2009 was a weak draft year, with a whole bunch of guards. Originally, only Griffin and Thabeet attracted attention, but now Kayce had earned respect through his performance.
"I would pick Kayce, really. Look at his physical stats: 200cm tall, 215cm wingspan, excellent vertical leap, and a mature playing style. I have no reason not to pick him!"
Kenny Smith greatly admired Kayce's performance, directly stating that he would choose Kayce with the first overall pick.
"Listen, buddy, Kayce played great, but he can only play positions 2 or 3. I would pick Griffin. Big men in the paint are the team's guarantee. Of course, Thabeet is also very good.
Charles Barkley still favored big men.
"But we've seen Thabeet's performance; he was eliminated by Kayce. And next round, UCLA will face Oklahoma University. Perhaps you'll change your mind."
Kenny Smith immediately retorted.
Media speculation about the draft influenced the betting trends, with various odds flourishing. Gamblers were happy, and bookmakers were raking in profits.
The date was April 2nd. Kayce was planning to lift some weights and get some exercise when a call from Beth Dutton made his scalp tingle.
Left with no choice, Kayce had to call Anne. He didn't want to go out now; tabloid reporters were waiting for him.
"Anne, please help me pick up my sister at the airport; she should be arriving soon." Kayce said weakly over the phone.
"Beth? I remember she should be in London. Is it really okay for me to pick her up?" Anne asked teasingly.
"Aren't you two very close? Don't think I don't know Beth has been in contact with you. All my news leaked from you."
Kayce exposed Anne's little secret, who was still feigning ignorance.
"Heh, no problem. I'll pick her up this afternoon. But now Britney knows the news too. We'll go together. That's it, bye."
Anne chuckled and hung up the phone.
Kayce was completely helpless. Three women, a whole drama. He had already given up.
After the video session in the afternoon, his teammates were also discussing the upcoming semi-final. Oklahoma University was their opponent, and they had experienced Griffin's prowess firsthand.
"Kayce, how should we limit Griffin? This guy is too strong, especially his aggressive crashing of the boards."
Holiday watched Griffin's game footage and was a bit worried that the team's interior wouldn't hold up.
"To be honest, I don't think we can limit him, but we should protect our defensive rebounds. Play with the same intensity as we did against Thabeet in the first round, with the whole team participating in crashing the boards."
Kayce, of course, knew that no one on the team could match Griffin at the moment. He himself couldn't either; the strength gap prevented him from containing the opponent.
"Their backcourt is definitely not as strong as ours. We'll continue to pressure them defensively. We absolutely have a chance to win the game!"
Collison was brimming with confidence at this point. Lately, he had been constantly dreaming of a fun life after winning the championship, and he couldn't stop.
By dinner time, Kayce finally saw the three beautiful girls.
Beth Dutton was dressed very lightly, her long legs drawing attention. The three beautiful girls formed a beautiful sight, waving continuously when they saw Kayce.
Kayce gently hugged the voluptuous Beth. "Aren't you busy with work? Didn't I say you only needed to come for the finals?"
"What if you lose? Joanna and father also wanted to come see you, but they couldn't leave because of that Indian tribe matter," Beth said to Kayce, annoyed.
"Family matters are most important. Besides, if I make it to the finals, I will definitely win. Then I'll just show them the trophy."
Kayce knew the Dutton Family had been having some trouble in recent years, but he couldn't help, and he always felt a bit guilty, after all, Joanna and Li were his family.
"Hmph, don't worry too much about family matters; that's for adults. You can't even buy alcohol yet, so don't think so much. I think Britney is indeed a good girl."
Beth, fearing Kayce would be distracted, immediately teased him to change the subject.
Britney watched Kayce and Beth whispering and couldn't help but say to Anne, "Beth is so beautiful, and her figure is really good!"
Anne first looked at Beth, then glanced at Britney, and slightly puffed out her chest, saying, "Don't even think about it; it's natural."
This really annoyed Britney, who was about to retort. Seeing the situation, Kayce immediately called them over.
"Girls, it's dinner time! Beth is treating tonight, so don't be shy with her. Choose any restaurant you want!"
Distracted by the thought of food, Britney quietly cheered. She could feast again. Normally, she wouldn't actively eat big meals to maintain her figure.
Kayce enjoyed dinner very much; beautiful things always put people in a good mood.
On April 3rd, the NCAA semi-finals officially kicked off tonight, with UCLA facing Oklahoma University, and North Carolina facing Michigan State University.
Throughout the day, the entire UCLA team did not overemphasize tactical issues. Coach Ben had already reminded them of everything that needed to be said. In a winner-take-all game, it mainly depended on on-the-spot performance.
The atmosphere at Lucas Oil Stadium for the semi-finals was even more electric. Fans arrived early, eagerly anticipating their home team's performance.
In the UCLA locker room, Coach Ben finally brewed a pot of motivational chicken soup for his players.
Everyone gathered in a circle and shouted loudly, "One, Two, Three, Go!"
Kayce took a deep breath and slowly ran out of the player tunnel. He didn't want to lose this game and go home.
The live commentators were still Reggie Miller and Kenny Smith, and the two commentators began their routine pre-game jinxing.
"Kayce is ready. He hit the game-winner against his opponent last game. He's on fire right now. No one on Oklahoma University can stop him."
Reggie Miller had long since revealed his cards; he was a Kayce fan!
"I agree with you, but UCLA also has no one who can match Griffin. He will completely overwhelm their interior. Once the rebounds are dominated, the game will swing towards Oklahoma University!"
Kenny Smith skillfully began to tear down the argument.
The game was about to begin, and Kayce and his 'superficial brother' Griffin hugged in greeting.
They didn't say anything; everyone's attention was already focused on the upcoming game.
As soon as 6 PM arrived, amidst the deafening cheers of 70,000 spectators, the game officially began!
"Slap!"
Griffin won the tip-off, and Oklahoma University got the first possession.