"UCLA's starting point guard, Arjun, has the potential to make it to the NBA."
On an ESPN evening show, when discussing NCAA news, the experts were keen to focus some attention on Arjun.
"This kid dunked in all of his first five plays of the game. Before you see him play, you wouldn't guess he's a point guard."
"At 6 feet 8 inches, he easily reminds LA fans of Magic Johnson."
"He's decisive in how the game plays out on the court."
"Of course, we need to keep things in perspective. It was just his first college game, and UCLA's opponent, the University of Oregon, isn't exactly a powerhouse. Arjun still needs to show more potential, like in shooting. He didn't shoot much in the first game, maybe because he's not too confident about his long-range shots."
"Not being a great shooter yet is okay; he can always work on that. With his height playing as a point guard, he's a mismatch nightmare."
Indeed, as the experts discussed, Arjun has played too few games to draw firm conclusions.
However, based on his debut performance, Arjun has already become a headline sensation as the NCAA's top new star.
Fans and media in Los Angeles love discovering basketball prodigies and are thrilled to see a new superstar in the making.
Arjun's social media followers have skyrocketed from double digits to five figures, an almost explosive increase.
Arjun is well aware that before any other income, earnings from social media ads can make his financial situation much more comfortable, so he values building his fame more than other star players might.
Social media can also help boost his visibility when it comes time for the draft.
Arjun's rising popularity has been rapid, and some media outlets have expressed concern about the immense attention.
They believe that too much attention could pressure Arjun during games.
His starting position isn't secure, and if he performs poorly under pressure in a couple of games, he could easily lose his starting spot and enter a vicious cycle...
Arjun just laughs off these media comments.
He'll continue to prove with his consistent performance that this level of attention isn't pressure for him; it's not even a match for his skills!
September 13th.
The UCLA Bruins are away against Arizona State.
Now, the main star at Arizona State isn't James Harden.
James Harden is still in his senior year.
Arizona State's head coach Sean Miller said, "Arjun is a very talented point guard, but he's not yet as crucial as Arron Afflalo. Our main concern this game is Afflalo."
Arjun had just one good performance, and Sean Miller still felt it was more important to focus on Afflalo.
Sean Miller's judgment was off.
Even with Afflalo performing poorly, UCLA still dominated Arizona State in that game.
"Arjun's drives are sharp. With help from his UCLA teammates, he always manages to create one-on-one opportunities, often outplaying his direct opponents."
"Arjun's speed is too much; Arizona State's guards can't keep up with his pace."
"Arizona State tried to double-team Arjun, but he easily broke through. His vision allows him to effortlessly pass to teammates in open positions."
"Just 5 minutes into the second half, like the last game, Arjun took a break. In just 23 minutes on the court, he racked up 22 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. The game was too easy for him."
UCLA effortlessly defeated Arizona State 81 to 47.
After defeating Arizona State, UCLA continued their road trip, this time facing the University of Washington.
Washington had a promising rookie, Spencer Alex.
Alex, standing at 7 feet 1 inch and weighing 255 pounds, played as a power forward. In high school, he led his team to a state championship in Washington.
Arjun's standout performances in just two games had quickly caught the eye of numerous scouts, and in the latest draft site predictions, Arjun was ranked 58th in the second round.
Being predicted to be drafted based on just two games, Arjun was enjoying the benefits of the immense attention from Los Angeles.
"Play number two!"
"Play number two!"
Arjun was constantly directing on the court.
With his growing experience, Arjun's understanding of the game tactics deepened.
As a point guard, Coach Howland's primary task for Arjun wasn't to score himself but to first connect the team.
Play number two was designed specifically for Afflalo.
Afflalo would make a cut inside off the ball, and Arjun, using a screen, would break through to pass the ball to Afflalo.
This play demanded a lot from the point guard.
A slight misstep, and both Arjun and Afflalo could be smothered by Alex's long arms.
Nick, the starting point guard for Washington, was seriously marking Arjun.
UCLA's ample offensive time allowed Arjun not to rush his offensive decisions.
Nick chose to defend Arjun by giving him a couple of steps, deducing from the first two games that Arjun wasn't confident in his shooting.
Indeed, Arjun didn't rush to shoot but instead called for a big man's screen.
With the center moving up, Arjun accelerated, Nick got blocked by the screen, and Arjun broke through.
What came next was simple. Alex moved to help defend Arjun, and Afflalo cut inside at the same time.
Arjun, dribbling behind his back without looking, passed the ball to Afflalo, who easily scored on an open layup.
UCLA's play ran smoothly.
"UCLA's tactical thinking is clear; they know how to attack Washington's interior defense."
"Even though the opponent gave Arjun space to shoot, he still easily broke through the defense using the screen."
Coach Howland clapped from the sidelines, very pleased with Arjun's performance over these games.
He knew Arjun wasn't lacking in shooting ability; rather, Arjun saw an easier way to score.
Of course, in Howland's view, Arjun still had flaws, like being too flashy. That behind-the-back, no-look pass was unnecessary when he could have just made a direct pass to Afflalo...
While it added to the spectacle of the game, it also increased the risk of turnovers.
...
...
The game against the University of Washington went without much surprise.
UCLA won comfortably with a score of 77 to 56.
The new UCAA season quickly saw a streak of three consecutive wins.
That night, Arjun played 25 minutes, achieving a luxurious stat line of 14 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 blocks, and 4 turnovers.
It was Arjun's first double-double.
In this game, Arjun also showcased more of his passing skills.
Arjun's fame continued to grow with each game.
After three games, he became a point guard in the PAC-12 league that opponents could not afford to overlook.
After defeating the University of Washington, UCLA went on to beat Stanford University, Arizona University, and swept Colorado University twice...
In the first eight games of the PAC-12 league, UCLA achieved an eight-game winning streak, ranking first in the standings.
As the games progressed, Arjun continued to display his talent and capabilities more comprehensively.
In the first four games, Arjun rarely took outside shots, leading opponents to believe he lacked shooting ability.
So, in the next four games, when opponents defended him more loosely, Arjun shot from beyond the three-point line with a 30 out of 24 shooting performance...
This instantly silenced the media and fans who doubted his shooting ability.
In the first eight games, Arjun also posted an average of 20 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks, and 3 turnovers.
Such stats were more than enough for freshman Arjun to compete for the NCAA's strongest newcomer title.
The Los Angeles media even started calling Arjun the new era's Magic Johnson.