and Oklahoma were already the favorites to win the championship, and among the competitors that Martin deliberately reminded them to pay close attention to was Oklahoma.
Currently, the Sooners have four key players, ranking second, fourth, twenty-eighth, and forty-sixth in singles. That is to say, if they maintain this ranking at the end of the season, they will automatically qualify for the singles tournament in the U.S. Championships, making them the top group of players currently.
Correspondingly, the current U.S. singles rankings of the four main players of the Bruins are almost the same, first, fifth, twenty-sixth, and fifty-first.
According to the singles ranking of the top four, every match will be a close combat with blood on the bayonet, and the victory or defeat will depend on a hair's breadth. No one can win easily.
Assuming that the score remains at a stalemate and the first four singles players fail to decide the outcome, the performance of the fifth and sixth singles players will be crucial.
In previous years, this was also the Bruins' shortcoming. Last year's National Championship final at the Forbidden City is still vivid in people's minds. After adjustments to the team's lineup this year, they will face another challenge, which may be even more difficult and intense than the game against the University of Georgia.
Because against the University of Georgia, the Bruins are at home and have the order of the game in their hands; but against the University of Oklahoma, the Bruins are away and their opponents have the initiative, and a slight advantage may create a huge storm on the court.
The real test has come.
It was already late at night, but the lights in the hotel rooms where the visiting team was staying were not completely turned off.
Billy Martin is having a headache.
There is actually no need to adjust the top four singles positions, because every game is very close and a real fight will decide the outcome. The Sooners are not afraid of the Bruins, but likewise, the Bruins are not afraid of the Sooners. Who will have the last laugh will be revealed on the court.
If you rashly adjust the order of appearance, you may disrupt your own layout and get into unnecessary entanglement; and Tian Ji's horse racing strategy may not be effective here. If you are not careful, you will shoot yourself in the foot.
If everything goes well, it is possible to win all four singles matches and win the game directly, but this possibility is not high, so we need to be prepared for both situations, so -
What really needs to be considered are the fifth and sixth games.
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Objectively speaking, Di Giulio's condition is generally mediocre.
So far in the season, the Brown Bears have been on a roll without encountering any truly strong opposition. Naturally, the fifth singles player He Mei and the sixth singles player have not had the opportunity to express themselves at crucial moments.
The only game was against the University of Georgia, when Di Giulio lost the duel and Gao Wen easily won the game.
However, the Bruins played at home in that game, and Martin put a lot of thought into the match arrangement. The real crucial decisive battle was played by Giron. Neither Di Giulio nor Gawain faced the real life-and-death pressure test, so the outcome cannot be simply judged.
It would be unfair to discuss who is better between Di Giulio and Gawain based solely on the outcome of one game.
Of course, as a head coach, Martin sees the players’ status and growth, the quality and performance of practice, and it’s not just about one game.
Since the winter training, Gao Wen has indeed entered a period of rapid growth. As the sixth singles player, he has basically swept the sixth singles players of other teams. Even in those games that he did not complete, his advantages were particularly obvious. His entire ball path, ball quality, and basketball IQ are gradually showing more potential.
Moreover, the growth rate is beyond imagination. Even Martin, who has been witnessing it all the way, can't help but be surprised - but this is the fun of training teenagers. This period of time should be the time for Gao Wen to enter a period of full outbreak, which really makes the coach feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
If it weren't for the schedule, how could Gao Wen still not have a national ranking if he hadn't had many opportunities to perform so far? (End of this chapter)