A/N: What would have happened if Aaron had been a shooting guard?That's a question that came up while I was thinking about the chapter. After all, when I started designing the setting for the fic, I was debating where to place it on the field. The reason I chose the center position was because I spun a wheel with the five positions, and that was the one that came up.
February 15, 2014
The Kentucky locker room was in complete silence as the players finished putting on their uniforms for what would likely be the most important game played up to that point in the conference phase of the season—a direct matchup against the Florida Gators, who were coming into Rupp Arena with an impressive consecutive winning streak and holding the number one spot in the national rankings. The sound of rolls of athletic tape being unraveled and the zippers of sports bags were the only noises breaking the general silence in the atmosphere.
Julius was finishing tying his sneaker laces while looking around, noticing the obvious tension in the air inside the locker room, very different from what they had experienced in previous games against less demanding conference opponents, with even Andrew appearing quieter than usual while checking Florida's stats on his phone one last time before finally putting it away in his locker.
It was at that moment when the door opened and Coach Calipari entered alongside Orlando Antigua, both wearing expressions of maximum concentration as the head coach headed directly toward the center of the locker room to give the final instructions before the team went out onto the court.
Calipari paused for a moment before beginning to speak, observing the face of each of his players as if evaluating the level of concentration in every single one of them before what he considered the most important game of the regular season up to that point on the calendar.
"All of you know what this game represents," Calipari began in a firm voice, scanning each of his players with his eyes. "Florida comes in undefeated in the conference, with the best record in the country and playing the best basketball Billy Donovan has played in years. But we also arrive playing our best basketball, and tonight we are going to show exactly why."
The players remained silent for a moment, absorbing their coach's words before Antigua continued with the specific tactical details they needed to face the particular defensive style that Florida had perfected throughout the season under Donovan's direction.
Antigua stepped up to the tactical whiteboard he had prepared beforehand, pointing out the key elements of the defensive system Florida usually implemented against teams with a dominant interior presence like the one Aaron represented in Kentucky's offensive scheme.
"They are going to try to double-team every time the ball reaches the post," Antigua explained as he drew rotations on the board with a red marker, pointing out the help lines Florida usually executed against dominant centers. "Their defense is disciplined, probably the best we've faced all season, so we need patience on every possession and confidence in our perimeter shooters when defensive help comes, because it will be coming constantly throughout all forty minutes."
"We know they're going to try to lock down the post," Andrew said from his locker, addressing Aaron primarily. "We're going to be ready to receive when the help comes."
"Count on it," Aaron responded without raising his voice much, with the same composure that characterized him before every major game of the season.
Aaron listened with absolute attention to every word of the tactical instruction, sitting on the bench in front of his locker with his elbows resting on his knees, mentally processing the adjustments he would have to make during the course of the game.
"We are going to go out there and play with the same intensity we've played with all season," Calipari concluded, stepping into the center of the circle his players had formed. "All as one."
"All as one!" the entire team repeated in unison, hands joined in the center of the locker room before heading toward the tunnel leading to Rupp Arena's main court.
The atmosphere inside the stadium was already completely electric as the first players began to emerge from the tunnel, with over twenty-four thousand spectators standing to chant their team's name while the jumbotrons displayed highlights from the season to date, including replays of Aaron's dunk over Mathiang and his no-look pass to Julius during the Louisville game, drawing additional cheers every time they appeared on screen.
In the broadcast booth, the commentators for the network covering the matchup made no attempt to hide their excitement for what was about to unfold.
The broadcast studio had dedicated the entire week leading up to the game producing special content on the matchup, with extended analysis of both programs and interviews with former players from both teams sharing their perspectives on what was at stake that night in Lexington.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to what will undoubtedly be one of the most anticipated games of the entire college basketball regular season," the lead commentator began with obvious emotion in his voice. "The Kentucky Wildcats against the Florida Gators, both teams undefeated in their recent runs and fighting for absolute supremacy within the Southeastern Conference."
"It is impossible to exaggerate the magnitude of this matchup," added the second analyst while reviewing his notes prepared for the broadcast. "Kentucky comes into this game following an impressive display against Tennessee last month, where the freshman lineup under John Calipari made it clear why they are considered the best freshman group in recent college basketball history. And before that, a convincing victory against Arkansas that confirmed this team is only improving as the season progresses."
"And on the other side we have a Florida team that has simply been relentless on their path to the top of the national rankings," the lead commentator continued. "Billy Donovan has built arguably the best team of his entire coaching career, with a defense that smothers every opponent and a balanced offense where absolutely any player can become the star of the night."
"What makes this matchup so interesting from a broader perspective," added the second analyst, "is that many experts are already projecting these two teams as strong candidates to make a deep run in March Madness. Some even dare to project Kentucky reaching at least the Elite Eight of the tournament, based on the way this young lineup has matured game after game under Calipari's leadership."
While the commentators continued with their pre-game analysis, both teams completed their respective warm-ups at opposite ends of the court, with Florida players executing shooting routines with a precision that reflected the characteristic discipline of Donovan's system, while on Kentucky's side, Aaron worked on specific low-post moves alongside one of the assistant coaches, repeating the same hook shot he had perfected over weeks of solo practice, while Julius and the Harrison brothers practiced perimeter shots from various angles on the floor.
The visiting crowd section, reserved for Florida fans who had traveled to Lexington to witness the game, formed a small but noticeable block of blue and orange amid a sea of solid navy blue, chanting with the same intensity as the home crowd despite being clearly outnumbered within the venue.
