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A week later, Zack, itching for battle, and his teammates kicked off the Demon Deacons' 03/04 NCAA season.
Their first test? The Indiana Mountaineers.
In this ACC vs. Big Ten showdown, the Demon Deacons, representing the ACC, put on a masterclass at home, proving to the world that everyone gets their moment of glory—but don't mistake a moment for forever.
Historically, the Mountaineers have snagged five NCAA championships, making them the second-most decorated team in NCAA history.
So, yeah, calling them the Big Ten's poster child isn't a stretch.
But as the final buzzer sounded that night, the Mountaineers' coach, Mike Davis—who took over from Bob Knight four years ago—and his squad were hanging their heads.
The scoreboard read 60–107.
The Mountaineers, playing on the road, got their faces wiped across the court.
Fresh off getting schooled by Felton, Chris Paul came out guns blazing. In just 27 minutes, he dropped a game-high 24 points and dished out 9 assists like it was nothing.
After the game, Mike Davis gritted his teeth when asked about Paul's performance. "Chris Paul, that freshman? He's one of the best point guards I've ever seen."
But truth be told, besides Paul, the Demon Deacon who probably got under Davis's skin the most was Zack.
Why? Because when Zack checked in off the bench, he straight-up *dominated* the Mountaineers' already shaky frontcourt with zero chill.
"Where the heck did they find this guy with the Eastern face?" Davis fumed. "Why isn't his name in my scouting report?"
Here's the thing: Zack didn't even have a single game under his belt as a freshman last year. How could Davis have intel on him? The guy only made his college debut a week ago.
And that friendly? No TV broadcast. Good luck finding tape to analyze Zack's game.
Maybe North Carolina has some footage of him.
But as a rival conference, would North Carolina really share intel on Zack with the Mountaineers?
Let's be real—if the Mountaineers asked, North Carolina would probably say, "Oh, sorry, our film room caught fire last week."
Because for a powerhouse like North Carolina, an old rival like the Mountaineers losing every day is probably their dream come true.
That night, Zack came off the bench for 20 minutes and racked up 14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 blocks, and 2 steals.
To Zack, the Mountaineers' frontcourt was so weak it was almost laughable.
On the court, he barely felt like he was trying, and the other team was already waving the white flag.
If you had to nitpick Zack's game, maybe it'd be his defensive rebounds.
Of his 8 boards, 6 were offensive rebounds.
Defensive rebounds? Just 2.
Why?
Well, for one, "Beast" Ellis was a rebounding machine. And then there was a certain "183cm Masked Man" who kept sniping boards that should've been Zack's.
Zack's impact off the bench was instant on both ends of the floor.
Stats don't tell the full story of what he brought to the game.
And they *definitely* don't show how much Paul's board-stealing hurt Zack's feelings.
By the end of the night, Zack realized he needed to level up his dribbling and passing skills.
Because only by mastering those could he rightfully keep Paul from "stealing" his rebounds under the guise of "starting a fast break for the team."
That day, Zack scribbled in his mental notebook: *Chris Paul—fake fast-break starter, shameless rebound thief.*
…
The next day, news of the Demon Deacons' blowout win over the Mountaineers in the ACC Challenge swept through the college basketball world like a tornado.
Mountaineers fans were gutted, ranting, "What's wrong with our team? This roster, with guys like Johnson playing center? Can he even play? No way, they don't have the skills for this!"
Online, neutral fans tried to console them: "Look at it this way—the Mountaineers are just the earliest Big Ten team prepping for the 04/05 season."
That set the Mountaineers fans off. "Oh, great, thanks a lot! The team's got no foundation right now. You think they can win crucial games in 04/05 with performances like this? Get real. I'm telling the team to figure out their tactics and what basketball's actually about first!"
One game, and the Mountaineers hit rock bottom.
Meanwhile, the Demon Deacons were swimming in flowers and praise.
"ACC Challenge: Demon Deacons deliver a dazzling performance, obliterating the Mountaineers." —*News & Observer*
"A mysterious Eastern face shines in the ACC Challenge. From 400 pounds to 290—what did he go through this summer? Stay tuned for our exclusive weekend column: 'Even in the Fiercest Winds, Never Give Up.'" —*Winston-Salem Journal*
"Good morning, Wake Forest! Last night's basketball score was 60–107, with our comeback king Zack dismantling the opponent in just 20 minutes! Let's join the Demon Deacons and chase our dreams today!" —Wake Forest Campus Radio
After the ACC Challenge, Zack became the talk of Wake Forest.
People buzzed about his story and hyped up his future.
But for now, the Demon Deacons' main man was still Chris Paul.
In November, led by Paul, the team kicked off the season with an easy 6–0 streak.
In those games, Coach Prose kept Zack's minutes tightly capped at around 20.
Zack was dying for more court time, but until his body was fully ready, the sixth-man role was perfect for him.
Yup.
Zack still needed more games to get used to college ball, to learn how to pace himself, and more training to unlock his potential.
Plus, his weight loss had hit a plateau recently. So, Zack didn't hesitate—he went to Prose and asked for extra training sessions.
After confirming Zack's body could handle the added load, Prose greenlit it without a second thought.
To old man Prose, Zack's potential was like a bottomless pit. No matter how much you pushed him, he'd show up the next day with that spark in his eyes, saying, "Hey, Coach, I think I got better!"
"How high do you think he can go?" assistant coach Viktor asked curiously one day while Zack was grinding through extra reps.
Prose thought for a moment. "Maybe the sky's his limit."
…