The NBA's influence in India is growing by the day.
More and more fans are hoping to see more Indian players in the NBA.
After snagging a double MVP, Arjun's draft stock has shot up to the top ten.
Even though Arjun was pretty solid during the tour and the later stages of the championship, he didn't exceed many scouts' expectations.
It's becoming increasingly tough for Arjun to climb higher in the draft rankings.
For Arjun, the PAC-12 games were a breeze and didn't fully tap into his potential.
Arjun is looking forward to March Madness to team up with stronger players.
Then, a new challenge pops up.
"Win the NCAA Championship and become the Most Outstanding Player. Reward: Merge with Giannis Antetokounmpo's athletic abilities. Do you accept the mission?"
"Accepted!" Arjun shouted without a second thought.
Right now, Arjun's got the physical gifts similar to Ben Simmons, which isn't bad, but he's still a ways off from the likes of the Greek Freak or LeBron.
The chance to merge with Giannis's athletic abilities is super tempting for Arjun.
Just merging with the Greek Freak's abilities could boost his overall rating by at least five points.
The reward is enticing, but the challenge is massive.
Winning the championship won't be easy.
Arjun spent the early days of March prepping for the madness to come.
Westbrook, his roommate, was also ramping up his training. Watching Arjun's draft position improve while his own lagged behind, Westbrook was getting anxious.
Arjun comforted Westbrook, "Russell, trust me, man, you're definitely NBA material. You're the player I fear the most on our team. You've got the talent to be a superstar in the NBA."
Westbrook looked at Arjun, touched, "Arjun, thanks for the boost, man. I'll keep pushing."
Whenever Westbrook felt down or discouraged, Arjun was there to lift his spirits.
Westbrook admired Arjun a lot, having watched him go from a regular college student without even a sports scholarship to a top ten draft prospect.
He also respected Arjun's command on the court.
Though Arjun had the height of a power forward, his skills were top-tier for a point guard.
That made Arjun a great role model for Westbrook.
The two would often stay up all night in their dorm, discussing games, watching game tapes, and exchanging tips.
Their relationship had grown from just teammates to close buddies.
...
March 16th.
The schedule for NCAA March Madness was finally set to be released.
In the NCAA Division I, aside from the Atlantic Sun Conference, the other 31 conferences each had an automatic bid, usually given to the conference tournament champion.
The only exception was the Ivy League, which doesn't have a conference tournament, so their bid went to the regular season champion.
The remaining 37 spots were selected by the NCAA selection committee based on records, conference strength, schedule strength, and other factors.
Every mid-March Sunday, the selection committee would announce the final March Madness bracket on a live TV broadcast.
The NCAA tournament was divided into four regions, each seeding teams from 1 to 17. The first round was between the 16th and 17th seeds, with all teams joining from the second round. The winners of the first round would face the top seed in their region, with the 15th seed facing the 2nd seed, the 14th seed facing the 3rd seed, and so on.
Winners of each round advanced, with higher-seeded teams potentially meeting in later rounds.
Each region would eventually crown a champion, forming the Final Four.
The Final Four teams would then battle it out, with the winners vying for the championship title.
This year, UCLA landed in the South region as the number 3 seed.
Despite being undefeated, UCLA becoming a 3 seed isn't on them—it's because the other schools in the region are just insanely strong.
The South region is known as the toughest of the four.
Apart from Ohio State, the top seed nationwide, and Kentucky, a favorite to win it all, there's also UConn and Duke...
Together with the always fierce UCLA, that makes five powerhouse teams in this region.
On top of that, Texas, led by Kevin Durant, is also in the lower half of the bracket.
Everyone's calling the South the "group of death."
This lineup has UCLA's coach, Ben Howland, seriously worried about breaking out from such a stacked field.
In the first round, even as a 3 seed, UCLA could still face an upset.
That's the madness of March Madness!
UCLA's first opponent in the South is Texas, featuring Kevin Durant.
Texas boasts Durant along with D.J. Augustin and Dexter Pittman, all potential NBA players.
Once you hit the national championships, having two to three NBA-level prospects is pretty standard for each team.
Some teams even have starting fives where every player could get drafted.
During his freshman year, Durant averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds, hitting over 30 points in 20 games. He grabbed 390 rebounds for the season, the third-highest rookie rebound record in the NCAA that year.
After the regular season, Durant was easily named the AP College Player of the Year.
Augustin started all 35 games as point guard, averaging 14.5 points and 6.8 assists, making the Big 12 All-Second Team and the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
Pittman, standing 6'9" and weighing 135 kg, had modest averages of 4 points and 6 rebounds, but his efficiency was high. Known as a dominant force since high school, Pittman was a starter for three years at B.F. Terry High School, averaging 15 points and 8.5 rebounds. In his senior year, he was named the MVP of his district.
Arjun was particularly impressed by Durant and Augustin, one a superstar and the other a solid NBA player.
Don't underestimate Augustin just because he's not an All-Star. Considering the high attrition rate in the NBA, just surviving there is no small feat.
After entering the NBA, Augustin developed a knack for three-point shooting, hitting over 40% in multiple seasons, making him tough to guard.
Upon learning they'd face Texas in the round of 32, Coach Ben Howland immediately started analyzing the opponent.
The thrill of March Madness comes from the fact that these teams haven't faced each other all season, and then suddenly, they're thrown into a do-or-die battle!
This is totally different from the NBA.
In the NBA, teams are well-acquainted by the time playoffs start, and the playoffs aren't a single-elimination format...
Texas isn't traditionally a powerhouse, but having Kevin Durant makes them a team to watch.
Durant has been a superstar since high school and can turn the tide in an elimination game.
This also makes UCLA the team most likely to be upset, according to pundits.