Battles

"It must be a confidence issue." Tremaine laid on his dormitory bed while throwing a tennis ball vertically to the ceiling. "But how could the captain lack confidence in anything?"

Legend's reasoning bugged Tremaine for the whole day. He slept the whole morning and afternoon, mulling about what Legend showed him in the short time they were talking. 

"I'm not lacking confidence in any way though." Tremaine thinks he wasn't in denial, because he really was the most confident now. "So how would that help me?"

It was then that he got a message from Captain Legend to check their email. 

He rushed and checked his email and found out that it was a link to their regular conference season schedule.

It read: 

Below is our finalized Big Ten conference schedule.

Jan 5 at Iowa

Jan 8 vs Michigan State

Jan 11 at Wisconsin

Jan 15 vs Rutgers

Jan 18 vs Northwestern

Jan 20 at Indiana

Jan 23 at Ohio State

Jan 26 at Purdue

Jan 29 vs Minnesota 

Jan 31 vs Maryland

Feb 3 vs Nebraska

Feb 6 at Penn State

Feb 9 vs Ohio State

Feb 12 vs Iowa

Feb 15 at Northwestern

Feb 17 vs Wisconsin

Feb 20 at Nebraska

Feb 23 at Minnesota 

Feb 26 at Michigan

Mar 1 vs Purdue

Practice tomorrow at 8 sharp.

Even the schedule had changed.

Tremaine only needed to look at the first game to realize not only had the schedule changed from his first life, but it also became even more insane…

Well, in his first life he never logged a single minute in conference play anyway… so it really doesn't matter much...

But their first three games were insane…

Iowa, Michigan State, and Wisconsin…

Tomorrow would be the start of serious practices, and they would start more strategic planning and tactics. He should not be late for any of that.

The finalized roster announcement was not that far away as well.

Tremaine wanted to fight for the roster spots.

***

Earlier.

"What the hell are you three doing?" Legend's deep voice thundered across the facility. "Why not a 2v2 with me?" 

The three quarreling athletes finally saw their captain and Tremaine Mills, over there.

Jaylen's eyes grew wide, realizing that Tremaine was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, however he appeared utterly exhausted compared to last night.

"Oh, Tre won't be joining us for now, he's dumb and he was here all night…" Legend started picking up the basketballs and pushed the cart to the side.

"Jaylen, you're with me!" Khalil rushed to the rookie's side with a smile.

"Think about what I'm saying. Start practicing efficiently. We don't want you getting hurt from useless practice like this. Go rest." Legend lightly tapped Tre's shoulder and beckoned him to rest on the bleachers. "Just watch two supremely talented individuals fight against two average, run of the mill guys."

Average guys?

Could he be talking about himself and Dwayne?

The quick two on two started with Jaylen Mitchell isolating himself against Dwayne Evans, a scene that was all too familiar to the team by now. 

Over the past few weeks, the two forwards had been inseparable and had become best buddies, because of their consistent one on one fights. They started learning from each other's techniques, and started using each other's weapons against each other. 

It's like this prized rookie and this average junior were the perfect combination to push the other to break their limits.

Right now, Jaylen was posting up on Dwayne.

He was also glancing over his shoulder for opportunities to drop the ball, but the two big men were also fighting as rough as them.

"Going off on my own again, huh." He backed down harder, trying to get the slip on him, before he turned around and faded away.

Slap!

The sound of the palm of the hand slapping away the ball out in the air reverberated.

Dwayne scrambled for it and got to it first, before throwing a quick bounce pass inside the cutting Legend.

The captain took advantage of the slight moment of hesitation from Khalil to brush past him and get through to the hoop.

Anything other than a jam to end the play would be a disappointment.

Tremaine yelled with a cheerful attitude, "1-0!"

"Take count, bro! I want a neutral party for a fair score!" 

Within a few minutes of watching the two teams, Tremaine started to see the difference on both sides. 

