Lillard took this game against UCLA seriously.
He'd decided this would be his final college season before declaring for the NBA Draft.
This game wasn't just about the Wildcats' tournament run—it was about his draft position.
He knew all about Yuuto, of course.
The guy's name had been plastered across headlines constantly. Hard to miss.
Lillard actually admired and envied Yuuto somewhat.
Few freshmen could put up numbers like that. The players who had done similar things in the past almost all became NBA stars.
ESPN's words rang true: Yuuto's performance was "phenomenal."
Lillard had struggled during his own freshman year, working hard for years before finally breaking out this season.
So he understood exactly how talented Yuuto was.
But now that Yuuto stood before him, he'd become an obstacle—an opponent who had to be eliminated.
He would step on this self-promoting guy and use the victory to boost his own draft stock.
Yuuto's referee controversy wasn't necessarily bad for the NCAA.
He'd successfully attracted massive viewership to March Madness.
Defeating someone like that would naturally raise his own profile.
Game night.
Lillard stared coolly at every member of the Bruins.
The current version of Dame hadn't grown his signature beard yet. He had a short flat-top, wearing the loose NCAA-style jersey—nowhere near as sharp as his future NBA look.
"I bet he really wants to take you down right now," Mosely said.
He used to be that kind of player too—hungry to defeat high-ranked opponents in March Madness to build his own reputation.
But experience had taught him otherwise.
Those highly-ranked players were highly-ranked for a reason.
Whether they'd pan out later was uncertain, but during their college years, they genuinely dominated.
Warm-ups ended.
Steve called Yuuto over. "That number 1 is your matchup tonight. If you can handle him, we've got this game in the bag."
"I'll handle him!"
Yuuto nodded.
Steve had spent two hours last night breaking down film, focusing primarily on Lillard.
The conclusion: don't let this guy get any open looks.
After three—or rather four—years of college refinement, Lillard's playing style already resembled what he'd show in the NBA.
Unlike Jason Sia, who couldn't shoot, Lillard had explosiveness, elite speed, and a lethal drive that he could combine with his shooting.
The key was that he was also a streak shooter.
His college career-high of 40 points came on 18 field goal attempts with 14 makes.
Then there was his threatening penetration—he held the Wildcats' all-time record for free throw attempts, with an 87% conversion rate!
A player with no weaknesses was the hardest to guard.
"Good. Your defense is the key to tonight's outcome."
"So if I screw up, it's all on me?"
"Of course. This team is fucking yours now."
"Understood."
Yuuto smiled.
If it's my team, that means I can do whatever I want.
...
The game began.
The referee tossed the ball into the air.
Reeves Nelson leaped first, winning the opening tip for the Bruins.
Yuuto sprinted forward.
The Wildcats got back quickly on defense—the Bruins weren't the only team that had done their homework.
Five-on-five in the halfcourt, Yuuto drifted to the perimeter to receive the pass. The crowd erupted with cheers and jeers.
Tonight's game was being played at the University of Dayton Arena.
March Madness had its "First Four" games at this fixed venue, after which the tournament would spread across various neutral sites, including some NBA arenas.
The Final Four would be held at an NFL stadium that could hold 100,000 people.
Yuuto caught the ball, and Dame immediately closed out.
At 6'2", Lillard was listed as a point guard, but his game was more like a shooting guard's.
"And here we go, folks!"
"Look at this—Yu is going right at Damian from the opening possession!"
The commentators were hyped, and so were the fans.
Everyone wanted to see this one-on-one battle.
That kind of expectation created pressure—even if you didn't want to iso, you had to.
But Yuuto wanted to.
Ball in hand, he jabbed right while reading Lillard's reaction.
The Demon Eyes registered that Lillard didn't bite.
Then—
The jab step became a real attack as Yuuto exploded forward.
Dame got beat by half a step right away.
As a guard, Lillard had offensive firepower in spades, but his defense was Kyrie-level.
His defensive ability was constantly described by scouts as "room for improvement"—the reason he couldn't climb higher in mock drafts.
Yuuto blew past Lillard and pulled up for a mid-range jumper in the teeth of the Wildcats' help defense.
Swish~
Yuuto put the Bruins on the board first.
"Lucky shot!" Dame muttered.
Getting beaten on that direct matchup stung. He couldn't let himself get blown by that easily.
Yuuto heard him and opened his mouth. "Great defense. If you're guarding me all night, I might hit 50!"
"What?!"
Lillard couldn't believe his ears.
Sure, his defense wasn't great, but 50 points? That was disrespectful as hell.
He decided to answer with action.
As soon as he crossed halfcourt, Yuuto was on him like a shadow.
Intensity. Ball pressure. Everything.
Lillard wasn't afraid of this—countless defenders had tried the same approach against him.
But somehow, after a full ten seconds, he still couldn't shake this Asian kid's pressure defense.
Under everyone's gaze, Lillard realized this guy wasn't just hype.
If he didn't bring his A-game, he might get exposed out here.
Lillard unleashed his full speed, attacking with the ball.
This was America.
In Japan, only Aomine possessed this kind of explosive speed—none of the other Generation of Miracles came close.
But in the NCAA, while not exactly common, there were plenty of athletic freaks with similar gifts.
Yuuto stayed with him, continuously pressuring, but quickly noticed that Lillard thrived under pressure.
Lillard's physical tools weren't quite at Yuuto's level, but he was fearless—and a gunner.
Yuuto was just a hair slow on his rotation, and Lillard had already risen to fire.
His release was lightning-quick—on a completely different level from the Speed Shooting technique.
And the look in his eyes showed zero concern about missing. That kind of confidence was rare.
"It's good!"
"Damian Lillard answers!"
"He looks determined tonight—shooting with no hesitation!"
Lillard had returned fire. Yuuto had no great answer for that kind of shot.
His brain raced, searching for a counter.
But his brain told him there weren't many exploitable windows because this guy's shot difficulty was too high.
And high-difficulty shots were often indefensible. Like Curry's "gravity."
That was what made Lillard terrifying.
He'd always been one of the league's most explosive scorers.
Once he got hot, he could catch fire from thirty-plus feet out.
Unlike J.R. Smith's streakiness, Lillard had elite speed—his driving game provided a floor.
That's why Lillard became an All-Star despite mediocre defense.
His offense was simply too lethal. When he was locked in, it more than compensated for his defensive shortcomings.
A dozen seconds later—
As if to prove a point, Yuuto showed that anything Lillard could do, he could do better.
A signature fadeaway.
Lillard couldn't contest.
His body wasn't as strong as Yuuto's. One back-down and he'd already lost any chance of defending.
But he leaped gamely anyway, fingertips barely grazing the air above.
Swish!
Another bucket. The crowd went wild.
This superstar duel was exactly what they craved.
But the invisible pressure would mount with every exchange.
A feeling that if you missed this one, you'd already lost.
"Look at this! Yu and Damian have turned this into a two-man show!"
"They've accounted for every single point since tipoff!"
The commentators were fired up.
Nothing was more exciting than watching two future NBA stars go head-to-head.
"Yu is still Yu—the Yu we all know—but tonight Damian is showing everyone his ambition! He's not satisfied being overshadowed by Yu or AD!"
But even freaks couldn't go shot-for-shot all game.
After both Yuuto and Lillard finally misfired, both sides silently agreed to return to team basketball.
"Don't go one-on-one with him for now," Steve called Yuuto over during a free throw break. "Use your abilities, observe more. When you're ready, go for the kill."
He wanted Yuuto to take Lillard down, but first-round talents were first-rounders for a reason—they couldn't be dismissed easily.
...
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