Kamishiro Ruki's Feelings: The Final Four Are Decided (1)

To avoid repeat matchups, the tournament committee reshuffled and paired the eight remaining teams, focusing on each team's previous head-to-head records and advancement results. In particular, teams with two wins and one loss underwent detailed ranking adjustments.

The final matchups were: Group A, Hainan vs. Kakuno; Group D, Xiangyang vs. Dabe; Group C, Lingnan vs. Gori; Group D, Shohoku vs. Kinku. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the three traditional powerhouses—Hainan, Ryonan, and Shoyo—were almost universally considered the most likely teams to reach the final four.

On the surface, the quarterfinals seemed to hold little suspense. After all, the foundations of these three teams and their performances in this tournament far surpassed those of their other opponents.

Of course, that was merely a surface-level judgment. Basketball courts were never short of surprises, and no one dared guarantee that there would be no upset. The team most likely to create one was undoubtedly Shohoku High School.

This team, once seen as one that got eliminated in the first round year after year, had truly shocked quite a few people with its performance this year.

From being overlooked at the start to stumbling their way into the quarterfinals, every step they took had been full of surprises.

Akagi's ironclad interior defense, Mitsui Hisashi's miraculous three-point offense, Ryota Miyagi's nimble playmaking, and Sakuragi Hanamichi, who seemed reckless yet always erupted at critical moments.

And finally, the unconventional super rookie Liu Chuanfeng, who always came through when it mattered.

A team made up of problem youths had somehow played with the momentum of a dark horse.

To ensure absolute fairness, the quarterfinals used a brutal single-elimination format. One game decided everything; lose, and you were eliminated immediately. There was no room for error.

This format filled every match with tension. No team