Chap7: Combination

Game day against Kentucky.

Before the game, the tension was already in the air, and it wasn't just about the matchup. In the locker room, Asher was giving me that look. I could tell something was off. He'd been acting like this for a few weeks now, and it was starting to bug me.

He finally spoke up, his tone sharp but low. "Yo, Franklin, we need to talk."

I glanced over, a little annoyed at the timing but I couldn't ignore it. "What's going on, Asher?"

He stepped closer, arms crossed, eyes locked on mine. "You've been playing like it's all about you, man. Every time down the court, you're taking the shot, and honestly, it's starting to get to my nerves.

I didn't like where this was going. "I've been doing what I need to do to win, Asher."

"Yeah,yeah,yeah that's the problem it's not just about you," he shot back.

Trying to stay calm. "I get it. But when the game's on the line, I trust myself to make the play."

He shook his head, not backing down. "You're not the only one who can make plays out there. I'm ready to take over, man. I need the ball too. I've been putting in the work, and I'm not gonna sit back and watch you do everything. If we're gonna win, you gotta pass it."

I was silent for a second. I knew he had a point. I had been playing heavy minutes, taking most of the shots, but I also knew that I could deliver when it mattered. Still, I couldn't deny that Asher had been putting in the effort.

I looked him in the eye. "I get it. You want the ball more, and I respect that. But trust me when I say, if I see you open or if I feel like it's the right moment, I'll get it to you. But if we're going to win this, you've got to be ready, I'm not holding back."

Asher met my gaze without flinching. "I'm always ready, Franklin."

"Ok, so we're goo-"

Before I could say anything else, Coach Brubaker walked in, and just like that, the conversation was dropped—at least for now. I knew we'd have to figure it out after the game, but right now, Kentucky was waiting. We were going to need all of us at our best.

The atmosphere was electric as we stepped onto the court. The crowd was loud, the lights were bright, and Kentucky wasn't about to roll over for us. I glanced at Asher as we took our positions for the tip-off. He gave me a quick nod. Whatever tension was between us earlier, it was time to put it aside.

The ball went up, and our center Tyler tapped it back to Asher. Asher wasted no time, pushing the ball up the floor. I sprinted alongside him, reading the defense. Kentucky was pressing, trying to slow us down.

"Asher" I called, raising a hand.

Instead of forcing a shot, he zipped a no-look pass my way. The ball landed perfectly in my hands, and I went up strong, finishing with a two-handed dunk.

"Let's go" I yelled, slapping my chest as the crowd erupted.

Asher jogged, smirking. "Told you I was ready."

Kentucky came back strong. Their star shooting guard drilled a deep three, tying the game. We needed to answer.

On the next possession, I could've taken the shot, but I spotted an opening. A quick fake got my man off balance, and I drove inside—then kicked it right back to Asher on the wing.

Asher didn't hesitate—splash. Three points.

He jogged back on defense, smirking. "Finally, you pass."

I chuckled. "Just don't miss when I do."

Kentucky came back strong, running their offense through their star shooting guard. He drilled a contested jumper in Lucas's face, cutting our lead.

"Alright, bet," Asher muttered, shaking his head.

This time, I set a high screen for him. He used it perfectly, weaving through the defense. The big man stepped up to contest, and just as I slipped to the hoop, Asher hit me with a pinpoint bounce pass.

Easy layup.

Later in the game, I set a screen for Asher. He used it well, slipping past his defender and driving into the paint. A Kentucky big man stepped up to contest, but Asher didn't hesitate—he lobbed it up, and I caught it mid-air for an alley-oop.

The bench went wild.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" I shouted, bumping Asher's shoulder.

We kept rolling. Asher controlled the tempo, finding the open man and keeping the defense guessing. When they collapsed on him, he kicked it out to me at the top of the key.

I squared up and let it fly. "you give me too much space" I say to the one who defends me.

By halftime, we were up by 12. In the locker room, Coach Brubaker kept it simple.

"Keep playing team ball. Keep pushing the pace. We finish this strong."

Asher and I exchanged a look. No words needed—we were on the same page now.

The second half was even better. Kentucky tried to adjust, but we had an answer for everything. Asher was a maestro, dropping dimes all over the court. I fed off his energy, dominating inside and knocking down mid-range jumpers.

With two minutes left, we were up by 18. The crowd started chanting, sensing the victory.

Asher dribbled near half-court, smirking at his defender.

Then nodding toward me.

I grinned. "Say less."

He drove into the lane, drawing three defenders. He flicked a bounce pass behind his back. I caught it and threw a lob right over the rim.

Asher soared up and flushed it down. As we walked on the court, Asher nudged me.

"That's how we hoop" he said.

Final buzzer. 96-76

Big win.

I finished the game with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Asher wrapped it up with 19 points, 2 rebounds, and 9 assists.

As we headed to the locker room, the energy was high. Coach gave us a nod of approval, and the rest of the guys were hyped.

Asher bumped my shoulder. "See?"

I smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't start thinking you're the star now."

He laughed. "This is my third year man, I have always been the star. You just finally realized it."

I shook my head. One thing was for sure—we had something special brewing on this team. And if we kept playing like this, the March Madness will be for us.