Ti flew by, and it was already late February.
Over the past two months, Han worked on improving his one-on-one defense by training with Wade while also focusing more on team defense during gas.
With both approaches combined, his defensive skills improved rapidly.
The first person to notice the change was Wade.
During a post-ga practice one day, Wade's drive to the basket was disrupted by him.
"You're not on your ga today, huh?" Han said, looking at Wade.
Then Wade responded with a more aggressive drive, blowing past Hansen for a dunk.
"Your defense still sucks."
Trash talk had beco a regular part of their practice, helping to strengthen their bond.
Han managed to stop Wade several tis during the session, which lasted over forty minutes—longer than usual.
After they finished, both sat on the sidelines to rest.
"Have you signed with an agent yet?" Wade asked, grabbing a water bottle.
The second-division league doesn't participate in March Madness, and his junior season was about to end.
"Not yet," he shook his head.
Wade set his water bottle down, grabbed his bag, and pulled out a business card, handing it to him.
Han Sen glanced at the na on the card: Henry Thomas.
"If you need soone, you can give him a call."
The next person to notice his progress was Theus.
Thanks to Han's improved defense, Barry University's team strength had leveled up.
This should have been a surprising developnt, but in the end, it wasn't so shocking. Reflecting on it, it seed connected to an interview with Khalil.
Hansen had told him that his greatest talent was his ability to learn.
By the end of February, Barry University defeated Northwest Missouri State to win the second-division league championship.
In the finals, Han Sen contributed 26 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block, earning him the title of MOP (Most Outstanding Player).
While these stats were impressive in the second-tier league, they wouldn't help him much. NBA scouts don't care about who wins second-division championships, so they wouldn't be paying attention to who perford well in the finals.
After the ga, Han's junior season ended, making him one of the first players to prepare for the 2009 NBA Draft.
He signed with an agent, aiming for Jeff Schwartz, a top NBA agent known for his talent in packaging and promotion.
Schwartz was responsible for the careers of so notorious draft busts, like Anthony Bennett, the most disappointing first overall pick in history, and Jas Wiseman, the equally infamous second pick.
Although Hansen had no draft buzz yet, Schwartz's promotional skills would have been helpful.
Unfortunately, Schwartz wasn't interested in him.
Hansen had to settle for signing with Henry Thomas instead.
The deal with Thomas went smoothly, thanks to Wade, who had genuinely put in a good word for him.
Hansen didn't know much about Thomas at first, but later found out that Thomas represented both Wade and Bosh, so he had quite the reputation.
Although Thomas didn't have Schwartz's talent for hype, his connections weren't lacking.
With no invitation to the NBA Combine, Hansen had to rely on arranging individual workouts, which made connections very important.
NBA tryouts generally don't start until after the Draft Lottery in mid-April.
In the month leading up to it, Hansen used the ti for intensive training to improve his skills.
"Han, aren't you going to place a bet?" One day after practice, Rondo approached him, holding his phone.
Han glanced at it and saw the odds for March Madness.
March Madness, similar to the NFL's Super Bowl, is the most-watched basketball event in the U.S.
Every year, many people— including NBA players— place bets on the tournant's winner.
Because it's a single-elimination tournant, the uncertainty factor is huge, so the odds are usually high if you bet early.
For example, at the mont, the lowest odds were for the University of North Carolina, at 2-to-9.
Seeing North Carolina's na sparked an idea in Hansen's mind.
He didn't rember the NCAA champions from other years, but this year, he distinctly recalled the University of North Carolina winning, thanks to Tyler Hansbrough's long-awaited championship victory.
"If you're going to bet, go with North Carolina. They're unbeatable this year," he advised.
"You're being a bit too optimistic. Last year, they were unbeatable too, but they still lost," Rondo wasn't convinced.
"There's everything in this world, except regret pills."
"Are you that sure?" Han's confidence made Rondo doubt himself, knowing that he wouldn't say sothing like that lightly.
Han nodded firmly. Rondo had done Han a big favor by getting him the Heat's ball boy job, so this was a small way to repay him.
"Alright, I'll trust you this ti! When I win, I'll treat you to a big al," Rondo said, already starting to place his bet.
At the sa ti, Han Sen took out his phone to ask his parents back ho for so money.
He couldn't train alone; he needed to hire a trainer, which required money, as would the upcoming tryouts.
For popular prospects, agents would cover their transportation and lodging for tryouts, considering it an early investnt.
But Hansen didn't have that luxury, and it wasn't a small expense.
He planned to make so money through March Madness betting, which would solve most of his problems.
Of course, Hansen asked for a bit more.
If he could make money from March Madness, he could also bet on the NBA Finals. That way, even if he wasn't drafted, he would still have resources to pursue other options.
In the end, he asked for $50,000.
If a family could afford to send their child to the U.S. to play NCAA basketball, their financial situation couldn't be too bad. Knowing Hansen was aiming for the NBA, his parents were generous.
He bet $40,000 on North Carolina, saving the rest for his training.
His training focused on reinforcing his fundantals, mainly ball handling and passing.
In the NBA, even 3-and-D players need so level of ball-handling ability.
The kind of weak ball-handling skills that even college players like Zhai Xiaochuan struggle with don't exist in the NBA.
Besides, being a 3-and-D player was just a starting point for him. Improving his ball-handling was essential for his developnt.
As for passing, that was sothing he had already been working on during previous training.
Of course, during his training, Han didn't give up his part-ti job as a ball boy.
His defense hadn't reached its peak yet, and his training sessions with Wade couldn't be neglected.
While Han Sen was training, Theus ca to him with so news.
He had compiled his season highlights into a video and sent it to so team executives he knew.
When Hansen heard the news, he didn't know how to express his emotions.
Calling Theus his ntor wouldn't be an overstatent.
"I'm helping you, but I'm also helping myself," Theus said candidly this ti.
Another month flew by, and March Madness ca to a close amid fans' anticipation.
The University of North Carolina led Michigan State by 21 points at halfti in the championship ga, setting an NCAA Finals record, and eventually won 89-72, securing the NCAA title.
Tyler Hansbrough shed tears on the court, creating a legendary mont in NCAA history.
With North Carolina's championship win, March Madness officially ended.
As expected, Hansen earned over $90,000 after taxes.
That was an anticipated reward.
What ca as a surprise, though, was that he had made it onto the latest NBA draft prospect ranking!
He was projected to be selected 60th overall by the Miami Heat (via a trade from the Cavaliers).
NBA draft reports typically rate the listed players, and Han Sen received a score of 84 out of 120.
His size, athleticism, and agility were each rated 7, while his shooting and ntal attributes earned 8.
Strengths Analysis: A well-sized shooting guard with decent athleticism, strong physical attributes, quick and consistent three-point shooting, capable of hitting threes off the dribble, and ntally tough, showing steady performance in tough situations; he's a clutch player.
Weaknesses Analysis: His ball-handling ability is average, and while he has defensive potential, it's not fully realized. He also lacks experience in high-level competition.
Summary: He has the potential to beco an NBA-level shooter but needs to improve his defense and gain more experience. There's a chance he'll be drafted by a team in need of bench depth.
Draft Comparison by Michael Redd.
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