"What incredible speed! The Bruins' #10, Yu, blew past Terrence Ross with just one step!" commentator Mark Woodson shouted.
His partner Tom Hovarty added, "In high school, Yu proved he simply cannot be guarded one-on-one. Washington might need to adjust their defensive strategy."
Terrence Ross was a lottery pick.
But like most young talents, he was an offense-first player with questionable defense.
The Raptors selected him with the eighth pick hoping he'd become a core piece of their roster.
But Ross only met fans' expectations on offense. Despite possessing excellent physical tools, his perimeter defense was atrocious.
Terrence clearly knew his defensive limitations, so his goal for this game was straightforward: let his offense do the talking.
However.
The moment he caught the ball on offense, Yuuto smothered him with suffocating pressure.
Yuuto defended ferociously, yet his hands were impeccably clean—active without fouling.
Terrence could only protect the ball with his back, instinctively retreating a step before changing direction to the right.
He tried to use the width of the court to create separation. But the instant he started his move, Yuuto's hand darted out like lightning—causing a turnover on the opening possession.
"Is that all you've got? With a body like yours, playing this way is a waste."
Terrence froze. He was a sophomore, and he'd scouted Yuuto before the game—the guy was just a freshman.
But this kid didn't play like a rookie at all. He talked like a veteran—and an especially annoying one at that.
Furious, Terrence sprinted back on defense.
Meanwhile, UCLA's offense was already unfolding.
Mosely drove without a screen, attacking from the left side.
Washington's defense immediately collapsed as two defenders formed a trap near the left block. Mosely quickly kicked it out to the right wing.
The rotation was fast—Norman Powell had no shot. He swung the ball back to Mosely to reset.
Washington ran a 1-2-2 zone: one defender at the top of the key, two in the mid-range area just outside the paint, and two in the post protecting the rim.
The advantage of this setup was maintaining pressure on the perimeter while still being able to effectively contain dribble penetration with multiple defenders.
To beat UCLA, Washington's coach had put serious thought into the defensive game plan.
After several passes, Mosely couldn't find a good look.
Then he suddenly remembered what the coach had told him before the game.
"If you can't figure out a solution, just throw the damn ball to Yu!"
So he did exactly that.
NCAA possessions were 30 seconds—not the NBA's 24—so UCLA had plenty of time to operate.
Yuuto caught the ball and got into triple threat position. Terrence pressed up, focused and determined.
But it was useless.
Terrence's defense couldn't contain Yuuto.
An explosive first step detonated like a bomb—so fast that Terrence's whole body shuddered.
He spun around to recover, only to see Yuuto suddenly step back behind the three-point line and rise for a jumper.
Terrence lunged desperately but couldn't even graze the ball. Yuuto's release was simply too quick.
Speed Shooting had been his trusty weapon through years of battles—one he'd never been willing to discard.
After three years of simulation training, this talent had finally been upgraded to purple tier.
[Ultra Speed Shooting]
5-0!
Yuuto had scored both of UCLA's baskets to open the game—two twos and a three.
"It's Yu again! He used a step-back to completely neutralize Terrence's defense. His start has been absolutely spectacular."
After being beaten twice in a row, Terrence obviously wasn't about to take it lying down.
On offense, he demanded the ball immediately and, not caring about anything else, fired over Yuuto's outstretched hand.
This was typical Terrence.
Contested shots dominated his offensive repertoire. He'd even pass up wide-open looks in favor of difficult, contested jumpers.
Swish!
The ball went in. Yuuto acknowledged he had no immediate answer for that.
It was pure shot-making wizardry.
"See that, rookie? You can't stop me either. You better start doubling me." Terrence puffed out his chest triumphantly.
Yuuto just snorted. "Double you? Your shot is pure luck. Even my grandma could hit one out of a hundred if she kept chucking."
His words were vicious as always.
But Terrence's shooting was always like this—relying heavily on variance.
When he was hot, fans went crazy for him. But his touch wasn't reliable, and too often, fans wanted to storm the court and smack some sense into him.
Because his shot selection made people feel like he was wasting possessions.
Terrence's nose nearly went crooked with anger. This rookie really knew how to get under your skin.
He was sick of media questioning him. Did it matter if his shot selection was "smart"? The only thing that mattered was that he made them—that was the key!
Mosely brought the ball across half-court and found Norman Powell, who drove down the middle of the lane, drawing defenders before kicking it out to Yuuto.
Playing against Terrence felt like playing against a child. Yuuto's Demon Eyes flashed open as his joints popped and crackled, then he drove hard to the left.
Facing help defense from Washington's center, he pulled up for a fadeaway from the weak side.
The ball traced a beautiful arc before splashing through the net.
Swish!
7-3!
Yuuto was scorching hot—3-for-3 to start the game.
On the sideline, Coach Steve was practically jumping for joy, leading the applause. The bench erupted in cheers.
Only Clayman wore a pained expression—because he was the one whose spot Yuuto had taken.
UCLA came out with blistering intensity. Yuuto was on fire, scoring relentlessly.
Washington called timeout to try to cool him off.
Coming out of the timeout, the Huskies' pace slowed to a crawl—every possession felt like they wanted to drain the full 30 seconds.
But as Yuuto's Weakness Correction talent activated more frequently, adapting him to Terrence's game, the momentum swung irreversibly toward the Bruins.
Terrence clanked a jumper. UCLA secured the rebound and immediately pushed in transition.
Terrence sprinted back, chasing Yuuto relentlessly.
Stamina was this lottery pick's greatest asset. He never seemed to tire. Combined with solid shooting, it was likely why the Raptors had modeled him after Richard Hamilton.
Unfortunately, he had Hamilton's motor and offensive talent but lacked the defensive instincts—dooming him to a career as a role player rather than a franchise cornerstone.
His defense was that bad? Yuuto's opening attack had already demonstrated that.
Yuuto caught the ball a meter beyond the right wing three-point line, creating space from Terrence. Crossover through the legs to his right hand, shoulder fake, then he burst left.
Terrence scrambled laterally, only to see Yuuto's shadow flash past him in the opposite direction.
He also noticed—Yuuto's eyes seemed to glow.
Pow!
Yuuto's explosive crossover left Terrence in the dust.
Washington's other defenders scrambled to help. Though they hadn't assigned a double team, the coach had stationed multiple helpers nearby.
The result?
Yuuto's eyes flared. His vision seemed to ascend into the sky itself.
Whap! He whipped a pass that threaded through Washington's layered defense, finding a wide-open Mosely on the weak side.
Mosely caught it in stride, took two steps, and threw down a one-handed slam.
"Outstanding vision! Brilliant assist!"
"Yu found his teammate through an army of defenders!"
"His eyes are like they're up in the sky—he saw right through Washington's entire defensive scheme!"
...
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