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If Zack’s Christmas wish this year is to storm the NBA and make a name for himself, then Coach Prose is the Santa Claus stuffing his stockings with gifts.
Duke Blue Devils—the perfect stepping stone Prose handpicked for Zack.
Not only is it a high-stakes matchup, but the century-long bad blood between Wake Forest and Duke guarantees it’ll draw a crowd.
The day before the game, Prose dropped the starting lineup for the Duke showdown.
And in the next second, all eyes were on Zack.
At that moment, every Demon Deacon player had reason to suspect there was some secret deal between Zack and Prose.
Based on Zack’s recent performances, no teammate would dare say he didn’t deserve to start.
But what really blew their minds wasn’t the starting nod—it was Prose’s tactical breakdown after revealing the lineup.
For tomorrow’s game, Prose laid out a plan packed with details.
But it all boiled down to one simple idea:
*Run the offense through Zack. Build everything around him.*
Oh, and one more critical piece:
*Zack gets unlimited green light to shoot.*
Everyone knows the Demon Deacons are stamped as "Paul’s team."
So, can you believe it?
During the pre-game meeting, Prose’s main message to Paul was: *In this Duke game, your job is to support Zack.*
And the wildest part? Paul just nodded and rolled with it.
Is this *really* Chris Paul?
After months together, who on the team didn’t know Paul’s got a chip on his shoulder the size of a basketball?
As the other hyper-competitive guy on the squad, Paul’s been fighting to be the best his whole life. He’s not as easygoing as that smile of his suggests.
Sure, everyone knows Zack and Paul are tight, but...
Chris Paul, are you *really* cool with playing second fiddle to Zack?
Guess some folks just don’t know Paul well enough.
Truth is, Paul could deal with giving up the spotlight for one game. What he *couldn’t* stomach was the Demon Deacons’ embarrassing loss to Illinois last game.
That blowout didn’t just turn the team into the media’s "fake contender" overnight, stripping them of their No. 1 national ranking. It also exposed the gap between Paul and Deron Williams on the court.
Even the next day’s campus radio took a jab: "Good morning, Wake Forest! Our comeback king set a new career high yesterday, but our guard handed the win to the other team. Yikes, what a brutal game. Let’s hope it doesn’t ruin your day!"
After that loss, Paul pulled Prose aside.
He needed to know what he had to do to stop being the guy who gives games away.
Looking at the still-raw Paul, Prose smiled. "Chris, the key to victory’s been right beside you this whole time."
With Zack’s rapid growth, Prose knew he could handle a bigger role on the court.
Sure, in Zack’s memories, that version of Paul had no choice but to carry the team alone.
But in this life, why would Paul have to go it solo?
"College basketball isn’t about every team being perfect," Prose told him. "Some teams have killer guards, others dominate inside. Chris, as the team’s floor general, you’ve gotta use every teammate to unlock this squad’s full potential."
After that heart-to-heart, Paul couldn’t help but think back to the North Carolina game, when Zack threw an arm around him.
"Chris, from now on, you’re not fighting alone."
In that moment, it clicked.
"I get it, Coach," Paul said. "Next game, I’ll do whatever it takes to bring out Zack’s full potential on the court."
Coming off the Illinois disaster and now facing a powerhouse like Duke, Paul was desperate for a win to wash away the shame. To him, Prose’s pre-game plan had to have some deeper meaning.
But during the strategy meeting, when Prose casually brushed off Duke’s frontcourt, Paul’s face betrayed a flicker of worry.
Because Paul knew Duke’s big men weren’t the pushovers Prose made them sound like. No way they couldn’t handle Zack.
After the meeting, Paul wanted to pull Zack aside to break down the technical skills of Duke’s frontcourt.
But before he could, Evans—looking like Tyrese Gibson’s twin—beat him to it. "Zack, you know about ’The Landlord’?"
Zack blinked, confused. "Ronnie, I’m not looking to rent a place."
Evans shot him a look. "Not *that* landlord. I’m talking about ’The Landlord,’ Sheldon Williams."
Sheldon Williams, Duke Blue Devils’ anchor in the paint.
Sure, in Zack’s memories, Sheldon’s future wife, Candace Parker, would outshine him. But college-era Sheldon? He was a straight-up *beast* inside.
"They call him ’The Landlord’ ’cause the paint’s his property—opponents gotta pay rent to step in," Evans explained. "Zack, you know Coach doesn’t like hyping up the other team before a game. But as your teammate, I gotta warn you: Sheldon’s the No. 2 big man in the country right now."
Sheldon, who’d later get exposed at the combine with a true barefoot height of 202 cm, had a freakish 224 cm wingspan.
In college, he tipped the scales at around 115 kilos—a mobile, tank-like force in the paint.
And at Duke, he’d honed a killer defensive game.
On D, he gobbled up rebounds and swatted shots, earning him the title of the NCAA’s most reliable interior wall from American media.
On offense, he had a polished post game, with deadly hook shots and a knack for stepping out to hit mid-range jumpers to stretch the floor.
Sure, in the NBA, the higher competition level hid those offensive skills. But in college? Sheldon Williams was every opponent’s nightmare.
"Thanks for the heads-up, Ronnie," Zack said, looking down at Evans. "But did you actually listen to the tactics Coach laid out?"
Feeling like Zack wasn’t grasping the gravity of the situation, Evans pressed, "Of course I listened! But Zack, you gotta know—last year, ’The Beast’ looked like a toy in front of Sheldon."
"’The Beast’ is The Beast. I’m me, Ronnie," Zack replied, clapping Evans on the shoulder. "Trust Coach’s plan. If he thinks Sheldon won’t be a problem for me, then I believe him."
Some things, you just can’t explain until they happen.
Truth is, when Zack heard Prose’s detailed game plan earlier, even *he* was blown away. That old coach’s heart? Still burning with the soul of a risk-taker!
Zack knew this Duke game wasn’t just Prose using the Blue Devils as his stepping stone. Read complete versıon only at Nove1Fire.net
It was a test—a high-stakes showdown to see how much of his talent Zack had unlocked lately.
On the practice court, Zack took a deep breath, then dove into his final pre-game training session.
Sheldon Williams, huh?
If you’re the No. 2 big man in the country, then let’s see if I, powered by Prose’s tactics and my *konjou*, can use you as the brick that opens the door to my NBA dreams!