The NCAA semi-finals and finals were played just one day apart, and at this point, basically the entire basketball community in America would be paying attention to these games.
The media began their pre-game analysis, detailing the two teams' paths to the finals. UCLA had defied expectations, making a comeback all the way to the finals, while North Carolina's journey was the opposite.
They had dominated with their strength, reaching the finals without much resistance. Looking at North Carolina's roster, they had Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington in the backcourt, Danny Green at forward, and Tyler Hansbrough in the paint.
Besides these four star players, the bench rotation players were also fully integrated into the team system, combining inside and outside play, essentially having no major weaknesses.
TNT's topic for today was who would win the final.
"North Carolina is more balanced; they can match up against UCLA at every position. Hansbrough will destroy the opponent's interior," Charles Barkley immediately started with praise.
"You can't win against UCLA just with inside play; they've already eliminated three teams with strong interior players," Kenny Smith naturally countered.
"This time it's different. North Carolina's perimeter play is not inferior to UCLA's. They are currently the most dominant team," Barkley continued his jinxing.
"Kayce won't be easily restricted; he'll play aggressively. UCLA will win, and Collison and Holiday also deserve respect," Smith directly praised the UCLA players.
In the game against Oklahoma University, Kayce had an efficient performance of 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists with no turnovers. Holiday successfully scored 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, and Collison also had an excellent performance of 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists.
These three were UCLA's foundation. All three could handle the ball, assist, and play very good defense.
Kenny Smith was right to say Holiday and Collison deserved respect; they were no worse than North Carolina's players.
Because there was only one day of rest, UCLA's players primarily focused on recovery. Kayce's stamina, however, had returned to peak condition. The B-grade functional drink from the Dream Space was simply a recovery artifact!
"North Carolina's tactics are very similar to ours, but their rebounding is better than ours. Hansbrough's protection of rebounds is outstanding!"
Coach Ben had been studying the opponent's data and also reminded the players to pay attention to rebounding.
"Their perimeter defense isn't as pressing as ours. On this point, Kayce and Holiday must initiate physical contact. Ellington's shooting ability is very good!"
Kayce and Holiday nodded, indicating they understood. This was information compiled by Coach Ben after staying up all night watching game footage. Kayce was also diligently noting the opponent's characteristics.
"Danny Green is also an excellent defender. Kayce, you need to be careful of his steals. His defensive focus on the ball-handler is very high, so always pay attention to protecting the ball!"
Coach Ben continuously instilled the characteristics of the opposing players into his team. At this stage, both sides had revealed their cards; it just depended on who could perform better tomorrow.
"It's a shame we can't double-team Hansbrough; North Carolina's perimeter firepower is still reliable," Holiday said to Kayce with some regret.
"One big guy can't guarantee the opponent wins. I think you should pay more attention to Ellington; that guy will make consecutive shots once he finds his rhythm."
Kayce reminded Holiday that in a final where the teams are closely matched, it often comes down to who starts shooting well first. Once a team builds a significant lead, it's hard to catch up.
"This damn schedule is so unreasonable; I still feel a bit tired right now." Collison had almost thrown up from exhaustion yesterday and felt his physical condition was very poor today.
Kayce shrugged, "To recover your energy, you might need to go to bed earlier."
After UCLA finished their simple training in the afternoon, the three girls had been waiting for Kayce at the hotel for a while.
Seeing Kayce approach, the blonde sweet girl cheerfully waved, "Here, Kayce!"
Seeing the three of them chatting and laughing, Kayce immediately breathed a sigh of relief. No love triangle drama, that was great.
Then Britney's words made his scalp tingle, "Kayce, will you write a song for me? I didn't realize you had collaborated with Taylor!"
"Maybe after the game, we'll have a chance to release a single for fun. Don't get your hopes too high though."
He quickly made a promise to keep her happy. "That's great!" Even though it was far from certain, it made her incredibly happy. The three women chattered on, somehow shifting the conversation to makeup.
"Ladies, perhaps we should go eat." Seeing the three of them getting more and more excited, Kayce had to awkwardly interject.
"Always thinking about food!" The three of them simultaneously rolled their eyes at him.
After a dizzying dinner, Kayce returned to the hotel for the team's psychological counseling. This was essentially a form of emotional comfort, but Coach Ben liked this approach.
"Kayce, I'm definitely going to have trouble sleeping tonight. Just thinking about tomorrow's game makes me nervous," Holiday whispered to Kayce.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Your family is coming to see you tomorrow; just give it your all!" Kayce replied helplessly.
"Now that you say that, I'm even more nervous..." Holiday was completely speechless.
On April 5th, a large number of UCLA fans wearing white T-shirts had already arrived in the city. Fans in white and blue T-shirts could be seen everywhere, exploring the city.
North Carolina fans were no fewer than UCLA's. Supporters were enthusiastic, as their path to the finals hadn't encountered too many strong challenges.
An hour before tip-off, Lucas Oil Stadium was already packed with spectators, and the warm-up activities began to stir up the atmosphere.
In UCLA's locker room, Coach Ben's final dose of inspirational words was ready.
"We are just one step away from the championship. In the first half, we need to bring the energy. We need to protect the rebounds, be decisive on offense, and go for it! Bring your best!"
As he slowly jogged out of the player tunnel with his teammates, listening to the huge cheers in the stadium, his heart slowly accelerated. Kayce knew that the most important game of his college basketball career had arrived!
Lucas Oil Stadium was now a sea of blue and white, with both teams' fans cheering for their home team.
"The game is about to begin. Neither team's starting lineup has changed, so it seems this will be a game with no secrets," Reggie Miller announced loudly.
"Stamina will be key in this game. With only one day between games, it's a test for both sides!" Kenny Smith said rationally.
Under the gaze of 70,000 spectators, the game officially began.
"Slam!" Hansbrough tipped the ball, securing the first offensive possession for North Carolina.
Lawson dribbled past half-court and immediately initiated a pick-and-roll. Hansbrough successfully screened Collison, and Lawson's speed was very fast. Facing the interior player's defense, he directly accelerated and drove.
"Swish!" A quick drive, easily scoring 2 points.
Kayce saw Collison's defensive state in the first play and knew this game would be very difficult.
"As expected, his body hasn't recovered to its best state. Maybe I will need to adjust my playing style," Kayce thought to himself.