The lead referee of the matchup, Antonio Petty, walked to center court once both teams finished their warm-ups, calling the captains from each squad for the pre-game formalities prior to the opening tip-off that would officially start the game.
Aaron walked toward the center circle representing the Wildcats, while from Florida's side, their starting center approached—a player of considerable size who nevertheless failed to match the height Aaron possessed on the hardwood, looking at him with an expression of determination that made it clear he had no intention of giving up ground easily during the course of the game.
The silence preceding the jump ball took over Rupp Arena for a brief moment, one of those instances where thousands of people collectively hold their breath waiting for the official start of something they had been anticipating for weeks in their conversations, on local radio, and in every corner of the state of Kentucky where college basketball represented much more than a simple sport.
Petty held the ball between both hands, waiting for the precise moment before tossing it into the air directly between the two players preparing to contest the opening possession of the matchup.
The ball went up, and Aaron jumped with the characteristic explosiveness that had defined him all season, tipping the ball cleanly and passing it to Julius before his opponent could even get close to the necessary height to contest the play, with his reach advantage proving decisive once again on that first contact of the game.
Julius wasted no time, and as soon as Aaron's feet touched the ground, he passed the ball back to him, and controlling the ball, Aaron began walking slowly toward the opponent's side of the court, generating an obvious expression of surprise among his own teammates, who exchanged confused looks without knowing exactly what was about to happen on that first possession of the matchup.
Julius, Andrew, and the rest of the starting lineup had already begun running toward the opposite half-court expecting to receive a quick pass that would initiate the game's first offensive play, unaware of what their teammate had planned.
Aaron continued walking with the ball in his hands, crossing half-court without any apparent hurry, with the calm pulse of someone strolling through a park on a sunny afternoon rather than a player who had just started the most important game of the season, while Florida's defense organized quickly without knowing what to expect from that unconventional situation that no scouting report could have anticipated.
It was right when his left foot stepped onto the three-point line when Aaron came to a complete stop, adjusted his position with a calm that was almost baffling given the context of the game, bent his knees slightly, and launched the ball toward the rim without any Florida defender having managed to get close enough to contest the shot, leaving the entire opposing bench completely paralyzed by the scene.
The ball traced a perfect arc before going cleanly through the basket without even touching the rim, triggering an immediate explosion of sound from the entire crowd present at Rupp Arena, who could not believe what they had just witnessed on the very first possession of the matchup, with many spectators bringing their hands to their heads while others simply remained standing and clapping, unable to fully process the audacity of the play their own eyes had just witnessed.
3-0 Kentucky.
"I can't believe what I just saw!" shouted the lead commentator while the replay of the play was shown from multiple angles on the stadium's jumbotron. "Aaron Reed won the tip-off, passed it to Julius Randle, who passed it right back, and instead of directing the ball toward one of his teammates, he walked calmly up to the three-point line and scored as if he were practicing free throws in a morning workout with nobody else in the gym."
"That is a brutal statement of intent to start a game of this magnitude," added the second analyst, still processing what he had just witnessed. "Florida didn't even have time to organize defensively before Reed had already scored the first three points of the game with a calmness that borders on insulting to any opponent."
His lead assistant, with whom Donovan had been working for most of his career in Gainesville, merely shook his head slightly while taking notes in his notebook, aware that those types of plays were precisely what made preparing a complete defensive game plan against a player with the creativity and confidence Aaron consistently demonstrated throughout the season so complicated.
On the Florida bench, Billy Donovan watched the play with an expression that combined disbelief with professional respect, turning briefly toward his coaching staff to exchange words that the cameras failed to capture clearly.
Julius ran over toward Aaron with an incredulous smile on his face while the rest of the team dropped back into defensive position.
"Did you really just do that?" Julius asked with a chuckle, still unable to completely believe what he had just witnessed from so close on the court.
"I wanted to see how they would react," Aaron answered simply, without a trace of arrogance in his tone, as if he had just executed the most natural and simple play in the world.
Andrew, who had joined the conversation while jogging back to defensive position, couldn't help laughing upon hearing his teammate's response.
"Well, it worked," Andrew said, nodding toward the Florida bench where Donovan was still finishing giving quick instructions to his players before the game's first offensive possession began. "You left them completely thrown off from the very first second of the game, and there are still thirty-nine minutes left to go."
On the Kentucky sideline, Calipari observed the scene with his arms crossed and an expression oscillating between satisfaction and slight concern that his star player had decided to improvise like that in such crucial moments of the schedule, though deep down he knew perfectly well that that kind of confidence was exactly what had turned Aaron into one of the most feared players in all of college basketball.
Authors thought
What did you think of today's chapter? Give me your opinions and thoughts.
For football fans, check out my other fanfic, *The Golden Standard*, and discover the story of Wyatt Sterling.
Don't forget to subscribe to my Patreon to get more than 15 chapters in advance! https://www.patreon.com/c/merchant17
I created a Discord server! For those who want to join, the link will be here and on my profile https://discord.gg/pyqGRbHxt I also added some character images on Discord, so go check them out!
For everyone subscribing to my Patreon: if you're using an Apple device, avoid doing it through the app! Apple charges a commission, and you'll end up paying more. It's better to subscribe through the website instead.
I would also love to hear your thoughts on both stories so far, and if you have any suggestions