"What exactly is going on with that guy?"
"Is this real? That young man from Seoul actually dunked over Deandre Ayton head-on?"
"Did that kid take some kind of super energy drink? Why is he suddenly so powerful?"
The Arizona State University fans on the sidelines were utterly dumbfounded at this moment.
Just moments ago, the team they supported held a 13-point lead, and the opponent substituted an unknown Korean player who had never played in a game. Everything seemed to be progressing toward an easy victory.
In just over a minute, the Kentucky Wildcats launched a devastating 8:0 scoring run, narrowing the deficit to just 7 points!
And all 8 points came from one freshman on the opposing side!
A freshman who had never before appeared in the NCAA tournament!
More importantly, this young man from Korea not only dunked over their team's core player but was also heading to the free-throw line for a chance to complete a 3-point play, potentially creating a 9:0 scoring run all by himself!
"Shoot!!"
On the other side, Ayton was outwardly furious, but his heart was in turmoil.
He had just jumped with all his strength to block Jinwoo's dunk, but even at full force, he couldn't stop the opponent's violent finish.
Who is that kid?
Ayton looked at Jinwoo with increasingly serious eyes, his mind frantically searching for the young man wearing the No. 1 jersey, trying to recall his name and face.
After a few seconds, he gave up, as he genuinely couldn't recall ever seeing the person before.
Is it possible that this guy just appeared out of nowhere and is now dunking on me?
"Bang!"
While Ayton was lost in thought, Jinwoo's free throw failed to connect.
The Kentucky Wildcats fans in the arena groaned in disappointment, but the offensive rebound was swiftly snatched by Jarred Vanderbilt.
After grabbing the offensive rebound, Vanderbilt saw the defense retreating and quickly made an outlet pass!
"Woooo!"
As soon as the basketball fell into Jinwoo's hands, the fans who had been expressing regret suddenly burst into thunderous cheers!
"Hoo~"
With a wide-open court in front of him, Jinwoo caught the ball, performed a sudden stop, a jump, a throw, and a wrist snap—the entire sequence of movements was smooth and fluid!
"Swish!"
The basketball flew through the air like a sharp arrow drawn from its sheath, hitting its target with lethal precision!
61:63!
The Kentucky Wildcats narrowed the gap to just two points!
"Beep!!"
Arizona State University Head Coach Bobby Hurley immediately called a timeout from the sidelines.
The sudden presence of this freshman opponent had truly spooked Hurley!
"Can any of you tell me who he is?"
After returning to the bench, Ayton couldn't help but ask his teammates.
He usually didn't bother interacting much with these teammates, as he was the likely No. 1 draft pick while they would be marginal players at best. But now, Ayton swallowed his pride. He wanted to know everything about Jinwoo from his peers!
"I don't know, this is genuinely the first time I've seen this new Korean player!"
The bewildered teammates looked at each other. Coach Bobby Hurley shook his head. "I guarantee you, the other 15 teams that made it to the NCAA playoffs aren't worried about him; they're only worried about us!"
"I've definitely never heard of Jinwoo!"
"After the timeout, all of you get me the ball!"
Seeing the team's comfortable lead about to be completely erased by Jinwoo, and their hope of advancing fading, Deandre Ayton, as the team's core and the favorite for the No. 1 pick, declared fiercely: "Give me the ball. I will lead you to the Elite Eight!"
The timeout ended, and players from both teams returned to the court.
In Arizona State University's offensive possession, their core player Ayton did exactly what he promised.
He received the ball in the paint and ruthlessly crushed Vanderbilt, slamming the ball into the basket!
61:65!
Deandre Ayton personally stepped up and finally broke his team's scoring drought.
"Don't rush, play slowly!"
As Alexander advanced the ball, Head Coach Calipari made a gesture on the sidelines, signaling the team to slow down the pace and return to positional offense.
Of course, the head coach's gesture carried a broader message:
Get that damn basketball to Jinwoo!
"Bang!"
At the top of the arc, the moment Jinwoo received the basketball, the defender was immediately in his face.
After the unpleasant experiences moments earlier, this time the defender placed one hand on Jinwoo's waist to prevent him from suddenly shooting, while also guarding against a sudden drive.
