This year, the locations responsible for hosting the March Madness games are Syracuse (East Region), Austin (South Region), Albuquerque (West Region), and Chicago (Midwest Region). (Note 1)

Previously, Wake Forest, which gained entry by winning the ACC Championship, will compete as the number one seed in the Syracuse Region.

Compared to last year's experience of being "dispatched" across most of the United States...

This year, after the final matchups were announced, Wake Forest became not only the favorite team of all neutral fans in the East but also enjoyed the advantage of playing at a quasi-home game, greatly alleviating the fatigue caused by long travels.

Historically, the Tar Heels, who would have received the support of the East fans this year and made it all the way to the finals, were "usurped" by Wake Forest.

Moreover, more unfortunate than being "usurped" is that the Tar Heels will compete as the number two seed in the Albuquerque Region this year.

This means...

They are about to embark on a long expedition across most of the United States, and in Albuquerque, they will not receive the support from neutral fans in the entire region as they did historically.

Moreover, according to the matchups...

To make it to the finals, the Tar Heels must defeat Illinois, which Qin Yue had previously labeled as a "serious threat."

In Qin Yue's view, this undoubtedly greatly reduces the pressure on Wake Forest, which entered March Madness with an undefeated record, to win the championship.

On the 16th, according to tradition, the curtain-raiser game between Oakland University and Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, i.e., the play-in game, will take place at the University of Dayton's gymnasium.

With star forward Rawle-Marshall leading the way, Oakland University defeated Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University 79 to 69.

Since the winner of this play-in game would challenge Wake Forest as the sixteenth seed in the Syracuse Region, Qin Yue and his teammates patiently watched the entire game at the hotel that day.

Standing at 201 cm and weighing 90 kg, Marshall has a tall and slender build and a comprehensive offensive skill set.

Nicknamed the "Oakland Kobe," he can score in various ways on the court.

Of course, in higher-level competitions, players like Marshall are often simply understood as:

Good for nothing.

Qin Yue couldn't possibly remember every player who has ever played in the NBA and their history in detail...

However, historically, Marshall's journey of being an undrafted player only to be eliminated after two years in the NBA fully proved that talents like him...

Actually, he should have played in the CBA instead.

One day later, on the evening of the 18th.

In a scene reminiscent of a roaring sea of cheers from tens of thousands of fans at the venue, the number one seed in the Syracuse Region, Wake Forest, officially began their March Madness debut with an aura that the Oakland University players envied.

That night, to thank the support from the neutral fans in the East, Qin Yue scored a world-class shot that shocked the entire crowd at the opening.

On the court, Qin Yue navigated past Marshall on the perimeter with a crossover and, facing Courtney Scott's help defense, soared in the air before finishing a one-handed reverse layup.

This shot, which completely defied people's common sense and cognition, instantly ignited the entire stadium.

Under Oakland University's basket, Marshall, who trailed Qin Yue and witnessed the entire one-handed reverse layup until many years later, still could not forget this shot, "Can you imagine an M1A2 tank taking off like a raptor fighter jet? Yes, that was the sight I saw that night."

Although, after receiving the [Aerialist] badge, Qin Yue's height and weight determined that he couldn't soar through the sky as Jordan did back then, the aerial ability endowed by the [Aerialist] badge, coupled with his dynamic and static talents, allowed Qin Yue to stage his iconic moments in that year's March Madness.

That night, with the overwhelming support of the on-site fans, Wake Forest crushed Oakland 108 to 64.

After the game, multiple media outlets in the United States claimed that the Devil's Deacon Team had already displayed a championship aura in their debut.

In the game, Qin Yue and Paul respectively scored 30 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals and 18 points, 14 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals.

After a day of rest, Wake Forest welcomed their second opponent:

— The Iowa State Cyclones.

Compared to the aerial ability shown to the world in the debut, this game left a deeper impression on people with Qin Yue's smooth shooting touch.

In the first half, having made all 6 of his three-point attempts, after making the sixth three-pointer, he imitated Jordan from back in the day and shrugged towards Yao Ming, who came to watch the game that night: "I really don't know why my three-pointers are so accurate."

Upon seeing this, Yao Ming immediately flashed his signature wry smile at Qin Yue.

At that moment, watching Qin Yue's omnipotent figure on the court, Yao Ming was filled with emotions.

Especially in the second half...

The scene of Qin Yue grabbing multiple rebounds and initiating fast breaks himself further reshaped Yao Ming's understanding of Chinese players' ball-handling abilities.

Despite frequently searching online for Qin Yue's highlights and game clips, Yao Ming...

just like those big figures say...

Watching videos and highlights alone can't make you genuinely feel the perspective-altering impact Qin Yue delivers.

Additionally, it is worth noting, after that night, Yao Ming's way of addressing Qin Yue was finally settled as "Lao Qin."

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