Wang Chong was well-acquainted with Jason, the antagonist in this situation.
A month ago, Wang Chong had a confrontation with Jason, resulting in a one-sided victory for Wang Chong. This altercation led to Wang Chong being suspended from the school team for a month.
The conflict had a simple origin. Before Wang Chong arrived at Marquette University, the team's starting center was Jason.
Standing 2.06 meters tall and weighing 95 kilograms, Jason was the tallest player at Marquette University before Wang Chong. Despite not having the ideal physique or refined skills of a traditional center, he was the team's starting center due to a lack of better options.
Wang Chong's arrival changed that dynamic. At 2.08 meters tall with a wingspan of 2.24 meters, Wang Chong wasn't a traditional center, but height is a significant advantage for inside players, often outweighing skill.
After just a dozen games, Wang Chong secured the starting position, which naturally led to Jason's jealousy and dissatisfaction. After all, he had been the team's main inside player for the past two years.
This year, Wade showcased his extraordinary talent and elevated Marquette University to unprecedented heights. Jason had hoped to make an impression during March Madness, attract attention, and perhaps find an opportunity to play in the NBA.
However, who would notice a player who spent the entire season on the bench?
This was the root of Jason's conflict with Wang Chong. Despite Wang Chong initiating the fight and decisively winning, the coach didn't expel him but merely suspended him for a month, just as the tournament was about to start. This meant Jason would be sidelined during the NCAA March Madness tournament, watching Wang Chong on the court.
Such a result obviously made Jason extremely unhappy, especially when he saw Wang Chong sitting with a smug smile as he opened the locker room door.
Wang Chong, momentarily distracted from his thoughts, glanced at Jason calmly before standing up and walking towards him.
"What are you going to do?" Jason asked nervously, taking a few steps back.
The memory of Wang Chong's fierce expression from their previous fight made Jason uneasy.
Before this, he had never imagined that someone who appeared so mild could be so intense in a fight.
Wang Chong looked at Jason with indifference and said nothing.
To him, Jason was just a minor nuisance. In a month or two, he would be out of Wang Chong's life. There was no need to take him seriously.
With the one-month suspension over, all Big East league games had concluded.
Marquette University, with a record of 26 wins and 7 losses, had secured the Big East Conference championship and qualified for the NCAA tournament.
Next up was the NCAA tournament, also known as March Madness.
As a time traveler, Wang Chong was very familiar with this history.
In 2003, Wade led the relatively unknown Marquette University to become the biggest underdog in the NCAA. They fought their way to the Final Four, even defeating the number one seed, Kentucky, in the quarterfinals, which shocked the entire nation.
Although Marquette University and Wade eventually lost in the semifinals, Wade's extraordinary performance in March Madness catapulted him into the lottery picks. He was selected by the Miami Heat with the fifth pick in the 2003 draft, beginning his legendary NBA career.
Just as Jason wanted to catch the attention of NBA scouts through Wade and the team's performance, Wang Chong had the same goal.
With Durant's growth template and a skill rating of 65, Wang Chong had the potential to enter the NBA directly. If he performed well in the upcoming March Madness games, assisting Wade to reach the NCAA semifinals or even win the championship, he would definitely attract the attention of NBA scouts.
Wang Chong had considered staying in college for another year, improving his skills to a rating of 70 or even 80, and competing in the 2004 draft to vie for the number one pick against Howard and Okafor. However, he realized this might not be the best choice.
Born in July 1984, Wang Chong was nearly two years younger than Wade. If he entered the draft in 2004, he would lose his age advantage.
Wade was overshadowed by James, Anthony, and Bosh in the draft partly because of his age and a history of injury concerns. A two-year difference might seem small but is significant in the NBA, where every advantage matters.
Moreover, with the system in place, Wang Chong felt that entering the NBA sooner would be more beneficial. With Durant's growth template, receiving NBA-level training and exposure early would be more advantageous than a higher draft pick.
So, Wang Chong had decided to enter the 2003 draft with Wade, even if it meant being selected in the second round.
"Beep—!"
At that moment, a system prompt echoed in Wang Chong's ears.
"Activate phased mission: enter the NBA. The first phase of the mission is to help Marquette University reach the NCAA finals."
"Upon completion, you will receive the following rewards: 500 points, a random badge, and the next stage of the mission will begin."
Wang Chong's steps halted abruptly, his eyes wide with surprise.
Here it was—the legendary system task!
Help Marquette University reach the NCAA finals?
Under Wade's leadership, Marquette University had already made it to the semifinals. This meant Wang Chong's task was to help Marquette University defeat their semifinal opponent, the University of Kansas, who were originally set to face Syracuse University led by Anthony in the final.
The University of Kansas was a well-known powerhouse in the NCAA. In 2003, the team featured two lottery-bound players: point guard Kirk Hinrich and center Nick Collison. Several other key players were also under NBA scouts' scrutiny. Their overall strength was significantly greater than that of Marquette University.
However, the situation was different now. Marquette University had both Wade and Wang Chong! With Durant's growth template, Wang Chong's strength was at an NBA level. Although his overall rating was a modest 65, it was still quite high for the NCAA. While there was a gap compared to players like Anthony and Wade, who had ratings around 80, Wang Chong was certainly stronger than most NCAA players.
Together, Wade and Wang Chong had a solid chance of defeating the University of Kansas!
End of this chapter