"Time out!" The Alligators were overwhelmed by Zeng Xingyang's three consecutive three-pointers.
Zeng Xingyang raised three fingers high, waving them in celebration. He felt that these three three-pointers were enough to secure him a spot on the school team.
He was demonstrating his value to the team.
Among the many superstars at the University of Kentucky, he was the workhorse the team needed!
"Click, click, click!!" The media present were quickly capturing the moment.
"Oh wow, this rookie hit three consecutive three-pointers, stopping the opponents in their tracks."
"Such accurate three-point shots! What's this Asian guy's name?"
"How strong is he? He looks quite formidable."
The Kentucky University fans on-site were also talking among themselves. They couldn't imagine how the once tense situation was broken by the substitution of Zeng Xingyang.
Calipari had a smile on his face at this moment. When Zeng Xingyang passed by, he high-fived him in celebration.
In just this brief playing time, Zeng Xingyang had met his expectations.
Players who train hard and perform under pressure on the court are liked by any coach.
The Florida Alligators were somewhat stunned by the play.
They had no idea what Zeng Xingyang's technical features were—a 9-0 run.
Their lanky small forward felt embarrassed in front of his coach and teammates; his position was completely exploited.
He couldn't have expected Zeng Xingyang to have such a strong grasp of shooting.
On the other side, when Zeng Xingyang returned to the bench, he high-fived each teammate, his previously excited mood now calmed.
As his performance got better, he would get more opportunities.
Zeng Xingyang was also surprised to find that scoring three-pointers in a game was more valuable for experience growth.
The 3 three-pointers earned him 30 experience points, meaning each one was worth 10 points.
Moreover, his experience in positioning on the court grew faster than during training.
This was just a pre-season game; there was already so much experience for three-pointers. Would there be more during the season or even tournaments?
This discovery made Zeng Xingyang a bit excited, as he had begun to figure out the pattern of gaining system experience.
Besides frantic training, delivering high-quality game performances was also a way for him to improve quickly.
The timeout was soon over.
The University of Kentucky's rhythm had set in, making everyone's defense filled with a fighting spirit, and the Alligators couldn't keep up with the pace.
The point guard's continuous passing failed to create opportunities, leading to a 30-second shot clock violation.
The Kentucky Wildcats were back on the attack, and the ball was passed to Booker.
Booker got into rhythm right away, making a sharp directional change past his defender and continued his drive into the paint.
Zeng Xingyang kept positioning himself at a 45-degree angle on the left side, and as Booker attracted defense on the right, he continued to pass the ball to Zeng Xingyang.
Booker now trusted Zeng Xingyang's three-point ability. Initially, he had worried that Zeng Xingyang was just a training-type player, but it was clear now that even on the court, Zeng Xingyang was as stable as off it.
As soon as Zeng Xingyang got the ball, the Alligators' lanky small forward quickly charged at him.
His defense aimed at preventing Zeng Xingyang's three-pointer, becoming quite desperate.
But instead of shooting, Zeng Xingyang faked the move before stepping forward for a breakthrough.
Zeng Xingyang initially intended to pass after breaking through but noticed an open space ahead. Koulistan had cleared the space for him, and without hesitation, he gathered the ball and rose to the air.
He decisively powered for a dunk.
"Slam!"
The jump height was average, with little hang time, but just like those spectacular dunks, he easily scored two points.
14 to 23.
Zeng Xingyang single-handedly went on an 11-0 run, widening the gap between the two teams.
"Zeng, nice dunk." Booker came over to high-five Zeng Xingyang in celebration.
Zeng Xingyang nodded, acknowledging that the dunk was a fortunate opportunity. The opponents' defense overly focused on his three-point shots, while Booker on the opposite side almost drew all the defense, plus Koulistan's screen created the open chance, enabling him to seize it.
"Nice dunk." Koulistan also came over to high-five Zeng Xingyang.
With more and more recognition and praise from teammates, Zeng Xingyang clearly felt the benefits that come with improved strength.
Indeed, the stronger one is, the more respect they receive.
"Three three-pointers and a dunk, this rookie is truly impressive."
"Oh wow, so cool, the Wildcats have another player to look forward to."
"It's quite evident he isn't gifted with ball-handling skills, but to be fair, this rookie truly knows how to seize opportunities during games."
Almost all the fans on-site couldn't resist keeping their eyes glued to Zeng Xingyang.
Zeng Xingyang was on the court for only three minutes but showcased a remarkable scoring capability.
Several players competing with Zeng Xingyang for a spot on the team were quite dejected. They knew that with such a performance, Zeng Xingyang had already secured a place on the school team.
However, the Alligators then strengthened their defense on Zeng Xingyang, put considerable focus on him outside the arc, leaving very few open chances, and even when there were one or two openings, Zeng Xingyang couldn't adjust his rhythm, resulting in missed shots.
With offensive efficiency down, Kenny Paine, seeing Zeng Xingyang's less impactful effect, decided to sub him out.
In the second half, Zeng Xingyang got around 5 more minutes of playing time. He contributed another three-pointer and delivered an assist, spending the rest of the time on defense.
In the end, the game's final score was 55 to 90, with the Kentucky Wildcats defeating their opponents by a 35-point margin.
Zeng Xingyang played 14 minutes, scoring 14 points, with 2 assists and 1 rebound, trailing only Towns and Booker in personal points.
"Coach, what do you think of Zeng's performance tonight?" After the game ended, Kenny Paine eagerly inquired about Calipari's thoughts, "Based on my observation during this period, in terms of both attitude and game performance, he deserves a spot on the Wildcats. Of course, the final decision is up to you."
Zeng Xingyang's hard training and game performance made Kenny Paine very proud. Even though Calipari had reminded him to keep an eye on Zeng Xingyang, he was someone developed during his own coaching tenure.
Indeed, tonight, Zeng Xingyang impressed everyone. This guy who barely had playing time during internal scrimmages had solid numbers in this external pre-season match.
"His three-point shooting is indeed solid, and his attitude is very positive." Calipari paused and then continued, "As you wish, this guy indeed adds value to the team, and he will be added to the roster."
"OK, understood." Kenny Paine nodded enthusiastically.
Not far away, a few scouts with notebooks maintained serious expressions, occasionally lowering their heads to discuss among themselves.
Soon, one of the scouts quickly drafted an initial report on Zeng Xingyang.
Name: Zeng Xingyang
Height: 2.01 meters
Birthday: May 8, 1996
Weight: 85KG
School: University of Kentucky
Template: Marco Belinelli
Strengths:
Currently, he appears to be a decent shooter, possessing stable outside shooting skills, and as a shooting guard, he has advantages in height and wingspan. Moreover, he has strong self-awareness, understanding his weaknesses and shortcomings.
His greatest feature is that he doesn't require a lot of ball control, and he is highly active when moving without the ball, always seeking scoring opportunities. His shooting is straightforward and efficient, with no extraneous movements, and a high shooting release point, with decent passing awareness.
Weaknesses:
His abilities near the basket are quite ordinary, and his athletic talent is somewhat lacking. Therefore, his performance during fast breaks isn't as well as during set offenses, and his movement speed is inadequate, making it difficult to shake off quick defensive players. Facing physically gifted players, he, too, is easily beaten with one step.
Draft Position Projection: Undrafted.