???

*Sound Effects*

**Language**

'Thoughts'

"Dialogue"

A/N: Title at the end, I thought this would be a good way to avoid spoiling major things within the important chapters. Let me know what you think.

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Winter break had passed in the blink of an eye, and the school year was flying by just as quickly. Between keeping up with homework and attending practice every other week, time seemed to slip away unnoticed. And now, the day had arrived when we would find out if we had secured a spot in the tournament.

*Honk Honk* The familiar sound of the horn reached my ears, and I hurriedly grabbed my gym bag before heading out the door. The morning was pleasantly warm, and I found myself reminiscing about the colder weather, which always put me in a festive mood.

"Well you really look excited" Coach chuckled as he observed my enthusiasm.

"Hell yeah I am! Aren't you?" I asked him.

"Of course I am, but I'm also a little nervous. Fingers crossed though," he replied before we headed off.

Despite listening to music during the car ride, this particular journey felt longer than usual. Eventually, we reached the gym. "Finally," I exclaimed as I stepped out of the car, prompting Coach to laugh. We entered the gym and went through our usual routines.

As I sat at the free-throw line with my music playing, I took a deep breath, attempting to calm my nerves and focus.

*Swish*

I successfully made 20 shots in a row before deciding to have some fun by attempting a few with my eyes closed. To my surprise, I managed to sink only 3 out of 10. It reminded me of how Jordan used to shoot some of his free throws occasionally, mentioning that once you've mastered it, you can make them with your eyes closed since nothing else changes – the rim remains 10 feet high, and the foul line maintains the same distance.

Before long, everyone else arrived, and we carried out practice with enthusiasm. Everyone eagerly awaited the end of practice to see if the tournament placements had been announced. Since it was a lighter training day, we weren't too gassed but that didn't mean we'd slack off. Everyone still gave their all for the limited time we had dedicated.

*WHOOOO*

"Alright, everyone, huddle up!" Coach Will's voice boomed through the gym. We all quickly gathered around him, bubbling with excitement. "Practice is over, y'all can go shower, and we'll meet up in 15 minutes. Once everyone is out, we'll check the placements," Coach announced.

With practice concluded, everyone dispersed and headed to the showers. On my way, I struck up a casual conversation with Elijah. "You really think we have a shot?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

"Fuck yeah, we've beaten every team by big leads. I don't see how they can just ignore that," he replied confidently. However, as I glanced at Isaiah, he seemed a bit uneasy. "You good?" I inquired.

He turned to me and forced a smile. "Yeah, it's just... You know, I haven't been on the team for long, and I haven't even played a game with y'all," he confessed. "I can't help but feel like I don't really deserve it if we place, since I haven't done anything," he added, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"Man...Don't even worry about that shit. Hell if anything think of it as an investment," I reassured him. "And when the time comes, make sure you show them what you've got in that first game," I said, lightheartedly punching his shoulder.

"Yea, you're right," he chuckled, feeling more at ease and determined to prove himself on the court.

After a quick shower and a applying some deodorant, I headed over with my hair still slightly wet, falling over my eyes. I had to push it up to clear my vision.

One by one, the rest of the team joined us, waiting eagerly for Coach to return. Soon enough, Coach arrived, brandishing another cup of coffee. 'I think he's got an addiction,' I mused with a hint of humor. As everyone's eyes tracked his approach, he broke the silence with a question, "Well, everyone ready?"

"Yea," I replied, joining the chorus of affirmations along with a lone "Nah." The touch of sarcasm in it drew a chuckle from me.

"Alright, let's look it up" he said before going over to his laptop. Everyone gathered around where Coach was sitting and looked at the screen as he searched up an AAU website. He quickly clicked on the newly added section that housed the updates.

Everyone held their breath as Coach Will clicked on the document, and we watched with intense focus as he scrolled down. Some light pushing and shoving happened among us, but being shorter, I had a front-row view of the screen. We anxiously scanned the teams, and our hearts skipped a beat when a team with an 'L' appeared, only to realize it wasn't us. Moments that felt like an eternity passed, and then we spotted another 'L.'

"Lone Star Ballers," I read aloud. Without further ado, cheers erupted from our team, accompanied by hugs and Coach's radiant smile. Our jubilation was so boisterous that the gym's manager had to politely request that we lower the volume. We must have been louder than we realized, given the echoing acoustics of the gym, but we were too elated to care. We promptly apologized and continued celebrating, albeit with somewhat restrained enthusiasm.

"Good job, everyone. Looks like all that hard work wasn't for nothing. The preliminary matches are scheduled to start in a few weeks, and they will be single-game elimination rounds. The semi-finals will be two weeks after the preliminary matches. While the finals will occur a few weeks before the school year ends. Our first opponent will be the Texas Elite Warriors, ranked 8th in odds of winning, while we stand at 7th. It appears we're up against some formidable teams in the future by looking at their records," Coach explained.

"But don't let that discourage you," he added confidently before continuing, "After all, even Michael Jor–"

"Yea yea yea, Jordan this and that, we get it," I playfully interrupted, provoking laughter from the team.

Coach looked slightly taken aback before joining in the laughter. With that, the day concluded, and I couldn't stop smiling on my way home. "Thanks again, Coach. I'll make sure we win that tournament," I said with determination.

"Oh, I know," he replied with a smile before driving off.

Ascending the stairs, I neared my apartment door, a smile gracing my lips as thoughts of the tournament filled my mind.

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Title : Tournament Placement!

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Are you looking forward to the AAU Tournament as much as I am? It's exciting to bring a fresh perspective to NBA novels. Many of them focus on the journey from a high school team to the NBA or through college. There aren't as many stories that explore the underdog route, and I hope this brings a sense of relatability for those of us who consider ourselves average folks. As always, I value your feedback, and if you'd like to support the novel, your power votes would be greatly appreciated!

First AAU game begins next chapter!

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