Starting Lineup

As Ken Kaneki received a new wave of power-ups, his standing within the Teiko Junior High School team grew day by day. He had now become the undisputed second-in-command, second only to Shuzo Nijimura.

One day, after practice, Kōzō Shirogane didn't dismiss the team as usual. Instead, he reassembled them to discuss the upcoming prefectural tournament.

"Everyone, pay attention. The schedule for the prefectural tournament has been finalized," Kōzō Shirogane said, bringing over a whiteboard and pinning the schedule onto it. He patiently explained to everyone, "This year's prefectural tournament selection process is divided into five rounds. The winners of the first three rounds will advance to the next. This will continue until eight winning teams are decided. These eight teams will then compete in two more rounds to determine the prefectural champion. The champion and runner-up will represent the Tokyo district in the national tournament. Our first opponent is Seihō Junior High School, who have been in the top four of the prefectural tournament for the past few years."

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

"They are a team with very balanced strength, no single standout player. However, one thing to note is that Seihō Junior High School is a team that heavily emphasizes defense. They also have excellent stamina and have reached the finals in previous years, representing the Tokyo district in the national tournament," Kōzō Shirogane evaluated, seemingly knowledgeable about every team's characteristics.

"Their defense is strong?" Daiki Aomine said excitedly, "Perfect for me!"

"Don't underestimate them," Shuzo Nijimura interjected, pouring cold water on their enthusiasm. "While they may not have any absolute strong points, there's one thing you must pay attention to: their center, Hiroshi Kosaka, is known as the 'bankrupt version of Tekkin.' Although his height isn't exceptional, he has a decent hook shot and good high-post passing ability. This game will require constant movement, so you all need to focus on improving your stamina training."

"Yes!" The First String players responded in unison.

"Next, I will announce the starting lineup for the first game. Position one: Shuzo Nijimura. This is your specialty," Kōzō Shirogane said, looking at Shuzo Nijimura.

Shuzo Nijimura nodded slightly, his expression unchanged. In the past year, Shuzo Nijimura, with his powerful physique, unstoppable solo offense, and outstanding court vision, had averaged 27.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, 11.2 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game despite being under 1.8 meters tall. He was hailed as the best junior high forward. Now, moving to point guard, it was a complete mismatch for most junior high point guards.

"Next is position two, Shintaro Midorima," Kōzō Shirogane continued.

Shintaro Midorima, whose name was called, adjusted his glasses, a faint smile appearing on his lips. In all the training and practice matches since joining the team, except for the matchups directly against Ken Kaneki, Shintaro Midorima had maintained a perfect three-point shooting record. His average of 32 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.8 steals was impressive. Moreover, all the players Shintaro Midorima guarded, except for Ken Kaneki, experienced a decline in efficiency to varying degrees. Therefore, he was unsurprisingly chosen by Kōzō Shirogane as the starting shooting guard.

"Position three, Daiki Aomine," Kōzō Shirogane went on.

Seeing himself selected for the starting lineup, Daiki Aomine nonchalantly twirled a basketball on his finger, but the grin on his face fully revealed his excitement. In the past, Daiki Aomine's unconventional playstyle and extremely efficient drives, especially his performance in three practice games averaging 27.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks, made him the undisputed choice for Teiko Junior High's starting small forward.

"Position four, Ken Kaneki. I look forward to your performance," Coach Kōzō Shirogane, a man of few words, added uncharacteristically.

"I won't disappoint you, Coach," Ken Kaneki replied with a bright smile, holding a basketball under one arm. Kōzō Shirogane saw an even broader future in Ken Kaneki than in Shuzo Nijimura – superior physical ability, more unstoppable solo offense, and even better court vision.

Most impressive was his defensive prowess. Ken Kaneki seemed to possess foresight, never out of position for steals and never fouling for blocks. Any player facing Ken Kaneki, from the inside to the outside, found it incredibly difficult to play. Coupled with his rebounding, second only to Atsushi Murasakibara on the team, Ken Kaneki was placed at the starting power forward position.

"Position five, Atsushi Murasakibara," Kōzō Shirogane said with a smile, looking at the naturally airheaded player.

"Murasakibara, say thank you," Ken Kaneki said, patting the back of the almost-asleep Atsushi Murasakibara to remind him.

"Huh? Oh, oh, thank you, Coach," Atsushi Murasakibara mumbled groggily.

Although Atsushi Murasakibara was naturally airheaded, it had to be admitted that he was a center prospect blessed by the heavens. His towering physique, wide wingspan, immense strength, and guard-like athleticism made many of Teiko Junior High's seniors lament that their basketball dreams were shattered.

Furthermore, in a previous practice game where he carried the team single-handedly, Atsushi Murasakibara scored an astonishing 40 points, 25 rebounds, 8 blocks, and 3 steals against double-teams, second only to Ken Kaneki's 46 points, 19 rebounds, 15 assists, 6 blocks, and 6 steals. Thus, he was also chosen by the discerning Kōzō Shirogane as the starting center.

"Substitute point guard, Seijuro Akashi; substitute small forward, Shogo Haizaki," Kōzō Shirogane added at the end. "The starting players from the First String will fill the roles of substitute shooting guard, substitute power forward, and substitute center."

Seijuro Akashi bowed politely to show his understanding. In reality, Seijuro Akashi's performance was good enough for a starting position. In past practice games, he led the team to three victories, averaging 22.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 13.2 assists, and 2.4 steals. However, Seijuro Akashi was still too thin and frail at the moment. Out of concern for his protection, Kōzō Shirogane placed him on the bench.

As for Shogo Haizaki, the stats he previously mentioned were not inferior to Ken Kaneki's, and he wasn't just boasting. Since Ken Kaneki didn't finish the first game, his overall stats were similar to Shogo Haizaki's 28.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks – this was why Shogo Haizaki was so confident. After all, even if Little Jordan and Jordan played against elementary schoolers, their stats wouldn't differ much.

Teiko Junior High was the undisputed number one team in the Tokyo district, so their starting players were not weak. Now, sitting on the bench, led by Seijuro Akashi and Shogo Haizaki, they would be an overwhelming force against other teams' bench players.

"There are five days left until the first prefectural tournament game. In addition to the stamina training Shuzo mentioned, you need to add tactical practice to speed up team cohesion. Meeting adjourned!" Kōzō Shirogane gave his final instructions and dismissed the team.

With Teiko Junior High's rigorous training, the long-awaited prefectural tournament finally kicked off.