It was an icy, brisk and stale day at Harvard in 2020. It was so cold Dave Stern, a 20-year-old African American Harvard student, was shivering even under his thick parka.

“I wonder if I stay out here long enough would my tears freeze?” wondered aloud Dave.

“Of course not Dave! Having one of your hysterical thoughts again?” stuttered Rick, who was Dave’s best friend in university.

“Yeah, how’d you know?” replied Dave.

“Well I am your best friend after all!“ laughed Rick, ”you know what’s a more amusing thought? How we made it to the championships!

Yeah! I can’t wait to get my hands on that fifty grand prize!” replied Dave, who was trying to get his mother out of her poverty-strickin, beat down apartment in Bronx. Ever since his father passed away from lung cancer when he was 13, no one could afford the tax and the responsibility that came with their gargantuan mansion in San Francisco. Knowing this, Dave and his grieved mother sold the house and all their possessions and moved to New York, Bronx. With the help of Dave’s strict mother, Dave had stellar grades, outperforming everyone in Bronx henceforth, receiving a scholarship from Harvard.

 Dave started playing basketball since he was 5. He became so outstanding that no one in Bronx can defeat him! The week he started class in Harvard the school’s coach asked him to join the team. Even with his unwillingness, Dave joined because he couldn’t pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity!

“I know what I’m going to be doing,” said Rick. “I’m going to use this money to pay off my student loan, then I will just save up the rest of the money.”

“Yeah that’s pretty smart,” replied Dave. 

“Hey who’s that?” said Rick worriedly, looking at the strange student with an unkempt face running to them. With a skidding halt, the obscure man stopped right before Dave and Rick.

“Hello, I’m from the University of Pennsylvania basketball team, your opponent in the championships. We know you are the team captain. I come to inform you that our team is beyond comparison. In fact, we are so good we think you might not be able to even keep up with us. If I were you I’d resign so you won't have to suffer from a humiliating and soul-crushing defeat,” said the bizarre man calmly, who ran away just as soon as he arrived.

“What in the world?” thought Dave, who was just as appalled as Rick.

“Well I know we won’t give up that easy, text the team to meet up tomorrow at the gym we will discuss what we should do,” said Dave, “I have to get back and start studying for my test next week, see ya!”

“Ok see you, study hard!” replied Rick.

The next day the team discussed the scenario from the day before.

“This is the first tournament that has a cash prize universities has ever done,” said Dave.

”We must win because we will be the first team to ever win a tournament like this,” continues Rick continuing by explaining the peculiar man from the day before, “even though we are quite weak and we only beat the other teams by complete luck, I believe we have a chance to beat the other team, that is why I called you guys here, we need to change our game strategies and workout routines. We need to practice harder and better and more effective, who thinks we can achieve that?”

Everyone raised their hand and with that meeting the team was going to change. 

Weeks passed as the team trained intensely. They practiced new drills, improved their playing skill, and practiced until they couldn’t find a single weakness within themselves, but most importantly, keeping their eye on their goal. To win the championships and get their hands on that 50 thousand dollar prize that goes only to the winning team.

Finally, after weeks of training and practicing drills over and over again, the day finally came. It was game day, the day where team Harvard and team Pennsylvania play against each other for the prize. Both teams have been practicing hard for this day, both keeping the goal in mind, the 50 thousand dollar prize. 

The warm-up ends and it’s time for the jump ball. Dave’s team has an advantage because of their towering six foot eight player named John. Dave’s team gets the jump ball and immediately the team puts their game plan in action. Dave drives to the three-point line, maneuvers around the defensive player, and drives for the net. The Pennsylvania team is panicking, they have not expected Dave and his team to be so strong. Right as Dave jumps to perform a lay-up, he passes it to Rick, the team’s second best three point shooter and Rick swishes the three-pointer.

It is now the second quarter and Dave’s team is in the lead with 16 points ahead of the other team.

“We are doing well guys! Looks like all our effort paid off! It’s all thanks to that guy who warned us. If he hasn’t I bet we would’ve been way behind.” Said Dave during the halftime break.

“That’s true,” said Rick, ”but look, ever since first quarter ended, the other team has started to be able to guard our offensive play and get past our defense.”

“True, so why don’t we start using our new game strategies? These strategies are completely contrasting and new to the strategies used before in basketball, we must completely destroy them or they will have a chance to catch up. Now, let’s use this break effectively and rest up before the next quarter.

Let's use our new strategies!

It is now the fourth quarter, the last quarter of the championships. Dave’s team is 15 points ahead of the opposing team. It seems as if team Pennsylvania is starting to get frustrated. Rick and Dave both notice the new tall and muscular players coming out on the other team.

“Oh no!” cried Dave, “They’re rolling out a new plan! Quick put all our muscular players out now! Rick you go instead of me, you are much better at manoeuvring around players than I am, you can easily get around those fat chunks of lard.”

“Haha! Ok sure Dave, I hope you know what you’re doing. I have a feeling this is going to be an intense quarter,” replied Rick.