Actually, this is normal.

A lot of players who were amazing in high school aren’t necessarily that great once they get to college.

The environment of American high school basketball is completely different from that of college basketball.

Compared to the college basketball environment, high school basketball is still way too weak.

Take Dean Simmons and Anthony Washington for example—in the high school basketball world, they were the classic tall, fast, and accurate players.

But once they got to the NCAA in college, they became ordinary players who lacked both speed and height, and even their skills weren’t particularly outstanding.

If they’re not coming off the bench, then who is?

A lot of people keep growing taller after entering college, but these two seniors, aside from growing wider, really haven’t grown any taller.

Back when the Garfield Five Tigers were dominating the whole state of Washington, the team’s coach Floyd once said:

Don’t be fooled by how fierce those five are now—when it comes down to it, maybe only Roy and him will make it to the NBA.

The development of Washington and Simmons has pretty much matched Coach Floyd’s prediction.

However, the way he and Roy have developed has actually disappointed Coach Floyd.

He hasn’t made much progress in recent years.

As for Roy, his development was severely affected by repeated meniscus tears in both knees.

Of the Five Tigers who were so highly anticipated in Seattle back then, four of them have fallen short of expectations.

Maybe only Will Conroy has exceeded expectations.

Who would have thought that the skinny black kid who was less than 1.8 meters tall back then could now start—and even be a core player—on a top NCAA team?

But overall, up to now, the Five Tigers have all let down the expectations Seattle fans had for them.

Back then, the one who stood in the Five Tigers’ way and defeated them—Carmelo Anthony—has already become an NBA superstar.

Anthony is now making waves on the NBA stage.

And what about the five of them?

From just barely losing to Anthony back then, to now, they can’t even see the taillights of Anthony’s car.

The gap keeps getting bigger.

However, for many people in Seattle, the joy brought by the Garfield Five Tigers is something that can never be forgotten.

How much pain from economic crises and earthquakes did the Garfield Five Tigers wipe away for Seattle back then?

Those memories are sweet.

Not only is it like this for many people in Seattle, but it’s the same for the Five Tigers themselves.

“You guys aren’t getting ready for the game against UCLA, so what are you doing here? If you want to congratulate me, couldn’t you just say it over the phone?”

“There’s no way to express our excitement over the phone, Bennett. Once again, congratulations on joining the University of Washington family.”

“Congratulations!”

“Welcome!”

“Thank you.”

“Bennett, after three years, we can finally fight together again.”

Fight?

“Dean, Anthony, with your current physiques, can you even fight? Or just jiggle?”

Yes dodged away in disgust from the two black, chubby guys—one tall, one short—who tried to hug him.

“Bennett, I bet you that four years from now, your physique won’t be much better than ours is now!”

“I remember Dean still owes me a bet, right? When are you going to pay up?”

“That wasn’t my fault, Bennett, that was your own problem. I believed Garfield High could win the national championship under your leadership, and I wasn’t wrong!”

“Dean!”

“Brandon, that look in your eyes is scary. OK, OK, I was wrong, I apologize, I really was wrong, Bennett, please forgive me, you know I didn’t mean it.”

The short, chubby black guy apologized very sincerely, but the other three still looked at Yes with some concern.

About the promise they made with Yes three years ago...

That’s the thing the five of them care about most in their hearts.

The Garfield High Five Tigers still owe Seattle a national championship.

They still haven’t fulfilled the expectations of Seattle’s supporters from back then.

Yes’s three years in high school have now ended in complete failure.

And Roy and the others’ three years at the University of Washington, except for this year, have also been lackluster.

Let alone an NCAA championship—they were knocked out in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year.

Their result was only making the round of 64.

And that was already the best result the University of Washington had achieved in the past five years.

As for this year, the University of Washington looks even stronger, but in the face of the North Carolina Four, no team in this year’s NCAA has even the slightest chance.

“Bennett, if we still can’t win the championship in these three years, then as we agreed, in the fourth year, you have to come to the University of Washington, and we’ll give it one last shot together!”

Thinking back to those scenes from three years ago, and looking at the little bellies of Anthony Washington and Dean Simmons, Yes didn’t really know what to say for a moment.

Is this your idea of hard work?

You guys gave up a long time ago, didn’t you?

Noticing Yes’s gaze, both Roy and Conroy blushed for the two chubby black guys.

Although being stared at by Yes like that was uncomfortable, the two chubby black guys actually breathed a sigh of relief.

At least Yes didn’t have the hang-up they’d always been worried about.

They had always thought that Yes’s lack of progress over these three years was all because they’d put too much pressure on him.