Ohio State Buckeyes Training Facility
The Buckeyes were already gathered around the court, waiting for the night's team training session to begin.
Holtmann sat pensively on the bench, still imagining what kind of monster Russell was raving about.
As much as he trusted Russell, he couldn't fully believe someone like that actually existed.
Behind him, a group of freshman players were chatting loudly.
"Yo, did you hear? Some dude's trying out for the team tonight."
"A tryout? We don't even need new players."
"Word is, D'Angelo brought in a new starting center."
"Wait—what? Is he trying to steal my spot?!"
That last voice came from the current starting center for the Buckeyes. He had been looking forward to showing out during March Madness.
Now, suddenly, someone was jumping the line?
He was already thinking about how to embarrass the newcomer during scrimmage and remind everyone who the real big man was.
Then the doors to the gym swung open.
From down the hall, they heard D'Angelo shouting:
"Coach! I brought the guy I told you about!"
Everyone turned toward the entrance.
Out from the shadows behind Russell… emerged a mountain.
The man ducked under the doorframe, scanning the massive gym like it was his own backyard.
"Holy sh*t… what is that thing?!"
"Bro—those arms! Are they 24 inches? 30?!"
"My God, he looks like the Hulk."
"Didn't China have some ancient god named Pangu? Pretty sure he looked like this."
People audibly gasped.
Even Holtmann—who had coached NCAA teams for years and seen freak athletes come and go—froze for a good few seconds.
Just one look was enough.
This guy could carry the entire team.
As Su Pan walked closer, everyone instinctively turned to Charles O'Neal.
He was also 7'1", but next to Su Pan's frame, he looked like a high school kid in comparison.
Although Charles O'Neal's name sounds awesome and wild, he is actually a flexible and mobile center.
Still, trying to act unbothered, he muttered:
"Size isn't everything. What matters is skill and basketball IQ."
The others nodded. It was true — being tall doesn't mean you're good. Plenty of bigs in the NCAA got exposed by quicker, smarter players.
But everyone was dying to know — was Su Pan the real deal? Could he really break a backboard like Russel said?
They began testing his athletic metrics.
"D'Angelo, add a bit more weight."
"Like this?"
"Still too light. Add more."
"Dude, we're already at 500 pounds! Don't hurt yourself!"
Ignoring the concern, Su Pan walked over to the bar and casually added two more plates.
Then he lay back on the bench. His arms flexed, veins bulging.
One grunt—and he pushed the 550 lbs barbell up like it was nothing.
He did five clean reps.
The assistant coach recording stats was trembling:
"Bench press… 550 lbs…"
Charles O'Neill's jaw dropped.
Not even Shaq or Zion in their prime could casually toss that weight around.
And that was just the beginning.
During the vertical jump test, Holtmann couldn't stay seated.
49.2 inches
To put that in perspective:
Vince Carter's was around 41 inches
Nate Robinson, at 5'9", peaked around 47 inches
And Su Pan? A 7'1", 285 lbs freak?
This dude wasn't just a big—he was a nuclear bomb in sneakers.
Then came the sprint test—baseline shuttle run.
He clocked a 3.52-second time.
Not quite Iverson or D-Rose speed, but faster than Russell, which was unreal considering Su Pan's size.
Coach Holtmann looked at the numbers and practically lost it.
"He's got Shaq's power, Iverson's speed, and Carter's bounce… What the hell did we just unlock?"
This wasn't just a new recruit.
This was the college basketball version of a GOAT parachuting from the heavens.
Even if Ohio State had just Su Pan, they could easily make the Elite Eight.
Who in the NCAA had a center that could match this?
Everyone turned toward Charles again.
This time, even he looked like a man about to face execution.
Coach Holtmann composed himself and gave the final instruction:
"One last test. Full-court 5-on-5."
"We're going to run a scrimmage. I want to see how Su Pan performs in real game scenarios. Tip-off in 10 minutes. Warm up!"
The format was simple: two teams of five, full-court, 15-minute halves. Standard NCAA-style setup.
Several players secretly hoped they'd be on the opposite team so they could try to shut Su Pan down.
Instead, luck was on his side—he landed on the same squad as Russell.
Tip-off.
Center circle. Su Pan vs. Charles.
Charles stepped forward, extended a hand:
"Charles O'Neal. Let's have a good game."
Su Pan looked him over and nearly laughed.
"Charles O'Neal?" he thought. "You might want to rename yourself Charles Barkley-Lite."
Once they squared up at center court, the size difference became painfully obvious.
Coach Holtmann tossed the ball in the air.
Both big men leapt—but while Charles had a good jump, Su Pan's hand rose a full palm higher.
He tipped the ball perfectly back to Russell.
Landing smoothly, Su Pan turned and bolted toward the rim.
Russell was stunned at how fast he moved for someone his size — and lobbed the ball high above the defense.
Charles saw it coming.
"This is my moment… I'm taking back my starting job!"
He positioned himself under the hoop, determined to block the dunk.
Centers are the last line of defense. Rim protection is their pride.
Charles leapt to meet him at the top.
But Su Pan? He grabbed the ball mid-air, rose with both hands, and went straight into a two-handed power dunk.
BOOM!
The collision was brutal.
Charles felt like he'd slammed into a concrete wall.
His body flew backward, crashing into the base of the stanchion.
CRACK!
Everyone looked up.
The backboard shattered — glass spraying like snow — and the entire hoop collapsed as Su Pan landed and ducked aside.
The rim hit the floor with a metallic thud.
Shards of glass littered the court.
Charles, lying on the ground, looked up in despair.
"If I'd been under the hoop… would I be dead right now?"
"Su bro!!!"
Tears in his eyes, Charles scrambled over and hugged Su Pan's leg.
"Please! I want to be your apprentice!"
Su Pan blinked, totally caught off guard.
"What the hell…?"