"You have amazing scoring ability!"
While defending Jinwoo tightly, the opponent had to admit the explosive nature of the scoring, but he still taunted: "Kid, your performance ends right here!"
"That's all you've got??"
"Bang!" "Bang!"
Jinwoo dribbled continuously to find his rhythm, then suddenly accelerated to break through the defender's right side.
The opponent was no slouch; he tenaciously chased and defended Jinwoo, refusing to give him a clear path to the basket.
"Whoosh!"
The very next moment, Jinwoo, who had been driving forward with momentum, abruptly stopped, executed a sharp between-the-legs crossover, and quickly burst into the three-second zone from the left!
Simultaneously, the defender, having been expertly manipulated by Jinwoo's footwork, stumbled and fell heavily to the ground.
"The Arizona State University player was completely faked out by Jinwoo!"
The two commentators at the scene were already standing up from their seats.
But Jinwoo's job was far from finished.
Without even looking at the defender he had just left lying on the floor, he charged straight into the three-second zone, only to find Deandre Ayton already powerfully occupying the space.
There was no chance for Jinwoo to score easily with a layup.
His physical advantage was about to be put on full display once more!
"Bang!"
Despite Ayton being in perfect defensive position, Jinwoo, who had the ball, showed no intention of slowing down!
Three steps turned into two steps, and then he launched himself into the air!
"Come on!!"
At this stage of his college career, Ayton was frequently compared to Shaquille O'Neal.
Many media outlets even believed he would be the "terminator of the small ball era"!
Even though he had been dunked on by Jinwoo once, Deandre Ayton, as the No. 1 pick favorite, would not back down. He roared and leaped high, raising his hands to challenge the shot!
"Bang!" (Collision)
The two bodies clashed mid-air again, and then a scene that defied everyone's expectation occurred!
Ayton, who seemingly had the superior physical strength, was pushed aside by Jinwoo in the air, who then violently slammed the ball into the basket!
"Boom!"
The dunk was so powerful that it made the entire basket structure rattle.
Ayton fell heavily to the ground!
Jinwoo, having completed the feat, landed safely on the floor, his expression calm as if nothing extraordinary had happened.
But the fans on the sidelines couldn't remain calm. They stared at Jinwoo as if he were a ferocious beast, their faces etched with shock.
"My God! Is he really the ultimate weapon of the Kentucky Wildcats?"
"He's like a superhero, saving the team from certain defeat!"
"Dunking over Ayton twice in just over a minute? He truly doesn't respect him at all!"
"...."
"Compared to that amazing dunk, I'm more focused on Jinwoo's sequence of moves before completing the dunk!"
As Arizona State University advanced to half court, the two commentators were still reliving the previous play.
There was no fancy, unnecessary dribbling, yet he controlled the rhythm of the ball to perfection. Even when he sent the defender to the floor, his face remained emotionless. This moment was a perfect, silent performance.
Compared to that setup, the final slam dunk was simply the exclamation mark.
"Deandre Ayton might be a historical talent..."
Another commentator interjected, "But he and Jinwoo are not even on the same level right now!"
As the saying goes, a bystander sees more clearly.
The two professional commentators could clearly see the gap between Jinwoo and Ayton!
Or rather...
Jinwoo not only possesses abnormal scoring ability, but his focus and control are also outstanding.
At least, it's better than the standard Ayton display!
The game on the field continued, and the balance of victory slowly began to tilt.
Ayton, having been dunked on twice by Jinwoo, fell into a mode of forced isolation plays, which, combined with his already suspect stamina, caused him to struggle in the final moments.
On the other side, because Jinwoo was carrying the scoring burden, Alexander and Vanderbilt both got sufficient rest time.
In the final minutes, the three of them teamed up effectively on offense, while Deandre Ayton kept missing shots. Even when presented with an open basket, he seemed powerless!
Finally, amidst the thunderous cheers of the home fans, the Kentucky Wildcats held onto their lead and defeated their opponents with a difficult score of 74:70, relying on a 4-point advantage, to advance to the Elite Eight!