A Bust No. 1 Pick?

With the Deer Horns winning the championship, the entire 2006-07 JBa season came to an end. The long offseason had arrived, and teams began taking their vacations one after another to relax.

Our Jaguars players were living colorful vacation lives as well.

"Sawasdee!"

Miyagi and Mitsui were having a great time in Thailand, even starting to learn Thai.

"Rukawa Kaede! Saranghae! Rukawa Kaede! Saranghae! Rukawa Kaede! Saranghae!"

While visiting relatives in South Korea, Rukawa Kaede heard perfectly synchronized chants even when attending events. Had the Rukawa Kaede Fan Club already established a branch in South Korea?! No matter where Rukawa Kaede went, his popularity was always incredible.

"All right, that concludes Chapter Two of today's Business Management course—Operations Research. Go back and review carefully. This year's professional qualification exam is about to begin."

On a university campus steeped in scholarly atmosphere, Akagi finished his morning class.

"The school team has a game today. I'll go practice with them and be a sparring partner."

As he walked out of the classroom, Akagi muttered to himself. Class, then basketball—the rhythm of this life felt like he had returned to Shohoku.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Sakuragi stomped forcefully on the trampoline, nearly hitting the ceiling beams with every jump. After training for some time, he could now perform simple movements in the air. He really looked like he was diving.

"That guy really is resilient. He never gets tired of such monotonous training every day. Still, I have to say it again: what a shame he didn't learn swimming back then."

Coach Maekawa was filled with emotion as he watched Sakuragi train so diligently.

Happy times always passed quickly. The month-and-a-half vacation vanished in the blink of an eye, and the teams were about to regroup to prepare for the next season. Before that, however, JBa had something even more important to handle: the annual JBa Draft!

This year's draft had generated tremendous hype. The quality of the prospects was no worse than last year's, and they were all players who could be developed into the foundations of their teams. Before even entering the league, they had already been placed among the ranks of future superstars.

However, in the recently concluded college league, Sawakita Eiji—one of the favorites for the No. 1 pick and once Japan's top high school basketball player—had failed to reach the finals with his university. This made Sawakita Eiji decide to remain in school for another year, determined to win a national championship for his alma mater. Although many experts advised him to enter the draft as soon as possible, Sawakita was resolute. Even if he had to stay until his senior year, he would win a championship for his school.

Another top prospect, Kawata Masashi, had been accepted by an American university long ago and was preparing to further his studies in the United States. This left the Aomori Green Pythons, who held this year's No. 1 pick, deeply disappointed. "Kawata's ability is no less than Maki's!" That was the view held by many insiders.

Mori Shigeyoshi, another dominant interior player, had suffered a serious torn meniscus in the previous college league. Not only was his season over, but his draft prospects had also been affected. Although Mori Shigeyoshi had intended to enter the draft, many media outlets reported that his school had reached an agreement with him: he would withdraw from the draft and remain in school to recover. Once he returned from injury next season, he would continue representing his alma mater.

With those three withdrawing, what had suddenly been a bumper draft became merely an ordinary one. The most frustrated team was likely the Aomori Green Pythons. Before, they had struggled over whom to choose because all three had distinct strengths. Now they were still struggling, as the remaining players were close in ability, with no one standing head and shoulders above the rest.

That left only Sawakita Eiji's former high school teammate, Fukatsu Kazunari, among this year's top prospects.

Although Fukatsu Kazunari had also failed to lead his team to the college league championship this year, he was already entering his senior year, and most of the school team's key players would be graduating as well. Even if he continued competing in the college league, he would have no way to win the championship. With so many players withdrawing this year, if he entered the draft, his stock would surely rise. He might even become a candidate for the No. 1 pick. Thus, Fukatsu's team announced his entry without hesitation.

"But Fukatsu's problem is that you can't really see how he can get any better. In other words, his current performance may already be his ceiling. His playmaking, consistency, and court vision are all excellent, but there isn't much left to develop in terms of athleticism, shooting, or potential!"

