No.1 in basketball scoring-Chapter 88 - 78. California Champion!_3

Some things are better left unsaid, and Thomas decided not to overthink it. Time would tell...

After the game, DeRozan went home with Thomas. Tomorrow was Sunday, and he was staying over at Thomas’s place for two days. Thomas’s home was closer to the school, so he could train with Zhang Yang.

When they arrived home, they saw Zhang Yang already practicing turn-around jump shots in the yard.

Seeing them return, Zhang Yang asked, "Coach, DeMar, did we win the game?"

DeRozan answered calmly, "We won. How did the exam go?"

Zhang Yang replied, "Not bad. The questions were a bit easier than I expected. I might not score 1600, but I can definitely hit 1500."

DeRozan: "..."

Do you believe I would smack you on the forehead with Kobe’s standee?

DeRozan’s goal was to score a bit over 1000 points, which was enough for schools like USC, UCLA, University of Arizona, Stanford... as that’s roughly the SAT score required for athletic scholarships.

DeRozan didn’t think Zhang Yang was bragging—if this guy said 1500 points was no problem, then it was definitely more than 1500.

With such scores, Zhang Yang could apply to Ivy League universities even if he weren’t an athlete! The school would surely arrange a teacher to write him a letter of recommendation... DeRozan was envious like crazy.

But let’s focus on basketball. Just do his best as a sports-specialized student.

...

For the last two games of the league, Thomas adjusted the team’s strategy—letting Zhang Yang and DeRozan attack with full force while the teammates supported them.

The championship tournament was approaching, with all the opponents being the top eight teams from the four districts. It was time for the two of them to focus and stop taking it easy, lest they get too comfortable with sloppy play and screw up in the championship, like last year’s league champions, Our Lady High School, who became the laughing stock of California high school basketball after crashing out in the round of 16.

On March 13th, Compton High School won 122 to 86 against Monrovia High School, with Zhang Yang, DeRozan, and Keith all scoring over 25 points. Zhang Yang and DeRozan took turns launching fierce attacks from the start, frightening Monrovia High’s players into frantic double-teaming, which left Keith wide open to happily take his shots from the flank.

With a record of 36 wins and 0 losses, Compton High School became the third team since the third district division to go undefeated during the league stage, claiming first place and setting a new record for the best league stage performance and highest ranking in the school’s history.

DeRozan attended all 36 games, averaging 24.5 points, 4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2 steals per game.

Zhang Yang played in 35 games, averaging 26.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2.4 steals, and 2.2 blocks per game.

Tatum was present for all 36 games, averaging 10.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game.

After receiving the final statistics, Thomas looked at Zhang Yang and DeRozan’s average points per game and felt a pang of heartache.

Would these two average over 30 points per game if they led teams individually? Their starting lineup had never had a player average over 30 points per game—Zhang Yang’s average of 26.2 points was already the highest, surpassing both Stuart’s and Hip’s scores in their senior year.

Heartache, so intense it made it hard to breathe!

On March 16th, Wednesday, at Oakland University, hosted by Oakland High School, the CIF Division I League 04-05 Season Championship Tournament got underway.

teams were divided into two separate paths of advancement, with single-elimination rounds, and first-round matches would not feature teams from the same district.

Compton High School easily defeated American Canyon High School of the fourth district, ranked fifth, advancing to the round of 16.

In the evening, Zhang Yang, DeRozan, and Harden were crammed into the same standard room.

Lynwood High School ultimately clinched a 24-12 win record. Though after starting with a 6-game winning streak, they only managed 18 wins and 12 losses, they at least held steady, securing the sixth spot in the third district and a spot in the championship tournament.

Originally, Harden was staying with his teammates, but he insisted on moving in with Zhang Yang and DeRozan.

DeRozan brought his PS2, and the three of them fought over the games.

Before their arrival, they had called the hotel arranged by CIF to inquire, and the hotel had a TV available for use.

Consoles are more fun when you fight for your turn, whenever Zhang Yang brought his console from Hidden Mountain to Compton at the start of the semester, it would just gather dust.

After a while, Tatum knocked on the door, turning it into a 4-player game scramble.

Zhang Yang lost his turn and picked up the schedule for the next day’s games that Tatum had brought in.

There were a total of 16 matches today, only 8 left for tomorrow; half of the schools were already out.

The remaining 16 schools...

Zhang Yang exclaimed, "Crap... ahem, Carmelo, James, DeMar, our third district is pretty impressive, right? Compton High School, Lynwood High School, Inglewood High School, Southern California High School, Glendale High School, and West Hollywood High School, six high schools made it to the round of 16. Only Santa Monica High School, ranked fourth, and Long Beach High School, ranked eighth, were knocked out in the first round, that’s a 75% advancement rate!"

Harden and Tatum began calculating the advancement rate with their fingers.

DeRozan managed to resist the urge to join in the finger counting and responded, "The other districts do have weaker strengths compared to ours. American Canyon High is ranked fifth, but they’re much weaker than West Hollywood High. However, the top two or three teams in their district are still very powerful."

Zhang Yang looked at the advancement bracket. Their next opponent was the leading team from the first district, Clovis High School from Fresno County.

The next morning at the Oakland University gym, Compton High School faced off against Clovis High School, ranked second in the first district.

Clovis High School had beaten Santa Monica High School, the fourth seed from the third district, in the first round.

The strength demonstrated by Clovis High School in that match was clearly a step above Inglewood High School and South California High School!

The team had great depth, with star player Luke Zeller, ranked 36th among high school players nationwide, a giant center at 6’ 11" tall and 245 pounds. His technical skills were average, but his basketball IQ wasn’t bad. Combined with his almost glitchy physical advantage at the high school level, Zeller’s impact on the game was unmatched when compared individually with either Zhang Yang or DeRozan.

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