Chapter 319 1997 NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Tournament 7 (1/2)

”As well as Jake's excellent performance that ensured victory for the Tar Heels team and the good performance of Jamison and Carter also the Tar Heels team secured that easy victory today.”

”I think you're being very tough with your assessment of the performance of the Tar Heels team players in today's game, everyone had a great defensive game and Williams scored 15 points hitting 5 three-point shots.”

”Zwikker also got 9 rebounds in this game both defensive and offensive rebounds, I think this team has always played very well and that's why they have come so far in this NCAA tournament and it's a favorite to win.”

”But of course if you compare Jake to his teammates it wouldn't be fair, even Jamison with 27 points would seem to have played poorly compared to Jake.”

”I agree that this team has been playing very well this season and comes from a 22-win streak with today's game and could reach 25 wins if they win the last three games and are the champions of this NCAA tournament.”

”But it's precisely because it's an elite team that I have to be so picky to judge if it wasn't for Jake on that team I'm sure they wouldn't have that big winning streak this season.”

”Speaking of Jake it's a shame he didn't get a triple-double in today's game, with 2 more assists and 1 rebound he could get one more Quadruple-double even though it was a great performance.”

As they did after every game the commentators spoke very well of Jake's performance in the game, the other players were not very upset that everyone said it was thanks to Jake that they won so much.

That's because, with such a big winning streak and the real chance of winning the NCAA tournament they had no reason not to be happy, it was the same with Jake's high school team as long as they kept winning nobody cared if everyone said it was just because of Jake.

Of course, it was different because the Tar Heels team also had great players who could win many games even without Jake on the team, but it was undeniable to all of them that Jake was important to the team.

In addition, they were confident that if they performed well the NBA team scouts would know their real quality in the games, and if they won an NCAA tournament that would surely greatly enhance their performance at the university.

So all the players just had to thank and be happy Jake was on the team, his teammates had even forgotten that at the beginning of the season they were jealous of Jake is the only one with a sponsorship.

With Jake's performance, this season as a freshman and the world record plus all the victories he had in the marathon it was certain that it was only fair that Jake was an exception at university, to complete Jake was always the best in his class in grades.

If someone wanted to use Jake's example to also get a university sponsorship loophole they would have to play very well and excel in two sports just like Jake and still have good grades, it was almost an impossible mission.

From returning to college Coach Smith asked everyone to rest until the next game, it would be in two days then the team would have only one day to rest before the next game, even if the players were not tired it was better not to risk it.

Jake spoke to her mother who had watched the whole game over the phone upon arrival at university, Eva was very happy for Jake and as the weeks went by watching television she began to realize how different games at university were in importance from games at the high school.

So she was even happier knowing that her son was winning even though the games were more difficult and important, Eva always had confidence that Jake would become a pro and play in the NBA as he had always wanted since the age of 10.

His roommates were also happy to see Jake being so successful on the Tar Heels team at the university, the strange thing was that since they were Jake's friends they couldn't see him as one of their idols who played on the Tar Heels team a few years ago.

It was normal if it was thought that it is often difficult to see people close to each other differently even when they become famous or suddenly rich, after all, people do not change suddenly and remain the same as their closest friends and family.

After two days the day of the next game soon arrived, this was the game between the teams that qualified for the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament, this was an honor that all players wanted to spend at least once at the university.