A stunning three-pointer to tie the game! Lin Wei delivers his best NCAA performance to prove himself, finally reaching this moment.

The day has finally arrived.

In the NCAA regular season, Oregon fell 85-88 in overtime to Rutgers University away from home.

Lin Wei delivered his best performance since joining the NCAA.

Playing 33 minutes, he went 8 for 14 from the field, 6 of 12 from beyond the arc, and 1 of 2 from the line, tallying 23 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, and 2 steals, all personal NCAA career bests.

In his previous 13 games, he had made only 6 three-pointers total, but today he matched that number in one match.

In the first half, he was perfect on 4 shots (3 of 3 from three), scoring 11 points and handing out 2 assists; with 3 seconds left in regulation and Oregon down by 3, Lin Wei ignored the defender and nailed a clutch three-pointer to send the game into overtime!

This miraculous game-tying shot is truly rare from Wei!

If you’re a fan who focuses on stats, 23 points might seem ordinary and not worth much hype.

But I want to say, this might be the first time a Chinese guard has shown such a performance on the NCAA stage.

Who else has done it before?

In the CBA, Lin Wei has scored 40+ points and hit multiple game-winning shots.

However, delivering this 23-point career night in a high-level American competition brings a completely different thrill to the fans.

Especially after the Chinese men's team lost twice to South Korea in the World Cup and Asian qualifiers, it’s honestly hard to praise domestic players’ explosive performances in the CBA.

So when players like Yang Hansen, Lin Wei, and Wang Junjie make even slight progress overseas, we are genuinely happy for them.

Why are we excited?

“Today, we enjoy success on our home court; tomorrow, we hope to find the same joy and meaningful success on the international stage.”

This was a quote from Coach Gong Luming.

After scoring 8 points against the University of Maryland last game, Lin Wei took another step forward today against Rutgers University.

Both opponents are from the Big Ten Conference, so don’t doubt the quality of competition.

Lin Wei seems to be adapting better to his new role; hopefully, this game builds his confidence.

As a shooter, confidence is extremely important.

Thinking back to his early season struggles, this breakout moment is even more precious.

He has played 6 games for Oregon, averaging 10.7 minutes, 3.2 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of only 17.2% and a three-point percentage of 13.3%.

This is the top domestic scorer in the CBA...

During this time, he was often criticized by Coach Altman, for example:

“He completely ignored what I said last month; his shooting percentage is very low, and he often takes poor shots. Our players don’t even know when he will shoot. I can’t make him understand.”

“His defense is still a liability!”

“CBA doesn’t emphasize defense; Lin Wei is a good kid, but bad habits are hard to change!”

Honest advice is often hard to hear.

For young players abroad, having a good coach is truly important.

Lin Wei’s defense and shot selection were criticized during his CBA days; these flaws cannot be ignored.

But with the Nanjing Tongxi team and system, he was the star, allowed to shoot freely, winning and losing alike.

However, NCAA basketball works differently; they play system basketball, and even homegrown players like Flag must strictly follow the coach’s tactics.

The language barrier, understanding and executing tactics, and learning American basketball culture are huge challenges for Lin Wei.

Especially as a point guard, a ball-handler who needs to communicate extensively on the court to help teammates understand what he wants to do...

Even when he made mistakes repeatedly, Altman would criticize but still consistently give him chances.

With another coach, he might have been benched long ago. This coach truly fulfills the recruitment promise of developing Lin Wei as a point guard.

Actually, this is quite rare...