The UCLA Bruins wrapped up their Sacramento schedule and returned to Los Angeles on April 9th. Inside Arco Arena, they made quick work of the Arizona Wildcats, Snoopy, Kevin Love, and Russell Westbrook completely dominated the game.
Despite Arizona's reputation as one of the NCAA's perennial powerhouses, their season came to an end that night. Their proud point guard, Jerryd Bayless, failed to deliver any miracles, and was thoroughly outplayed by Westbrook on both ends of the floor.
Now, Westbrook had climbed to second among point guards on this year's draft boards, often described as a "lite version" of Derrick Rose.
Two weeks ago, Westbrook would've been thrilled with that label. But now? He felt he wasn't any worse than Rose, maybe even better. At least, his recent numbers sure looked that way.
On the way back to Los Angeles, he grumbled non-stop.
"He's only ranked higher because he got famous earlier, that's all! That doesn't mean anything. Look at O.J. Mayo, he was hyped forever, and now he might not even make the top three!"
O.J. Mayo had been caught up in a nasty scandal, NCAA investigators discovered his team had been taking money from sponsors, dating all the way back to his high school days.
With that scandal exploding, and after USC's early tournament exit at the hands of Stanford, Mayo's stock had plummeted, from a likely No. 1 pick to around sixth or seventh.
"Hey, check this out, Snoopy!" Westbrook suddenly jabbed at the newspaper. "They're saying you're a weaker version of Joey Dorsey!"
Snoopy, however, didn't seem to mind. Mainly because he had absolutely no idea who Joey Dorsey was.
He just shrugged and turned to Kevin Love beside him.
"Alright then. I'll come by your place tomorrow morning. If your uncle's ready, I don't mind meeting the singer who bought my song, I'd love to hear her version."
Kevin Love had been chatting with Snoopy about that song for days. His uncle, Mike Love, was a respected figure in the California music scene. When he brought Snoopy's demo to a record label, it got instant attention, Disney's golden girl, Miley Cyrus, loved it and decided to buy it for her upcoming album at a very generous price.
When the team bus finally rolled onto UCLA's campus, Coach Ben Howland stood and made an announcement before anyone got off.
"Tomorrow, Saturday, is a day off. You've earned it."
He paused, then smiled.
"The best news this year? The Final Four is in Los Angeles. We'll have home-court advantage like no one else. Monday morning, I want everyone in the gym by eight sharp. We'll spend the morning studying our semifinal opponent, Memphis University. Then, in the afternoon, we'll head to Staples Center for early court adaptation."
"Rest up, boys."
At the door, he high-fived each player as they disembarked.
When Snoopy came last, Howland stopped him for a few extra words.
"Joey Dorsey's a beast on the boards," the coach warned. "His physical tools are even better than yours. They call him Memphis' Ben Wallace. You'll need to be fully locked in next game."
Snoopy nodded seriously. "If you can, send me his highlight reel tonight. I'll study how he plays."
"Will do," Howland replied. "I'll have our video guys cut his tape and email it over."
Howland couldn't hide his appreciation, Snoopy's growth lately had exceeded all expectations. He patted the kid's shoulder, then couldn't resist asking the question everyone in basketball was joking about.
"Snoopy… do you really believe you're a point guard?"
"Of course."
The answer came so firm and sincere that Howland nearly choked back a laugh.
He tried to keep a straight face, he was the head coach, after all, but this kid… was too much.
Ever since Snoopy's ESPN interview hit the internet, Stanford students had been having a field day. Someone had taken his quote, "I'm a point guard! I'm a point guard!", and edited it over a clip of him bodying USC's 300-pound center Lenny Coon for a rebound.
The looped video went viral.
"I'm a point guard! I'm a point guard!"
BAM! Rebound.
"I'm a point guard!"
THUD! Another body on the floor.
It gave Snoopy massive exposure. Even Shaquille O'Neal mentioned him during a TNT segment, saying with mock gravity,
"All these years, I've been hiding my true identity… I'm actually a point guard."
He even mimicked Snoopy's dead-serious tone.
Of course, everyone just laughed, but it made Snoopy's legend grow even more.
If not for the O.J. Mayo scandal stealing headlines, Snoopy would've been the hottest name in the NCAA that week.
That night, both Snoopy and Westbrook skipped their usual World of Warcraft session.
Westbrook was glued to Derrick Rose highlights, no need for custom cuts, YouTube was flooded with them.
Snoopy, meanwhile, focused intently on Joey Dorsey's footage and scouting report.
Joey Dorsey: barefoot height 1.99m (6'6"), with shoes 2.01m (6'7").
Wingspan 2.17m (7'1"), weight 120kg (265 lbs).
Defensive specialist. Rebounding monster. Shot-blocking machine.
Physique of a bodybuilder.
Strength: S-tier. Vertical: A+.
Snoopy frowned.
That was a nightmare matchup.
He hit play on the video, the screen exploded with energy: box-outs, rebounds, screens, blocks, and primal roars. Joey Dorsey was pure dynamite. When he went off, the entire Memphis squad caught fire.
"Yeah… that guy's trouble," Snoopy muttered.
Westbrook, watching over his shoulder, said the same thing.
"Man… Memphis is scary."
The Tigers had racked up thirty-seven straight wins so far, an absurd number.
"Snoopy," Westbrook asked, for once sounding uncertain, "you think we can beat them?"
"Of course." Snoopy's voice was firm, unwavering. "I've never considered any other outcome but victory."
Westbrook grinned, confidence returning.
"Alright then, brains to you, brawn to me!"
He slammed his laptop shut. "Forget Rose. Let's play some World of Warcraft."
Snoopy was about to agree, when his phone rang.
It was Kevin Love.
"Snoopy, Disney's manager just got to my place. They want to meet you tonight."
Snoopy blinked.
That was unexpected.