On the evening of June 20, the 2021 CUBA National Finals ended, and the Tsinghua University men's basketball team defeated the Peking University men's basketball team 93-75 and successfully defended the title. Wang Lanlan contributed 16 points and 11 assists in the whole game, and was elected MVP, and Chen Lei won the best coach of this year's CUBA.
The champion Tsinghua University men's basketball team at the award ceremony. Photo: Xinhua News Agency
Tsinghua has not yet reached the stage of "guarding the country"
This year is the second time that CUBA has staged the "Five Crossings Derby" in the finals. When the new system gradually takes shape, the Tsinghua men's basketball team meets the old and new Peking University men's basketball team, although the opening 0-7 lag, they can still insist on playing the pre-game deployment. After the glue in the first half, the Tsinghua men's basketball team has established an advantage of more than ten points, or even more than 20 points, in the last two quarters. Chen Lei praised the players' ability to adjust in midfield, daring to play more in the second half on the offensive end, and the defense always carried out the pre-match preparations.
The previous 5 CUBA championships were all won by the "Wudaokou Brothers" Peking University men's basketball team and the Tsinghua men's basketball team, of which the former achieved three consecutive championships from 2016 to 2018 and established a dynasty. This time, the Tsinghua men's basketball team successfully defended its title, and the number of championships won was equal to that of its old opponents. However, Chen Lei still quietly put the team in the position of catch-up. Before the game, he modestly said that the Tsinghua men's basketball team has not yet reached the stage of "defending the country", and after the game, Chen Lei still believes that Tsinghua has not yet established a dynasty, and is still one step away from the record of the Peking University men's basketball team.
"It takes us to work hard step by step to pursue our dreams." Chen Lei said, "I want to build the team into a team that can maintain the current level, which requires technical support, first of all, the best defense, to ensure competitiveness at the top level." ”
Tsinghua University player Wang Lanlan (right) breaks through in the game. Photo: Xinhua News Agency
ST MVP Wang Lanlan wants to rush to the triple crown
With the Tsinghua men's basketball team reaching the finals and achieving consecutive championships in the past three years, the team's main point guard Wang Lanlan has also grown into a team leader and ranked among the top defenders of the entire CUBA. Chen Lei revealed that the first year of coaching the Tsinghua men's basketball team established Wang Lanlan's core position in the team, in addition to asking Ai will dare to stand up when the team needs it, he also hopes that he can lead his teammates.
Chen Lei advocates team basketball, often rotating the lineup frequently and in a large area in the game, which actually puts forward higher requirements for Wang Lanlan as a leader: not only to do a good job of organizing, tandem, and scoring these defenders, but also to play like a microwave oven on the field. The "quasi-triple-double" performance of 16+11+7 in this year's finals, which has contributed key points, rebounds and steals many times, is the embodiment of Wang Lanlan's value.
Wang Lanlan, who will be promoted to the fifth year of junior high school in September, will also usher in his final year of his CUBA career, and lifting the MVP trophy at this time is full of inspiration for him. "There is still a year of CUBA, the team is still a little closer to Peking University's three consecutive championships, so the meaning of this MVP is more to push themselves and help the team to fight for the next championship." He said.
Tsinghua University players celebrate the victory after the game. Photo: Xinhua News Agency
CUBA sends more talent to the CBA
After winning the championship, Chen Lei also thanked his old rival Peking University men's basketball team, as well as Xiamen University and Beijing University of Chemical Technology men's basketball team and other teams. In his view, it is precisely because of these high-level teams and wonderful competitions that CUBA can expand its influence and develop in a better and better direction.
Wang Shaojie and Zhu Mingzhen, who came from Peking University, have landed in the CBA successively, and the rookie season has become the main rotation player in their respective teams, and now he has been selected for the Chinese men's basketball team to compete in the Asian Preliminary Round, becoming the pride of college players. St. MVP Wang Lanlan admitted that these "predecessors" have set an example for players who are playing in CUBA. Chen Lei also believes that the Peking University men's basketball team to provide talent for the national team, in the current CUBA no team can surpass, enough to prove the foundation of the old strong team. But there are no shortcuts in the process of the team's growth until the establishment of the dynasty, only the coach and the players have to pay hard.
What makes Chen Lei happy is that the efforts of the entire CUBA are being rewarded: the CBA draft that opens a month later will include the best batch of CUBA players: Zhao Baiqing, Li Yiyang, Li Weihao, Wu Tingjia... "I think the number and quality of CUBA players participating in this year's election should exceed last year." For many clubs, the problem is not whether the draft players play well or not, but whether they are suitable or not. This is an improvement in CUBA, and there will be more and more good players. Chen Lei said.
Beijing News reporter Liu Chen
Edited by Wang Xichong Proofreading Zhao Lin