Life as NBA Rookie (SlamDunk System)

On March 14th, the NCAA Selection Committee dropped the bomb on live TV, unveiling the teams, seedings, and the most anticipated bracket for the 2003-04 March Madness tournament. Even after a tough loss in the ACC Championship, the Demon Deacons still snagged a spot in the big dance, no surprises there. 

But when that bracket came out, man, the faces of everyone on the Demon Deacons—except for Zack, Paul, and Gray—were uglier than a missed free throw. 

Everyone knows March Madness is split into four regions: East, South, West, and Midwest. Usually, the NCAA tries to keep teams close to home to avoid a cross-country flight for both the players and their loyal fans. This year, the host cities were Atlanta, East Rutherford, Phoenix, and Louisville. Geographically, you'd expect Wake Forest to land in Atlanta or East Rutherford. 

However, the Selection Committee had to juggle avoiding too many teams from the same conference in one region and balancing the overall strength of each bracket. So, without the top ACC seed, the Demon Deacons got shipped off to the Phoenix Regional, thousands of miles from Winston-Salem. It's like when the North Carolina Tar Heels got sent to Los Angeles in 2024—a real long haul. 

And if that wasn't bad enough, Wake Forest ended up as the third seed in the Phoenix Regional. This means, on their path to the Elite Eight, they're on a collision course with the team Zack remembers as the eventual NCAA champion that year: the Connecticut Huskies. 

How stacked were those UConn Huskies? Honestly, even years later, looking at their roster, you'd think they just assembled an NBA team to dominate college ball. If Zack remembers right, that UConn squad had six future NBA players, with two of them being immediate impact players right out of the gate. 

We're talking about Emeka Okafor, the projected number one pick in the 2004 draft and the top college player in the nation. And then there's Ben Gordon, who was consistently projected as a top-ten pick. Plus, future NBA players like Charlie Villanueva, Hilton Armstrong (2006 lottery pick), Marcus Williams (2006 first-rounder), and Josh Boone (2006 first-rounder) all followed their older teammates into the league. 

Seriously, marketing hype aside, this UConn team was absolutely loaded with talent, arguably even more ridiculous than the "North Carolina Four" from Zack's memory the following year. They were balanced, had two NCAA superstars, and historically, they were one of those rare, truly flawless super-teams in college basketball. That's why when the bracket came out, everyone else on the Demon Deacons looked like they'd seen a ghost. 

As for Zack, Paul, and Gray? To be honest, when they saw the bracket, their thoughts were probably something like: "We're in March Madness. Who cares who we play?" 

Zack's Progress and the Road Ahead 

The day after Selection Sunday, before heading out to Phoenix, Zack checked his progress with the [Peak] system and assessed his current skills. By March, his barefoot height had grown to 208 centimeters, with a wingspan of 228 centimeters. He's kept his weight around 121 kilograms and, thanks to recent strength training, his strength attribute hit 81. 

His fundamental skills have also seen some nice improvements, but he's still primarily an athletic power forward who relies on his physical gifts. Zack isn't ashamed of that, because he's put in the work to unlock this body's incredible athleticism. Considering how rough the original owner's fundamentals were, Zack's progress over the past nine months has been nothing short of a rocket launch. 

That's right, he's basically achieved his current level of play in just nine months because he couldn't bring his old muscle memory with him. While the 12 potential boosts he got during his weight loss journey definitely elevated his basketball talent, it took sheer determination and a deep love for the game to get him where he is today. He's now a highly respected NCAA interior star. 

Before March Madness, in a Sports Illustrated preview, special columnist Bryan Smith praised Zack, saying: "From November to March, we've watched him transform. I'm not sure if he's ready to explode in March Madness, but I have to remind him: he's no longer the challenger; he's the one to beat. In the upcoming March Madness, he'll have to fight tooth and nail to defend his throne, because challengers from other conferences will be constantly coming after him." 

After finishing the ACC season with his team, Zack racked up some serious accolades: 

03/04 ACC Rookie of the Year 03/04 ACC Defensive Player of the Year 03/04 All-ACC First Team 03/04 ACC All-Defensive Team 

"If only he hadn't taken that year off as a freshman," Viktor lamented to Prosser before the team left. Prosser just smiled and replied, "But if he hadn't, would he have developed such a strong heart?" There's no turning back in life, and in Prosser's eyes, this Zack is the best Zack. 

The Badge Wall and What's Next 

On the evening of the 15th, after landing in Phoenix and checking into his hotel room, Zack opened his [Peak] system again and went to his personal badge wall. After a season of hard work, he's lit up four badges: [Paint Area Genius], [I Am Hanamichi Sakuragi], [Thunder Half-Moon Slash], and [Iron Wall]. 

[Thunder Half-Moon Slash] was the first hidden quest Zack triggered. He changed his shooting form last summer, but it wasn't until the final day of the regular season that he finally met the requirements for this badge. After completing the quest, Zack realized that mastering the new shooting form, as judged by the system, was actually much harder than just making 50 shots with it in official games. 

However, after carefully recalling his shooting from November to March, Zack knows the [Peak] system was fair and reasonable in its judgment. After all, his initial "trebuchet" shooting form, reminiscent of Nikola Jokic, had nothing to do with a "Thunder Half-Moon Slash." 

The [Thunder Half-Moon Slash] badge description: "After the host completes a certain number of shots on the court, it can slightly reduce the shooting influence caused by cold hands." Zack joked that this badge should be renamed the "Kobe Bryant" badge because it basically encourages "shooting your way out of a slump." While Kobe famously said that even if you miss your first ten shots, a shooter has to keep shooting, Zack thinks that's just an excuse. Couldn't Kobe, with his driving ability, have opted to drive for a foul after five missed shots? "Oh, trying to find such a refined excuse for chucking up bricks. Classic Kobe!" 

The [Iron Wall] badge: "When the host sets a screen on the court, if the screen is perfectly executed, there is a certain probability of triggering a 'Perfect Screen' effect. This effect can slightly increase the offensive attributes of both the host and teammates after completing the screen." 

Like [Thunder Half-Moon Slash], Zack only earned this [Iron Wall] badge at the end of the season, even though he's sure he set more than a hundred successful screens. Still, he didn't question the [Peak] system's fairness. But when he saw the effect of [Iron Wall], he realized it was the exact opposite of the "chucker" badge. [Iron Wall] is a true team badge. If he executes a screen perfectly, it boosts both him and his teammates. For a perfect team player like Zack, this badge was custom-made. 

That night, after checking his arsenal like he was prepping for battle, Zack drifted off to sleep. And as the new day dawned, this year's March Madness officially tipped off! 

Note: Just like in the NBA, because Zack had no playing time in his freshman year, he was still eligible for Rookie of the Year (similar to Blake Griffin winning NBA Rookie of the Year in his second season after missing his first). 

What do you think of the Demon Deacons' draw in the Phoenix Regional? Do you think Zack and his team can overcome the mighty UConn Huskies?