A television commentator was evaluating Fukatsu. Another then said, "That's right. If you're a championship-contending team, you would definitely choose Fukatsu. His wealth of experience allows him to handle any situation. Whatever you entrust to him, he'll get it done. He's the glue of the court. But! If you're a rebuilding team, I would advise you to choose carefully, because you could easily waste a high draft pick. Looking back, you'll find that the teams Fukatsu played for never revolved around him. In high school, there were Sawakita Eiji and Kawata Masashi, and it was the same in college. So if you expect him to lead a team to victory, that really is asking a skilled housewife to cook without rice!"

"But how could the Green Pythons, who hold the No. 1 pick, possibly be a championship-level team?"

"Then again, who else can you pick from this year's players?"

"So this is the moment that will test the Green Pythons."

The two commentators had sharp insights, and their analysis of Fukatsu Kazunari's strengths and weaknesses was thorough. Indeed, the Aomori Green Pythons were about to be tested.

"At the 2007 JBa Draft, with the first overall pick, the Aomori Green Pythons select—!!"

At Tokyo Dome Stadium, the draft was underway. Every year at this time, Commissioner Hashimoto's announcement was always so thrilling and eagerly anticipated! Last year, the name Hashimoto called was Rukawa Kaede. This year, who would it be?!

"He is—"

"Fukatsu Kazunari!"

"Yeah!!!!!! Boo~~~~~"

When Hashimoto announced this year's No. 1 pick, there was no longer the thunderous, mountain-shaking roar of cheers from last year. There were cheers this year as well, but mixed among them were a few boos.

The Green Pythons had ultimately chosen the safer option, using the No. 1 pick on this older rookie. The former Sannoh backcourt engine, a guard as steady as a rock—Fukatsu Kazunari—had become the new No. 1 pick and begun a new journey.

"Hello, General Manager. What factors did the team consider in selecting this player?"

After the draft ended, countless reporters surrounded the Green Pythons' general manager. Everyone wanted to hear what the team thought of this newly crowned No. 1 pick.

"Well, we actually noticed this player during the college league. Although he is already a junior, he is exactly the kind of player we urgently need. He has a certain amount of game experience, and he is a true point guard. In the previous college league, Fukatsu was also named Best Point Guard. So we believe his arrival will help our team! We believe he will quickly adapt to JBa's pace of play!"

The Green Pythons' general manager did not linger for long. The reporters seemed to have many more questions, but there was nothing they could do except let him leave.

"Congratulations, Fukatsu. How does it feel to become the new No. 1 pick?"

The general manager had left, but there was still the man himself. A group of reporters surrounded Fukatsu and began interviewing him.

"It's all right. I feel lucky. I never expected to become the No. 1 pick. I'm very grateful that the Green Pythons chose me!"

Fukatsu was steady on the court, and he remained extremely calm during interviews off it.

"We know that many talented players withdrew from this year's draft. Does that make you stand out more?"

The reporter pressed him again.

"It's all right. Sawakita, Kawata, thank you for giving this No. 1 pick to me!"

Fukatsu still said very little. Never one for words, he looked forward to proving himself in the coming new season!

"Whether he is a bust No. 1 pick cannot be decided by words alone. But one thing is certain: Fukatsu will not fade away in the JBa. The JBa should have a place for him, and he will need to earn all of it through his own efforts!"

"That guy Fukatsu... actually became the No. 1 pick!!"

Sakuragi watched the draft on television. Seeing Fukatsu become the No. 1 pick gave him the same feeling he had when he saw Rukawa Kaede become the No. 1 pick during last year's draft. He could hardly believe it! Perhaps Sakuragi still remembered the great battle against Sannoh. In his mind, Fukatsu had been a tough player, but not someone capable of becoming the No. 1 pick.

"Forget it. It's about time to report in. I should get ready and head out!"

Sakuragi glanced at the clock on the wall, changed into a set of training clothes, and prepared to head for the training facility.

With the vacation over, every team would throw itself back into intense training. The Jaguars were the first to regroup, preparing for the new season.