The Unsolvable Hansbrough

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North Carolina had possession, and Ty Lawson followed the head coach's instructions, calmly passing the ball to Hansbrough. The rest of the team spread out along the three-point line, creating space for their big man to operate.

Hansbrough caught the ball in the low post, backing down Drew.

With the paint wide open, Hansbrough made a subtle left-shoulder fake. Though the move was minimal, it was highly deceptive. Drew instinctively shifted his weight to counter, and Hansbrough swiftly spun to his right, getting past him.

But Hansbrough's lack of speed allowed Drew to recover quickly.

Undeterred, Hansbrough gathered the ball, feigned a right-handed hook, and waited. Drew took the bait, jumping to contest, but Hansbrough calmly pulled the ball back, spun left, and finished with a smooth left-handed layup.

2-0.

"Beautiful footwork by Hansbrough! He just toyed with Drew in the post, making him dance like a puppet on strings," Jim Nantz exclaimed from the broadcast booth.

Liam Gonzalez, watching from the sideline, frowned.

This was expected. Hansbrough had dominated nearly every big man in the NCAA. Liam never anticipated Drew to lock him down. However, the problem was the spacing North Carolina created. With Wayne Ellington, a sharp-shooting forward, camped out at the three-point line, Campbell couldn't sag off to help on Hansbrough without leaving Ellington wide open.

Liam had emphasized defense before the game, but allowing Hansbrough free rein in the paint wasn't part of the plan.

"I'll have to adjust soon," Liam muttered under his breath.

But it was too early for a timeout, and the game pressed on.

The Bulldogs went on the attack. Curry brought the ball into the frontcourt, setting up a pick-and-roll with Drew, finding himself once again facing Hansbrough.

This time, instead of pulling up for a three, Curry changed his pace, shaking Hansbrough with a crossover and driving into the paint. Just as he thought he had an open lane, Wayne Ellington slid over to help, forcing Curry to slow down. Hansbrough recovered in time to double-team from behind.

Curry protected the ball and quickly scanned the floor for his teammates, spotting Campbell open at the right wing. He passed the ball to Campbell, but Wayne Ellington returned swiftly, cutting off his drive to the basket.

Campbell, who wasn't much of a threat from mid-range, tried to fake Ellington several times but found no opening. With no other options, he kicked the ball back out to reset the play.

But time was running out. The Bulldogs hurried their offense, and Graves ended up missing a contested three-pointer.

On the other end, Hansbrough called for the ball again, posting up Drew in the paint. His impeccable footwork allowed him to get another easy basket.

4-0.

Curry brought the ball up again, determined to get past Hansbrough. He called for another pick-and-roll, but instead of driving, he opted to take a step-back three over the slower Hansbrough. The shot had perfect form, with a high arc... but it clanged off the rim.

Curry stared in disbelief as the ball bounced away.

"How did that not go in?" Curry thought.

Hansbrough, essentially a stationary defender, hadn't bothered him. The shot was perfect, and yet... it didn't drop.

"Curry's struggling to find his rhythm early," Jim Nantz commented. "Two consecutive misses, and the Bulldogs have yet to score."

"Stephen's touch is off tonight. It's putting Butler's offense in a tight spot," Dell Curry added, his concern for his son evident.

"Odd, though," Jim Nantz said, puzzled. "His moves are spot on, and he's getting open looks."

"That's exactly the problem," Dell explained with a sigh. "Stephen is all about rhythm. If he's in his groove, even the best defenses can't stop him. But tonight, even though he's finding the right shots, his touch is off. He'll have to find his stroke soon, or this will be a tough game."

"So what can he do to adjust?" Jim asked.

Dell shook his head, "It's all about regaining confidence. Hansbrough isn't the issue; the rim seems to be Curry's biggest opponent tonight."

Fans watching on ESPN back in Colombia grumbled at Dell's comments.

"What do you mean Hansbrough's not the issue? He's clearly playing great defense!"

Curry's three-point attempts, especially with Hansbrough's towering presence, looked like they were destined to be blocked. Many North Carolina fans, unfamiliar with Curry's style, found his confidence perplexing.

"Is this the guy everyone's talking about?" one fan muttered. "He's supposed to be the NCAA's top scorer?"

On the other side, Butler fans watching Movistar stayed calm.

They knew Dell was right. Once Curry found his touch, he'd be unstoppable.

As fans debated, the game pressed on.

After Curry missed the three, Hansbrough grabbed the rebound, and North Carolina quickly set up their offense. The ball went back to Hansbrough, who once again posted up Drew. This time, Campbell decided he had seen enough. He left his man, Ellington, to help double-team Hansbrough in the paint.

Hansbrough recognized the pressure immediately and kicked the ball out to Ellington, who stood wide open at the three-point line. Without hesitation, Ellington drained the shot.

7-0.

"Wayne Ellington with the wide-open three! But credit goes to Hansbrough for that pass. He broke Butler's defense down," Jim Nantz exclaimed.

Dell Curry nodded gravely. "Butler's in a tough spot. They've been packing the paint, trying to stop Hansbrough from getting easy baskets, but Ellington is too good from outside. They can't afford to leave him open, but Drew can't handle Hansbrough alone."

"So what's Liam going to do now?" Jim asked. "Wait—looks like he's called a timeout!"

Down 7-0, Liam Gonzalez wasted no time. He walked over to the referee and signaled for a timeout, just three minutes into the game.

Though he couldn't hear Dell Curry's analysis, Liam knew his defense was in trouble.

Without immediate adjustments, Hansbrough would dismantle their defense.

And so, Liam made his move.

End of this chapter

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