Chapter 5: A New Era Begins

"Oh my God, did this kid just finish that dunk?"

Marcus Camby stared at Ethan in disbelief, his eyes wide like he had just seen a ghost.

"Hey, brother, that was insane!"

Camby clapped his hands excitedly, grinning ear to ear before crashing into Ethan for a celebratory chest bump.

Bang!

But to Camby's shock, he was the one who stumbled backward several steps, while Ethan stood there completely unfazed.

Rubbing his chest, Camby let out a loud laugh. "Man, I think this is your real level!"

He still wasn't sure how to explain Ethan's sudden transformation, but one thing was clear—the guy who struggled in the first half wasn't the real Ethan Walker.

The player standing before him now? That was his true self.

Ethan scratched his head, unable to explain it himself.

"Guys, Ethan just set the tone for us! Let's finish this game strong and take the win!" Camby yelled, rallying his teammates.

With renewed energy, the team huddled up, determination burning in their eyes.

The momentum had completely shifted in their favor.

Their opponents advanced the ball, this time using their quick-footed point guard to create space.

With a quick crossover, the guard slipped past his defender, charging straight for the basket.

But just as he rose for a layup, a towering figure loomed before him.

Camby.

Snap!

A thunderous rejection sent the ball flying out of bounds.

"Not in my house!" Camby shouted, wagging his finger at the guard like Dikembe Mutombo.

The crowd erupted.

And just like that, the game flipped upside down.

With every possession, Ethan could feel himself growing stronger. His movements became sharper, his reactions quicker.

Every mistake he made in the first half? He never repeated it.

With Camby dominating the paint and Ethan running the floor, their team went on a massive scoring run, flipping the scoreboard in their favor.

By the time the buzzer sounded, the score was 85-76.

They had won.

Camby finished with 15 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 blocks, further cementing his dominance as one of the best big men in the NCAA.

Ethan?

In his first official game, he posted 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block.

The numbers weren't mind-blowing, but for someone who had never played competitive basketball before, it was a statement.

Over the next month, Ethan's growth was nothing short of terrifying.

Even Camby, a future NBA player, felt like he was witnessing something out of this world.

Every single day, Ethan improved.

Every dribble became smoother.

Every shot became more accurate.

Every defensive read became sharper.

By the time the month ended, Ethan was the most dominant small forward at the University of Massachusetts.

Under Camby's recommendation, he officially joined the UMass basketball team.

And just like that, Ethan Walker's basketball career had begun.

The University of Massachusetts wasn't known for its basketball program.

They weren't Duke. They weren't North Carolina. They weren't Kentucky.

They weren't a school with championship banners hanging from the rafters.

In fact, they had never even made it past the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament.

For UMass, an NCAA Championship had always been nothing more than a dream.

But dreams had a way of becoming reality.

Because for the first time in school history, they had something special.

They had Marcus Camby in the paint.

They had Ethan Walker on the wing.

They had a chance.

Their head coach, Rubin Randolph, had been coaching for over 20 years.

He had seen plenty of talented players in his time.

But never had he seen someone like Ethan Walker.

His improvement rate was unnatural—it was as if he was copying elite-level players overnight.

It was impossible.

And yet, it was happening right in front of his eyes.

"With Camby on the inside and Walker on the perimeter…" Randolph murmured to himself one day. "We… we might actually win this thing."

Over the next two months, Randolph poured everything he had into coaching Ethan, refining his game to its absolute limit.

Then, March arrived.

The most important month in college basketball.

The month where legends were made.

March Madness.

Ethan and Camby became the most unstoppable duo in the entire NCAA.

Camby was the best defensive player in the country.

Ethan was the breakout star of the tournament.

Under their leadership, UMass made history—for the first time ever, they advanced to the Sweet 16.

But their biggest challenge was yet to come.

Their opponent?

The University of Connecticut.

A powerhouse school with NBA-level talent.

And at the center of it all was their biggest threat—

Ray Allen.

A future Hall of Famer.

A lethal shooter.

A player who had already declared for the NBA Draft.

For UMass, the Cinderella story was about to meet its end.

Or was it?