Aiwa Academy, Aichi Prefecture's representative team, was a powerhouse built around point guard Moroboshi Dai and known for its fast, agile style of play.
As a regular at the National Tournament, Aiwa Academy had never won a championship, but it had consistently claimed one of the Final Four spots almost every year.
Of course, ever since Sanno had crushed its way to the championship three years ago, then defended its title in the same dominant fashion over the following two years to establish a dynasty, the calls for other teams to win it all had grown much quieter this year.
But aside from the boss-like existence that was Sanno, Aiwa was one of the National Tournament's most familiar powerhouses.
Yet this year, no one knew what mistake Aiwa Academy had made, but it had actually handed Aichi Prefecture's top seed to Meiho Technical High School. Having lost its seeded status, it could only begin from the first round, catching plenty of spectators off guard.
Facing Aiwa today was Hoshikawa High School from Ishikawa Prefecture, a newcomer making its first-ever appearance at the National Tournament this year.
A matchup between these two teams was like a rookie who had just touched a steering wheel and did not even know whether the gas pedal was on the left or right trying to compare driving skills with an F1 veteran.
Fine, that analogy might have been a little exaggerated, but the gap in raw strength between the two sides was plainly visible, and it showed itself completely from the very first second of the game.
As soon as the game began, Aiwa Academy unleashed the tactics it excelled at most.
With his outstanding speed and excellent court vision, Moroboshi Dai repeatedly sliced through the opposing defense with scalpel-like passes, constantly supplying his teammates