Starting Lineup

As Ken Kaneki received another boost, his standing on the Teiko Junior High team continued to rise. Now, aside from Shuzo Nijimura, he was unquestionably the team's second-in-command.

One day after practice, Kōzō Shirogane didn't dismiss the players as usual. Instead, he gathered them together again to discuss the upcoming Prefectural Tournament.

"Everyone, listen up. The Prefectural Tournament schedule has been finalized." Kōzō Shirogane pulled over a whiteboard and pinned the schedule to it, then patiently explained it to the group. "The qualifiers consist of five rounds. The winner of each of the first three rounds advances to the next, until eight teams remain. Those eight teams will then compete in two more rounds to determine the Prefectural Tournament champion. The champion and runner-up will represent the Tokyo region at the national tournament. Our first opponent will be Seihō Junior High School, a semifinalist in the Prefectural Tournament for the past few years."

"Are they strong, Coach?" Ken Kaneki asked curiously.

"They're a well-balanced team without any overwhelming strengths, but there's one thing to keep in mind: Seihō Junior High School is very defense-oriented. They also have excellent stamina. In the past few years, they've made it to the finals and represented the Tokyo region at the national tournament." Kōzō Shirogane seemed to know each team's strengths inside and out.

"Is their defense really that strong?" Daiki Aomine asked excitedly. "Sounds right up my alley!"

"Don't underestimate them," Shuzo Nijimura cautioned from the side. "They may not have any overwhelming strengths, but their center, Hiroshi Kosaka, is known as a budget version of Iron Heart. He isn't particularly tall, but he has a decent hook shot and is good at passing from the high post. This game will require a lot of running, so you'll need to focus on improving your stamina."

"Right!" the First String players replied in unison.

"Now, let's go over the starting lineup for the first game. Point guard: Shuzo Nijimura. That's a role you're good at." Kōzō Shirogane looked at Shuzo Nijimura.

Shuzo Nijimura gave a slight nod, his expression unchanged. Over the past year, with his incredible physicality, unstoppable isolation game, and exceptional court vision, he had averaged 27.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, 11.2 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks despite standing under 180 centimeters tall. He was hailed as the top forward in junior high. Now that he was playing point guard, he'd be a mismatch against most junior-high players at the position.

"Next, shooting guard: Shintaro Midorima," Kōzō Shirogane continued.

Shintaro Midorima adjusted his glasses when he heard his name, the hint of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. In every practice and scrimmage since joining the team, he'd made every three-point attempt except when directly matched up against Ken Kaneki. He averaged 32 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.8 steals. What's more, every player he'd defended—aside from Ken Kaneki—had suffered some degree of decline in efficiency. It was no surprise that Kōzō Shirogane had picked him as the starting shooting guard.

"Small forward: Daiki Aomine." Kōzō Shirogane continued naming the starters.

Daiki Aomine seemed indifferent as he toyed with the basketball spinning on his finger, but the grin on his face gave away his excitement. His unorthodox style and highly effective drives, along with averages of 27.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks across three scrimmages, had made him the clear choice for Teiko Junior High's starting small forward.

"Power forward: Ken Kaneki. I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do." The usually laconic Coach Shirogane said a little more than usual.

"I won't let you down, Coach." Ken Kaneki tucked the ball under one arm and replied with a cheerful smile. Kōzō Shirogane saw a brighter future in Ken Kaneki than even Shuzo Nijimura's: greater physicality, an even more unstoppable isolation game, and better court vision.

What left the deepest impression was Ken Kaneki's defense. He seemed able to predict the future, never got caught out of position when going for a steal, and never fouled when blocking a shot. Anyone who faced Ken Kaneki, whether in the paint or on the perimeter, had a miserable time. And as the team's second-best rebounder after Atsushi Murasakibara, Ken Kaneki had earned the starting power forward spot.

"Center: Atsushi Murasakibara." Kōzō Shirogane smiled at the naturally absent-minded boy.

"Murasakibara, say thank you." Ken Kaneki saw Atsushi Murasakibara nearly falling asleep on his feet and quickly patted him on the back to remind him.

"Huh? Oh, oh. Thank you, Coach," Atsushi Murasakibara mumbled sleepily.

Atsushi Murasakibara might have been absent-minded, but there was no denying that he was a center blessed by the heavens. His lanky frame, tremendous wingspan, immense strength, and guard-like athleticism left many of Teiko Junior High's older players lamenting that their basketball dreams were over.

What's more, in a recent scrimmage where he'd led the team as its sole star, Atsushi Murasakibara had put up an astonishing 40 points, 25 rebounds, 8 blocks, and 3 steals against a double-team. That was second only to Ken Kaneki's 46 points, 19 rebounds, 15 assists, 6 blocks, and 6 steals. With his keen eye for talent, Kōzō Shirogane had picked him as the starting center.

"Backup point guard: Seijuro Akashi. Backup small forward: Shogo Haizaki," Kōzō Shirogane added. "The original First String starters will fill the backup shooting guard, power forward, and center spots."

Seijuro Akashi bowed politely to show that he understood. In truth, his performance was good enough to earn him a starting spot. In the past few scrimmages, he'd led his team to three straight wins, averaging 22.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 13.2 assists, and 2.4 steals. But he was still too slight and frail, so out of concern for his health, Kōzō Shirogane had put him on the bench.

As for Shogo Haizaki, he hadn't been bluffing when he said his stats were just as good as Ken Kaneki's. Since Ken Kaneki hadn't finished playing in the first game, their overall numbers were about even: Haizaki had 28.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. That was why Shogo Haizaki was so confident. After all, if DeAndre Jordan played against elementary schoolers alongside Jordan, their stats wouldn't look all that different either.

As the undisputed top team in the Tokyo region, Teiko Junior High's original starters had never been weak. Now, with Seijuro Akashi and Shogo Haizaki leading them from the bench, they'd be a complete mismatch for the other teams' reserves.

"We have five days until our first Prefectural Tournament game. Besides the stamina training Nijimura just mentioned, you'll need to work more on your plays and get used to the lineup as soon as possible. That's all!" After giving his final instructions, Kōzō Shirogane dismissed the team.

After Teiko Junior High's players trained hard, the long-awaited Prefectural Tournament finally got underway.