In any case, Tang Tian had at least temporarily distinguished the two brothers by having them state their family names.
"We'll be watching your game against North Carolina tonight," Marcus said.
"I look forward to meeting you in the regional finals," Markieff continued.
The two brothers spoke one after the other, like a comedy duo.
They say that twins have a special telepathy and understanding; it seems that it is true.
"Same here," Walker said.
His confidence had soared after winning against Arizona.
What about the "Death Zone"? What about North Carolina and Duke? He would defeat them one by one and ultimately win the championship, so that those so-called experts could see that UConn was much stronger than they thought.
After a brief exchange, Walker and Tang Tian went to the cashier to pay.
"It would be nice if we played Kansas first," Walker couldn't help but say. Kansas was weaker than North Carolina. If they played Kansas first and then North Carolina, like they did against Arizona, there would be a better transition.
"Actually, playing Kansas will be harder for us than North Carolina," Tang Tian said, which surprised Walker.
"Kansas's inside strength is stronger than North Carolina's. We only have Alex inside. If Alex is taken out, we basically have no inside presence," Tang Tian said.
Walker nodded thoughtfully after hearing this.
What Tang Tian said was true. Not to mention playing North Carolina and Kansas, but even before, when they played San Diego State University, UConn's inside game was completely useless after Oriakhi went down. If Majok hadn't emerged as a surprise, they would have been eliminated.
"But actually, whether it's North Carolina or Kansas, we have to have an absolute advantage," Tang Tian continued.
"Hmm?" Walker looked at Tang Tian questioningly.
"You," Tang Tian said with a smile.
"North Carolina's Marshall and Kansas's Tyshawn Taylor, one has terrible confrontation and the other makes a lot of mistakes. You can blow them up one-on-one."
Walker was stunned for a moment, then touched his head with a smile.
Although what Tang Tian said was true, he was a little embarrassed by the praise.
The game between North Carolina and UConn was imminent. The attention from NBA circles far exceeded other games.
North Carolina, full name North Carolina Tar Heels, also known as North Carolina Blue, has 5 tournament championships, second only to UCLA and Kentucky in the NCAA, and ahead of its city rival Duke University.
Of course, what makes North Carolina so famous is not only its performance in the NCAA, but also because of one person, Michael Jordan.
Jordan's stats at North Carolina weren't explosive. Even as a sophomore, he only averaged 17.5 points, but this was at the request of his mentor Dean Smith, suppressing his desire to score and letting him lead his teammates to play team basketball.
This approach helped Jordan form the selfless playing style and tenacious character that he would later have, helping him become the "God of Basketball" in the NBA.
In layman's terms, North Carolina made Jordan, and Jordan also used his later performance to make North Carolina.
Because of Jordan, North Carolina's popularity in the United States actually surpasses those of super famous schools like UCLA, Kentucky, and Duke.
Take the venue for this competition as an example.
In theory, according to the rules, the competition venue should be held in a neutral city, but there is no absolute neutrality in this matter, because major cities basically have NCAA schools, it's just a matter of whether these schools are strong or weak.
The NCAA is even less likely to put the game in a small city for the sake of neutrality. They also have to make money, so when choosing a location, bias is unavoidable, and the bias is even more obvious since these locations are selected a year in advance.
Charlotte is located in North Carolina, and both Duke and North Carolina are here. Holding the game in Charlotte is a home game for both schools.
With the war about to begin, Charlotte can be said to be mobilizing the entire city. The local sports media doesn't even report on NBA games, but instead focuses on this game.
At around 6 p.m. that night, the Charlotte Bobcats hosted the Phoenix Suns.
The Bobcats are currently ranked tenth in the East and are making a final sprint to enter the playoffs, and the situation of their opponents, the Suns, is similar. This game is crucial for both sides, and it can be predicted that it will be a fierce battle.
However, the number of people watching the game on site set a new season low, with an attendance rate of less than 30%, and the sparse crowd looked a bit miserable.
Vince Carter is a member of the Suns. Because he is a North Carolina alumnus, reporters chatted with him before the game.
"Vince, the attendance rate tonight isn't very high. Have you encountered this situation before?" the reporter asked.
"Yes, of course, it's like this every March," Carter nodded.
"Do you mind? Because not many people are watching the game live."
"No, no, I don't mind. I envy them because I can't go to the stadium tonight because of the game," Carter said with a smile.
"North Carolina and Connecticut, who do you think will win?" the reporter then asked.
"Of course it's North Carolina, North Carolina Night!" Carter replied without hesitation, making a victory gesture towards the camera.
"It's just a little pity that I can't go to the stadium to cheer for the North Carolina boys," he added with a hint of regret.
Carter couldn't go to the stadium to watch the game because he had a game, but the appearance of another North Carolina alumnus caused a frenzy at the Bank of America Stadium.
Michael Jordan, the NBA's God of Basketball, the Bobcats' small boss, gave up watching the Bobcats' important game and ran to the stadium.
This approach was completely expected. North Carolina's game was in Charlotte, and as North Carolina's most famous alumnus, it wouldn't be appropriate for him not to come.
Jordan's appearance also caused all the fans at the stadium to erupt in excitement.
Jordan waved to the audience, and his appearance greatly boosted the confidence of the North Carolina players.
"The enemy has a Gundam," Tang Tian couldn't help but say with emotion.
Of the more than 50,000 spectators tonight, more than 30,000 are from North Carolina, and UConn has less than 20,000. The number of fans is already at a disadvantage. With the added buff of Jordan, the game environment is a bit harsh.
"What?" Walker heard Tang Tian muttering and leaned over to ask.
"I said Jordan is so handsome." He said casually, knowing Walker wouldn't understand future slang.
"Not as handsome as you," Walker said.
"...I mean he has a strong presence," Tang Tian said with a dark line on his face.
"Yeah," Walker nodded in agreement. No one can compare to Jordan's presence in the basketball world.
"But no matter how strong his presence is, it's useless, he can't play anyway, and North Carolina lost every time Jordan watched their games before," he continued.
Tang Tian nodded.
Jordan's appearance is a great encouragement to the fans at the stadium, but it may not be the case for the North Carolina players. With the God of Basketball sitting on the sidelines, the players will definitely feel a lot of psychological pressure, which may not be a good thing for those players with average psychological qualities.