Akagiri's Assessment (Part One)

That evening at the White Egret Manor inn, the last rays of the setting sun streamed through the windows, scattering patches of light and shadow across the living room floor.

The Ryonan players sat around the television, their eyes fixed on the recording of Nagashiro High School's game.

The living room was so quiet that only the sound of basketballs striking the court came from the television. Everyone watched intently, and no one spoke.

As time passed, the recording drew toward its end. When the electronic scoreboard on the screen reached zero, Nagashiro High School had defeated their opponents by ten points and advanced to the next round.

Tiangang Maoyi picked up the remote and pressed pause. The screen froze on the Great Wall players celebrating their victory. He set down the remote, looked around at everyone, and said, "All right, we've finished the recording. Let's hear your thoughts. Anything you've noticed about Nagashiro High School's players or their tactical style is worth bringing up."

Yet after Taoka Moichi finished speaking, a brief silence settled over the living room. No one answered right away.

The players exchanged glances, each looking as though they had something to say but didn't know where to begin.

Nagashiro High School's tactics seemed conventional, without Ryonan's many surprises, but every player had solid individual skills and was well-rounded on both offense and defense. It was hard to identify an obvious opening.

"Hmm?"

Tiangang Maoyi raised an eyebrow and looked around in puzzlement.

"What's going on?"

"Does no one have anything to say?"

"Did you not notice anything, or is something holding you back?"

He hadn't expected this reaction after they watched the recording.

Everyone fell silent again.

Just then, a calm voice broke the silence. "Great Wall has what it takes to reach the quarterfinals,