the March goes on...

"Come on man. Shoot the lights out"

Rome looks at the lights up above. "I dont know man but are u sure?" He hesitated.

These guys ate and drunk bball since they were grade schoolers.

Rome just picked it up few months ago.

If this is an Anime, there would a be crow and black lines on their foreheads.

"Damn. Life is unfair." One guy said.

The emotional conditioning he put on to these guys are not so immoral in a sense. Borderline immoral.

Trust.

Happy.

Love.

Harmony.

Brotherhood.

These kinds of emotions won't hurt someone, right? If so, Rome can only apologize.

"These Alpha Males..hahaha" Rome is laughing inside. Amused.

"Huddle up." David as the Assistant coach acted his part in the locker room.

"Yes Sir."

"Fellas, let play basketball out there. Compete! Hustle! and Defend!!!" John pep talk.

"Offense will let us win...but defense....will make us Champions!!!"

"Bring it. Compete out there."

David looking each of every kids eyes.

Ablaze with passion and love for the game.

"Most importantly...have fun out there....One Shining Moment!!!!!"

"3 2 1."

"TROJANS!!!!"

All 15 guys are hyped up. The months with no game made them pumped up.

They want to win.

Rome never experienced this before.

The arena is filled with people more or less thousand. 3k.

Its just exhibition match. But it drew people in.

And most importantly, there's a freaking band and cheer leaders.

"Just an exhibition..The U must have made lots of money last season."

He remembered that last year.

2013 NCAA, a billion dollar deal was made by the tv networks to NCAA.

And this is just basketball. Football gets the large chunk of the pie.

Thats his comprehension.

"Look up. Scouts are prolly watching this game. Wanting to see ur improvements this summer."

John encouraged the guys.

With that, the killer eyes of every player.

"Lets play ball out there guys. Play ball."' Nicki is the captain of this team and his voice weight a lot.

"Play ball!"

John nodding by the hunger of Trojans this year.

Then his eyes landed on Rome.

"Ro, I will send u in 2 quarter. Dont shoot too accurately. Try 30%, we dont want teams formulate defensive plays against u yet."

The guys started to laugh because this is the first time hearing tryin to lower the hit rate of a player.

Rome shaking his head. "Understand coach."

"Gramps...why oh why.." Rome cries inside. He just want to be on the bench.

"This will be ur first game and I want u to have a knack of the game. Observe and learn as much before the November."

"Sir." Rome claps.

No sense of defense, no sense of spacing, cant figure the body language, all the shit he need to not be embarrassed out there.

Basic dribbling and basic defense. Thats all Rome has now.

Plus he is not strong enough. He still has baby fat on his stomach.

Compared to these guys that are ripped and bench pressing 100kgs or so, he is weak for them.

John wants to develop the body of Rome and his all around bball skills.

A talent must be polished.

Because its exhibition, no introduction like he NBA.

But there's the announcer and the students and the fans too.

"Damn. These guys are fast." Rome cant help but be amazed by how the game played.

"Haha. Ull get used to it Splash." A sophomore 6th man answered Rome.

A point guard.

"Splash?" Rome looks at him weirdly.

"Yeah. That's what we call u man. Splash. All we hear when u shoot. Splash"

"Damn. I just thot of that." Another one said.

"Splash. I like that. Haha. Ill shot 4 consecutive 3s then."

"Haha. 20?"

"20."

Chill game.

They are finding their touches they lost in summer.

"Man, Curry and Thompson won't be suing me for Copyright Infringement, right? I dont want Splash..tsk."

"Not me. Dont look at me."

"Shit." Rome

But even so, Splash sounds good. But GSW will win this year.

Splash isnt really for him.

"Raise ur hands. Spacing."

John shouting at the sidelines.

"Ro, look at the play."

Nicki who drank water and wiped his sweat pointed to the court to him.

"Hmmm."

"Spacing is important. And we can do that because of shooters like u. U can draw defense inside out. It will help open the offense and give high efficient scoring."

Teaching him.

Even he is a complete rookie. In his last life, he never considered these things. Now these are first hand learnings.

"I understand."

"Yeah. Later, Coach will teach pick and roll."

"Got it man." Rome high five Nicki.

UCLA 23 USC 18.

End of 1st quarter.

In Ncaa, 10 minutes. Unlike NBA that has 12 minutes.

Also the three point line is not that far compared to NBA.

"Ro, if u get a chance, just shoot the ball. Work in the post. Uve grown 2 inches these months. u can post up. But dont embarass us out there." John instructed Rome.

The team mates chuckled.

"Injure his ankle tops."

"Guys." Rome dead eyes at them.

Clapping his face to concentrate.

"That won't help man. Haha" the defender of Rome said.

"Worth a try." Rome used to American's speech now.

The whistle of the referee.

Rome runs to defend.

The shot went in after a lay up.

With what he learned, he stepped on the gas and raised his hand.

Imagine a 6 foot 10 guy weighting 130kg running front court.

Its monster level physique down the post.

And Rome is fast and strong.

A forward in bound and the pg saw Rome running.

He immediately throw the ball.

"Nice." Rome caught the ball and dribbled.

The defender behind him followed.

But what surprised is that Rome stop, bent his knees and raised his arms and flicked his wrist.

A 45% angle.

"Low post!!! low post!!!" John shouting at the bench.

Swish!!!!

Rome looks to John.

"I was free!"

"Its fast break! Of course ur free! Go!"

Rome nodded. But given a chance, he will take another shot like that. haha

"Three from Martinez-Smith!"

"A fast break three."

"Hell yeah. That's what were talking about Ro!"

The pg run to him and high five.

"Nice pass."

"Coach said that u miss the next shot tho."

"Damn."

"Hahahaha"

There were several scrimmages 5x5 or 3x3.

Every fucking shot Rome let go, there 50% chance. 50 50.

That's why they are confident to Rome.

Every scrimmage. 45 to 50. Maintain for 2 weeks.

Rome is not an idiot that will show 100% hit rate.

Or else he will be sliced.

Only John, David and Abby know such fact.

"Ro."

Nicki made him rotate, then pass the ball to him right at the corner spot.

He rose up immediately receiving the ball.

All the practice he put into this one motion.

Even there's luck but the form cant be too bad, right? Hehe

Swish

"Damn!"

The defender cursed and followed.

He should have tripped Rome.

At the half, the score is 44 to 56.

2 treys plus 2 jump hooks down the post.

And that was it, John did not let him back.

"Where the hell u get ur coffee from?"

Rome sitting there drinking his coffee.

"Shhh. Just take it."

"Haha. Bummer to hear that the volleyball team isnt at home. Abby got no chance to see ur one quarter retirement. Haha"

Simmons is a plays really well. He is also a prospect of making it to the nba.

But this kid is a joker and energizer of the locker room.

That's why he and Rome are friends, next to Nicki, he is close to Simmons.

Rome just smiled.

"Hey. Will the cheer leaders give their numbers to me?" he asked.

"On ur fat white ass? Hell yeah."

"Thats what im talking about. ahaha. im brown tho."

"U all white people look the same to me bruh."

UCLA 76- USC 71

They lost the game.

"Practice tomorrow at 8. Dont miss. ur horrible defense at 4th quarter made them score 22 points compared to our 14 points final quarter."

David said before they hit the shower.

"Yes Coach."

"Cheer up. Exhibition games are meant to expose our weakness so that we can work on it before season starts."

"Thats right guys. Play hard. We can go to March."

"March!"