74 to 43, 69 to 58, after adjusting their mentality, Arizona State University defeated the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Texas A&M University successively and successfully advanced to the sweet 16.

DeRozan's absence had a clear impact on the Devils' offense, as they scored less than 80 points in both games.

But they didn't allow their opponents to score more than 60 points in either game.

In these two games, Harden scored 26 points in the first game and Xu Yong scored 25 points in the second game. The two completed a "relay race" on the offensive end.

And they gave their opponents an absolute sense of pressure on the defensive end.

They fulfilled their previous promise in the locker room and kept the team winning until DeRozan returned.

After reaching the Sweet Sixteen and finishing the first stage of the competition, they returned directly to Tempe.

Just as they were taking the bus back to school, at the entrance of the gym, there was already a man waiting for them with a backpack on his back, looking exhausted.

The team members saw him before they even got out of the car, and then there was a commotion.

As soon as the bus door opened, the team members cheered and rushed forward.

DeRozan did not let them down and came back!

DeRozan was also very moved when he saw the reactions of his teammates, and the apology he was about to blurt out ended up turning into fist bumps and hugs.

Xu Yong was at the end of the team. He waited until DeRozan and Harden hugged each other tightly before he stepped forward.

He was originally preparing to bump fists with DeRozan, but unexpectedly DeRozan took the initiative to open his hands towards him.

Seeing this, he immediately opened his arms.

DeRozan patted him on the shoulder and expressed his gratitude.

While taking care of his mother, he also paid attention to the team, and the information he conveyed came from text messages between him and Harden.

Harden told DeRozan everything that happened after he left in a text message, and DeRozan's eyes turned red at that time.

For a person who is in darkness and needs to push away the dark clouds to find light, Xu Yong's approach is like a beam of sunlight penetrating the clouds from top to bottom, very bright and very warm.

"How is your mother?" Xu Yong asked with concern after the two hugged each other.

"She's gotten a lot better, but she's still in the hospital and my aunt is taking care of her," DeRozan replied.

"It's good to have someone to take care of you. Now that you're back, just relax, everything will be fine." After all, Xu Yong is an adult psychologically and knows how to comfort others.

"I originally wanted to stay there, but my mother said she didn't want me to have any regrets because of her, so..." DeRozan's voice choked up unconsciously when he said the last part.

It was a very difficult decision for him to leave his mother when she needed him the most.

Seeing this, Xu Yong reached out and patted DeRozan on the shoulder.

Don’t cry, Azan, you have us in the present and Lowry in the future.

Although the world is dark, there will always be someone who will light up the light for you.

…

DeRozan's return is the best shot in the arm for the Devils team. The players' enthusiasm for training has been boosted, and the familiar Devils team is back.

After two days of rest, the second stage of the tournament began.

Arizona State University faced its old rival, the University of Memphis, at the University of Phoenix Stadium, which can accommodate more than 60,000 people.

Normally during the championship, the number of fans watching the game was roughly half and half, but on this night, more than two-thirds of the fans in the stadium were Arizona fans!

Is this fair?

fair enough!

Although it is not as exaggerated as applying to host an international competition, the venue for this competition was determined before the start of the NCAA season. After all, a lot of preparation is still required to serve as a championship venue.

Therefore, the fundamental reason for this result is that Arizona State University played too well this season.

If they don't play well, they won't be the top seed; if they don't play well, they won't be able to enter the top 16 without a core scorer.

Therefore, the blacksmith must be strong himself, and the strong will be favored by God.

In the second stage, scouts are naturally indispensable, and this time there are many scouts from lottery teams.

In addition to Harden and Xu Yong, there is also Tyreke Evans from the University of Memphis.

After showing his potential in the invitational opener against the Devils, Evans' season has been unstoppable.

As a freshman, he averaged 17.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game with a shooting percentage of 51.4%, leading the team to a total record of 33 wins and 4 losses, including 16 wins and 0 losses in league games.

They could have gotten a better seed if it weren't for the weak conference they were in.

With this performance, Evans basically booked a top five pick in the 2009 NBA draft.

Moreover, the University of Memphis has gone through a season of adjustment and is much stronger than it was during the invitational tournament.

DeRozan just returned, and Sandek did not arrange for him to start.

Led by Harden and Xu Yong, the two teams fought back and forth.

Then, after 9 minutes, DeRozan and Xu Yong, who was substituted early, appeared on the court together.

They were greeted with overwhelming cheers.

There is no wall that is impenetrable, and stories like DeRozan's are worth promoting. It has already been featured in Arizona Sports Weekly.

So after seeing DeRozan's deeds, they were naturally moved to see DeRozan rushing back.

DeRozan also showed a strong desire to attack right from the start.

He knows that the people watching his game are not only the tens of thousands of fans in front of him, but also his parents who will definitely be waiting in front of the TV.

His offensive desire was quickly converted into points.

DeRozan's outside shooting is unstable, but his mid-range and breakthrough abilities are still very strong.

Seeing that he was in good shape and had a strong desire, Xu Yong also tried hard to pass the ball to him.

When Harden came back, he was doing the same thing.

DeRozan also proved that he is a serious dunker, the kind that doesn't vomit.

DeRozan's performance became the key for the Devils to widen the score and even win the game.

In the end, the Devils defeated the University of Memphis 72-60 at home and successfully advanced to the Elite Eight.

DeRozan scored a team-high 24 points. When the final whistle blew, the audience burst into applause. He squatted on the ground and covered his face with his hands, unable to control his emotions.

At this time, Xu Yong walked up to DeRozan and patted him on the back.

Harden also came over, and the two of them reached out and pulled DeRozan up.

DeRozan's eyes were red at this time, he had really cried.

But these are not tears of sadness, but tears of happiness.

This performance in the game meant a lot to him.

Because of his parents, the financial pressure on his family was enormous.

For him, the only way he could help his family was to become an NBA player, so he had already decided to run for the draft after his freshman year.

He did make the first round, so things are moving in the right direction.

However, after missing the first stage of the tournament, other rookies performed well and their rankings moved up, so he naturally dropped down since he stayed where he was.

But tonight, they fought a battle of redemption.

He is now glad that he listened to his mother and chose to come to Tempe and join the Devils.

Because here are his best teammates and best friends.