The NCAA schedule wasn't as packed as a commercial league like the NBA, but Yuuto was starting to feel the intensity of professional-level basketball.
Four days later, UCLA faced the University of Utah at Pauley Pavilion.
Utah was ranked 10th in Pac-12 preseason polls—an awkward position.
They weren't expected to contend for a March Madness bid, generally underwhelming, yet occasionally pulling off upsets against top teams that scrambled the standings.
This made them the quintessential spoiler.
They could beat the strong but also lose to the weak in embarrassing fashion.
Then again, being ranked 10th, there weren't many teams weaker than them.
Notably, the Pac-12 had originally been a ten-team conference, but added one team last year and another this year—Utah being one of the new additions.
For this game, Coach Steve didn't assign Yuuto to guard their primary scorer.
Instead, he slotted Yuuto at small forward and told him to focus entirely on offense.
Utah's core this year was 7'1" center Neville.
This guy wasn't on ESPN's mock draft, but he would eventually earn an Indiana Pacers contract through Summer League.
His advantage was obvious—that 7'1" frame. That kind of static athletic profile was tantalizing, and it was likely what attracted the Pacers' interest.
Having that height alone was worth taking a lottery ticket, even if the odds of hitting were low.
Because aside from height, Neville didn't have many strengths.
Steve's game plan: lock down Neville with the interior defenders while letting perimeter shooters fly.
In the end, Yuuto delivered a 45-point masterpiece.
His outstanding performance secured UCLA's fourth straight conference victory.
An ESPN college basketball analyst who attended the game wrote in their column:
"UCLA looks like their old selves again. They've become one of the most dangerous teams in California."
"Freshman Yu has displayed ability well beyond his years. His athleticism is elite, and his technique is flawless."
"He's capable of dropping 30—or even 40—in any college game, as long as he plays at his normal level. Nothing seems impossible."
"Even more remarkably, Yu hasn't attended a single party. He even turned down a date with UCLA's campus queen. He's an emotionless basketball machine."
Then a new week arrived.
Thanks to his dominant performances, Yuuto was named Pac-12 Player of the Week.
His stats were simply too convincing. Rumor had it both LA teams—the Lakers and Clippers—had expressed strong interest.
After winning back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010, Kobe had failed to lead his team to a three-peat.
They'd posted 57 regular-season wins that year, only to get swept by Dirk Nowitzki's Mavericks in the second round after dispatching the Hornets in the first.
This year, they'd retained most of their championship core—Kobe and Pau Gasol were both still there—but their early-season record gave fans little hope.
Both Kobe and Gasol looked "old."
But Yuuto had zero interest in the Lakers.
Setting aside the Lakers' reputation as "the team linked to every star," where every rumor's validity was impossible to determine—
Even if the interest was real, Yuuto wasn't tempted, because the Lakers didn't have a high enough draft pick.
Besides, with Kobe still there, the Lakers would always be Kobe's team. Yuuto had no patience to wait for Kobe's retirement.
Furthermore, after this year, the Lakers would assemble another star-studded "F4" roster. The current Lakers were absolutely not a good destination for a rookie.
As for the Clippers—similarly, they wouldn't have a good enough pick.
They had Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, making "Lob City" famous across the league.
Neither LA team had a pick high enough to select Yuuto, unless they traded away a star player for a top-three pick.
Yes.
Yuuto's standards were high. A lottery pick wasn't enough—he wanted to be drafted in the top three at minimum.
...
Next up, UCLA faced the Cal Golden Bears.
The name alone told you this would be another rivalry game.
This program had its share of glory, producing multiple NBA players including lottery picks like Jason Kidd and Jaylen Brown.
But Yuuto knew the Golden Bears wouldn't produce any NBA players this year.
And sure enough, he dominated his matchup against Brandon Dulort throughout the game.
His opponent was somewhat like Kadeem Martin—inconsistent handles but deadly shooting, plus a willingness to play defense and superior physical tools.
Cal's roster talent was admittedly subpar this year, but they played with tremendous grit against the Bruins.
They refused to isolate against Yuuto, staying disciplined throughout.
Whoever Yuuto guarded would swing the ball to teammates. Even when they did attack, they called for screens first.
Plus, being a rivalry game, the refs were happy to let them play—the contest was physical and intense, full of hard contact.
By halftime, the Bruins actually trailed the Golden Bears by 6.
"If not for Yu, the Bruins might be down 20!"
The LA commentator expressed disappointment in the Bruins.
They'd just proclaimed UCLA's resurgence, only to watch them look like a different team tonight.
Apart from Yuuto, every other Bruin was lost in Cal's meat-grinder defense.
In the second half, UCLA's other players still couldn't find their rhythm.
Coach Steve screamed from the sideline, over and over.
It didn't help. Even captain Mosely was shooting a pathetic 38%.
Fortunately, once the second half started, Yuuto's Weakness Correction talent had activated enough times—the game entered "Yu Time" once again.
Already at 17 points by halftime, Yuuto went nuclear.
With eight minutes left, he rattled off six consecutive makes—an unconscious 6-for-6 stretch.
Cal had no answer.
Fadeaways were inherently difficult to defend, and Yuuto had earned the "Asian Kobe" moniker for good reason.
Golden Bears fans watched in terror every time he caught the ball, especially when that gorgeous fadeaway launched.
But Yuuto wasn't done.
Beyond offense, his defensive coverage was suffocating. The moment Cal players crossed the three-point line, they risked running into his help defense.
Thanks to Yuuto's final stretch—going 9-for-14 for 48 points—the Bruins escaped with a narrow victory.
His clutch performance earned high praise from ESPN.
Beyond the scoring, in crunch time alone, he collected 6 steals and 2 blocks.
That's what saved the Bruins.
The win brought no joy to Coach Steve.
Back in the locker room, he immediately tore into the team.
"You weren't playing basketball today—you were being Cal's practice squad, playing background characters to boost their confidence."
"You were absolutely rotten—like cucumbers buried in dirt for months. We're the better team, but I didn't see any of you fighting like you'd die to win!"
"If you can't show up with the right attitude, we'll fall in the Round of 32 again—or worse. We need to win the Pac-12 tournament!"
"You useless pieces of—I'm telling you right now, your vacation is canceled. Tomorrow, every last one of you will practice until you puke."
"Oh, and Yu—you don't need to come tomorrow. You can enjoy your time off."
"Don't look at me like that. If any of you scored 48 points, you could go on a date with your girlfriend too—from dusk till dawn!"
"..."
...
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