One day.
After the Bruins' regular practice, Yuuto stayed in the gym for extra training.
Everyone was used to it by now. They once thought he was just a showoff trying to get attention—now they looked at him with nothing but respect.
That was the change one game had brought.
Mosely walked over. "Yu, you're not heading back yet?"
Yuuto shook his head. "I'll leave once I finish my training."
Mosely nodded but didn't leave.
His expression was hesitant. After a moment, he finally spoke.
"About yesterday, Yu... I need to apologize."
"That pass—you should know which one I mean—it was terrible. And what's worse... it was intentional."
"I know."
"You know?"
"Of course. I also know that most of the guys on this team don't like me—some even can't stand the color of my skin."
When Yuuto mentioned "racial discrimination"—such a heavy topic—his expression was so calm it was almost unsettling.
He continued, "You don't need to feel guilty, Captain. I got used to this kind of thing back in Indiana. But I changed their minds with this."
Yuuto held up the basketball in his hand.
"You know, Mosely, I think us coming together means something. God arranged for us to meet so we could accomplish something great."
"Like what?"
"How about a national championship?"
"We got knocked out in the Round of 32 last year, and we've lost three starters this year." Mosely's expression turned awkward.
For a program like UCLA, the Round of 32 was failure.
"That's right, we did lose three starters. But the good news is—this team has me."
"You're such an egomaniac. No matter how good you are, one player can't win an NCAA championship alone."
"True enough, but I've got you guys too, don't I?"
Yuuto's words left Mosely speechless.
He had actually come today because of a conversation with Coach Steve.
Steve had made it clear: if Mosely didn't cooperate with Yuuto, he'd lose his position on the team.
But after their talk, Mosely realized Yuuto was actually a pretty good guy.
Plus, their positions didn't even conflict. There really was no need for all the hostility.
Maybe.
Maybe they really could accomplish something great together.
"Championships don't deliver themselves to your door. Since you're here, let's train together, Mosely."
"Sure. I'll go on offense, you play defense. My offensive game's been off lately—I need to find my rhythm."
"No problem."
Yuuto tossed him the ball.
After winning over Mosely, Yuuto felt he was one step closer to making the Bruins his team.
...
A few days later.
The games resumed.
The Pac-12, as one of the Power Five conferences, was one of the most competitive leagues in the country.
Nearly every game was as intense as March Madness.
After defeating the Trojans, before Yuuto and his teammates could catch their breath, they faced their third conference game—against the University of Washington.
This was no pushover opponent.
Through Yuuto's eyes, this team had two players who would eventually make the NBA.
Their core player, Terrence Ross, would become a lottery pick—selected eighth overall by the Raptors.
The other, Tony Wroten, would go in the second round.
Terrence Ross.
As a freshman, Ross's performance was underwhelming—averaging just 8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1 assist per game. But considering he only played 17 minutes per game, it was acceptable.
More notably, he had shot 35.5% from three last year, showing the potential to become a dangerous shooter.
Now in his sophomore year.
He had earned the coach's trust, exploding for 26 points in his first conference game.
"Since you handled Jason, you should be able to deal with Terrence Ross. I don't care about the process—I only care about results!"
"Isn't that a bit unreasonable?"
"Were you being reasonable when you launched those ridiculous three-pointers?"
Coach Steve was practically roaring.
Yuuto's three-pointers could send fans into a frenzy, but they also gave Steve heart palpitations.
Deep threes were one thing, but why, when there was nobody in front of him, did he pull up for a transition three instead of attacking the rim?
Yuuto knew there was no point arguing. He nodded. "I'll lock him down."
Time was up. Yuuto followed the team onto the court as scheduled.
The fans at Alaska Airlines Arena greeted them with passionate boos.
The lights dimmed throughout the arena.
Spotlights trained on the player tunnel as players emerged one by one, the announcer bellowing their names while the crowd showered them with cheers—or jeers.
Americans didn't have much local loyalty, but that didn't mean they lacked a sense of belonging.
According to surveys, 80% of Americans had received higher education.
What did that mean?
Nearly every American had completed a college degree. So even if someone moved countless times in their life, at least one identity would follow them forever.
Their alma mater.
This was the unique sense of belonging that NCAA fans possessed.
Yuuto came out last. In the NBA, stars always made their entrance last—the NCAA was no different.
The opening ceremonies ended, and the game was about to begin.
UCLA Starting Lineup: John Mosely, Yuuto, Reeves Nelson, Norman Powell, Drew Gordon.
Being UCLA, even a roster that wasn't particularly talented couldn't be that bad.
Reeves Nelson, according to history, would enter the draft after graduating this year, then sign with the Lakers in September.
But just a month later, he'd be cut during internal tryouts, failing to make the regular-season roster.
Drew Gordon would also declare for the draft this year without being selected. He'd later transfer to the University of New Mexico before signing with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2014.
Norman Powell would enter the league in 2015, eventually averaging 6.2 points, a few rebounds, and an assist per game over his career.
The opening tip. UCLA won possession.
The 6'7" Reeves Nelson accurately tipped the ball to his teammates.
The Washington Huskies deployed man-to-man defense.
Mosely pushed the ball up quickly, then fed it to Yuuto.
No hesitation. Yuuto attacked immediately, blowing past Terrence Ross with just one step before gliding into the paint for an easy layup.
2-0!
...
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