Khalil and Jaylen were louder. Meaning, the way their play attracts attention, demands attention, and warrants attention. They were more aggressive on offense, more fun to watch on the ball, and faster. 

That doesn't mean Legend and Dwayne were boring. It stems mostly on the way they play shutdown defense, which was a thing of beauty in its own right. However, their more conventional style of offense was not as fascinating to watch.

It was flair versus efficiency.

Is this what you wanted me to see, captain?

***

Seven in the morning, the next day.

It was a packed house in the practice facility. 

In court A, the men's team had been doing whatever they wanted before their coach arrived at 8.

The veterans had at least a reference on what may happen today, but even they aren't exactly sure what. 

Coach Roughan was the kind of coach that could pull random bullshit from under his mean looking mug after all.

Even Tremaine had a hunch, however, he was ready for whatever their coach threw at him. 

He's especially serious today, even if it didn't appear on his face.

He might've slacked off at some point during the last month… but he never stopped training. He never stopped attuning to his younger body, and mind. 

With that moment of clarity yesterday. He's going to charge forward, and leave no regrets.

"Man, I'm actually nervous right now." Deshaun was eating his fingernails while waiting, a clear sign he's telling the truth. "I might not make the fifteen man roster…"

Tre knew that Deshaun was among the freshmen that practiced the least. However, he was a highly rated four star prospect, so the chances of him missing the cut was already lower than Tremaine's. 

"You won't miss the cut." Tremaine spoke in a compassionate tone. "Rather, we won't miss the cut."

"You always know the right things to say, you sleazy bastard." Tremaine noticed he calmed down with just that statement, and was already a little more sure of himself. "If we both get to the 15 man rotation, I'll treat you, and Emily to good food."

"I won't decline that offer, however, we don't even know if that's our always smiling coach's agenda for today." 

"Want some gum to pass the time?" fellow freshman Abdoulaye Eze snuck his long, lanky arm holding orange flavored gum in between the two. "Be confident, Shaun!"

"Thanks, man." Both Deshaun and Tre started chewing.

"You should leave one of the three inactive slots to me!" Curtis Walters is currently wearing a long sleeved hoodie, just like Hoodie Melo. "You can't steal the 18th man mantle from me!"

"What's this? A freshman seminar class?" Kristian finished his short warm-up at the side and sat beside Curtis. "Where's our prized guy?"

Deshaun pointed at the far corner of the facility, where a lone basket was hung on the wall. He's once again fighting Dwayne Evans for supremacy.

"Oh, why did I even ask that, of course he's with Dwayne."

Curtis suddenly took his phone, upon realizing something. 

"Guys, wanna take a picture?" He smiled for unknown reasons.

"I don't wanna." Abdoulaye had always been a camera shy individual.

"Please, I just need to send this to my mom and dad!" Curtis became animated, a rare sight considering he's only showing emotions other than being tired or depressed when talking about James Bond. 

"What for? They miss you or something?" Deshaun didn't mind it at all, however, there's something about this plea that's interesting.

"I gotta give them proof that I'm a basketball varsity player!" 

"What kind of parents do that?" DJ had just arrived, all fresh after taking a bath in the lockers. 

"My two dads will never do that for sure." Kristian was proud to have unconditionally supportive parents like his two dads.

"Oh are we gonna go parent bragging now?" Deshaun doesn't like it when things end up involving parents. Especially when he's with Tremaine, who only had his mum. "Let's just take the picture, man."

Abdoulaye sighed, and sat back down. He only knew his foster parents, and never his biological ones. "Fine. Let's give them a smile."

The five smiled like idiots in front of the phone camera, and as it snapped, they realized someone photobombed them.

It was Quandre flexing his massive forearms and biceps on camera.

"Damn, that was a nice photo of myself!" Quandre exclaimed in delight. 

The six of them laughed their way until it was eight in the morning… while chewing orange flavored gum.