Time flies, and in the blink of an eye it has been a month since the NCAA started.

Durant and Lin Ying's defensive abilities have improved rapidly.

As Springman said, defensive skills and physical talent determine the upper limit of defense.

They are learning skills. In terms of talent, the most important defensive talent is wingspan, which is exactly what they all have.

And the interesting thing is that since Durant started practicing defense, one thing he must do after every game is to ask Springman how his defense is, even on nights when he scores 30+ points.

Springman was sometimes made dumbfounded by him.

However, this also exactly illustrates Durant's character. Barnes criticized him for not being good at defense, so he just focused on studying defense.

On this day, the University of Texas will face the Iowa State University Cyclones at home.

Barnes announced during the training session that Dj Augustin and Lin Ying would be the starters in the game!

After his announcement, his teammates congratulated Lin Ying and Augustin.

In the past month, the University of Texas played a total of 8 games with a record of 4 wins and 4 losses.

Counting the 1 win and 2 losses at the start of the game, their subsequent record is 3 wins and 2 losses.

After gradually adapting to the intensity of college competition, the freshmen at the University of Texas began to gradually show their talents, and the team's record improved.

In addition to Durant's visible defensive improvement, Lin Ying and Augustin also performed very well.

Lin Ying is steadily improving, getting more and more playing time and performing better and better.

And Augustin's scalpel-like breakthroughs, precise three-pointers, and excellent breakout ability have also begun to show their prowess.

However, the University of Texas' performance so far can only be considered okay.

Because the Big12 itself is not a major league, winning the championship is almost the only way to enter the top three.

And according to the rules, Big12 teams only play a total of 22 games in the official regular season. After playing 8 games, it means that one-third of the season has passed.

Their record now ranks 7th in the Big12 League.

If they cannot improve their ranking in the following games, they are likely to encounter Kansas early in the playoffs.

Once eliminated early, let alone winning the championship, the chances of getting a wild card are slim.

This is also the reason why Barnes adjusted the starting lineup earlier than expected, and adjusted two people at once.

Every next game will be crucial for the University of Texas.

Let’s talk about the timing of Barnes’ choice.

The Iowa State University Cyclones were named after an NFL game in the 1950s.

At that time, there was a tornado in Iowa, and the team also beat their opponents 36-0 in that night's game, hence the name of the Tornadoes.

From this history, you know that the strongest sport in this university is rugby.

As for basketball, it is much weaker in comparison.

To describe it in one sentence, this team is poorer than the Texas Tech team they played in the opening game.

The only one who can do it is Jeff Hornacek, whose future daughter will be more famous than his father.

So far, Hornacek still holds the Cyclones' top eight records, which further proves the mediocrity of this college.

Even in Lin Ying's memory, this university has never produced an All-Star player in the future.

Even now, the only point guard he remembers from Iowa State University is Mike Taylor, a late second-round pick.

So Barnes's choice is reasonable.

There was no class on the game day, so Lin Ying and Durant spent the whole day in the training gym.

Even the security guards at the door have become accustomed to them and sometimes give them keys to train them to open the door in advance.

"It's your first time starting, are you nervous?"

After training, the two of them sat on the ground against the wall to rest. Durant wiped his sweat and turned to look at Lin Ying.

Lin Ying nodded.

Although his overall performance in previous games was improving, starting and coming off the bench are different.

The biggest difference is that the opponent is likely to have studied him before the game, which will give him much less space to play.

"It's okay, just play a few more games and it will be fine."

Durant said and bumped Lin Ying's shoulder. This has become a habitual move between him and Lin Ying.

But he was also telling the truth. In the first game he played power forward, and he almost failed in his first shot.

But now, his performance on the court is already considered to be very comfortable.

"And with you here, it will be much easier for me to score."

Durant said and laughed.

Although Randy Williams, the previous starter, was good, his passing vision and ability were too poor.

But Lin Ying is different. In addition to his personal abilities, no one can compare to the tacit understanding they cultivated in the training ground and high school.

"Then help me get a triple-double."

Lin Ying took the words.

Durant's smile suddenly stopped, and then he looked at Lin Ying blankly.

Lin Ying looked a little strange at him and touched the corner of his mouth.

"What's wrong?"

"nothing."

Durant smiled and said nothing.

Lin Ying is becoming more and more different from when she was in high school.

…

There are only about two hours left before the game starts.

Lin Ying and Durant simply ate something and rested for a while before going to the basketball gym.

The main venue for the University of Texas game is called the Frank Owen Special Event Center, which can accommodate up to 16,755 people to watch the game.

This is not a special case of the University of Texas. The competition venues used by NCAA Division I teams are basically of this level.

This is also an important reason why many people say that NCAA games are comparable to the NBA.

When they arrived, there was still about an hour before the game started, but the fans had already arrived.

Two to three thousand Iowa State University fans came to the scene and sat in the area directly opposite the basket.

Although this was not their first home game, when they entered the stadium, adrenaline was still secreted uncontrollably along with the atmosphere.

It’s not that they are young, well, they are actually still young!

However, the atmosphere at the scene will make everyone excited, not to mention they are the ones who are going to play.

"Patience, care, and determination, defend your home court!"

After the warm-up, Barnes shouted at the top of his voice.

His voice was loud and full of energy, and the team members felt their whole bodies tremble when they heard it.

"Longhorn!"

The players folded their hands together and shouted the team slogan together.

Then, comes the opening ceremony!

What is a little different from the NBA is that the entire team is introduced during the NCAA's opening ceremony, with the starting five appearing last.

The away team comes first, and the lights on the field are on when the away team is playing.

After the home team, the lights dimmed, and only the home team had their spotlights on during the half.

The players came on stage one after another, and finally the starting five were the starting five.

"1.80 meters, from Missouri Towers High School in New Orleans, DJ~Augustin!"

When the first starting name was read out, although the home fans were a little surprised, they cheered immediately.

"2.01 meters, from Montrose Christian School in Washington, Lin~~ying!"

Then, when Lin Ying's name came out, the home fans were even more surprised, but the cheers were also louder!

With his tough defense and unique playing style, coupled with his unique skin color, Lin Ying already has many fans in Austin!

Augustine, James, Durant, Lin Ying, Wendell.

When the University of Texas' starting lineup came out, the Iowa State University coaching staff was surprised.

As mentioned earlier, the NCAA is not like the NBA and does not attract as many media and reporters attention. Iowa State University was not aware of this adjustment before the game.

Moreover, Lin Ying's previous worries proved to be misplaced, because the head coach turned to the assistant coach next to him to ask for his information.
To be continued...