Recaps

Ryota Kudo joined Shohoku and helped build a powerful team as the newcomers faced Ryonan, Miuradai, and Shoyo. During Shohoku’s final-eight qualifier against Tsukubu, Kudo seized control of the game just as Sannoh Industrial High School arrived.

• Ryota Kudo arrived at Shohoku, joined the basketball team, and persuaded Takenori Akagi to let Hanamichi Sakuragi try out.
• Kudo led the newcomers in a scrimmage, beat Kaede Rukawa one-on-one, and helped Shohoku defeat Akira Sendoh’s Ryonan team in a friendly.
• Kudo beat Ryota Miyagi in a one-on-one game, then helped end the confrontation between Hisashi Mitsui’s delinquents and Shohoku, allowing Mitsui to return to the team.
• Shohoku crushed Miuradai, with Kudo recording a quadruple-double, and Kudo trained late with Mitsui as Mitsui worked to regain his form.
• Kudo and Mitsui arrived late for the Takahata game after intervening in a fight, then helped Shohoku win before Kudo and Mitsui faced Shoyo in an informal three-on-three game.
• Shohoku began its final-eight qualifier against Tsukubu, where Kudo set up Kaede Rukawa and Takenori Akagi while Hanamichi Sakuragi watched from the bench.
• After Akagi dunked over Koichiro Nango and warned him away from Haruko Akagi, Kudo answered Tsukubu’s three-pointers with a long-range shot, a high interception, and a tomahawk dunk.
• Coach Kazumi Kawasaki called a timeout as Tsukubu faltered, while Sannoh Industrial High School entered the gym and drew both teams’ attention.

Ryota Kudo led Shohoku past Shoyo and Kainan, helping the team reach the top of Kanagawa while Takenori Akagi suffered an ankle injury. After Ryokufu High School tried to recruit Kudo, he arranged a friendly match, which remained underway as Rukawa answered Okita’s dunk.

• Ryota Kudo scored 64 points in just over ten minutes against Tsukubu, then watched the second half from the stands with Eiji Sawakita and Sannoh’s players as Shohoku won 142-52.
• Shohoku defeated Shoyo 93-68 after Kudo helped control the game and Hisashi Mitsui made ten consecutive three-pointers, while Coach Anzai later introduced his grandson Yoshiki Anzai to Kudo.
• Ryota Kudo showed Yoshiki Anzai how to cooperate with teammates during a pickup game, then Shohoku began its final-four match against Kainan.
• After Takenori Akagi injured his ankle, Ryota Kudo moved to power forward and helped Shohoku beat Kainan 108-85, with Akagi watching from the bench.
• Eri Fujisawa asked Ryota Kudo to transfer to Ryokufu, but Kudo refused and offered a friendly match instead, and he then shut Michael Okita out in a one-on-one game.
• Shohoku traveled to Ryokufu for the friendly without Akagi, and Kudo scored the team’s first three points by tiring out Totsuka as the game began.
• Michael Okita dunked over Kaede Rukawa on a Ryokufu fast break, and Rukawa drove past Okita and dunked over Nadaka while Hanamichi Sakuragi called for a pass.

Shohoku won the Kanagawa tournament and secured a place in the National Tournament while Ryota Kudo led the team through Ryonan and a series of friendlies. The arc ended with Coach Anzai telling Takenori Akagi that Meihou Industrial High School had challenged Shohoku to a friendly.

• Ryota Kudo rejected Eri Fujisawa’s confession and invitation to join Ryokufu, then helped Shohoku beat Ryokufu and Takezato.
• Kainan defeated Ryonan, and Ryota Kudo predicted that Shohoku and Kainan would qualify for the National Tournament.
• With Coach Anzai hospitalized, Ryota Kudo organized Shohoku against Ryonan, and Shohoku won 98-64 to qualify for the National Tournament.
• Ryota Kudo received an invitation to the Asian U18 Rising Star Training Camp, while Takenori Akagi helped Shohoku’s failing players pass their makeup exams.
• Ryota Kudo watched Meihou Industrial High School defeat Aiwa Academy, then returned to Shohoku as the team prepared for the National Tournament.
• Ryota Kudo refused a university recruitment offer conditioned on his attending Fukuzawa Sports University, and Hanamichi Sakuragi bought a pair of Air Jordan 1 shoes for 100 yen.
• At Shohoku’s training camp and friendlies, Ryota Kudo dominated Jousei High School, briefly entered ZONE, and then shifted toward playmaking as Shohoku won all three games.
• Coach Anzai told Takenori Akagi that Meihou Industrial High School had challenged Shohoku to a friendly at Jousei High School.

Shohoku defeated Meihou, prepared for the National Tournament, and advanced past Toyotama before facing Aichi Gakuin. As Dai Moroboshi led Aiwa Academy against them, Ryota Kudo copied Moroboshi’s technique and pushed himself toward ZONE despite mounting physical pain.

• Ryota Kudo and Shohoku defeated Hiroshi Morishige’s Meihou Industrial High School 143-102, and Morishige promised to meet Kudo in the finals.
• Ryota Kudo and Hisashi Mitsui discovered Shohoku’s National Tournament schedule, while Eri Fujisawa offered Kudo help finding basketball opportunities in the United States.
• Shohoku practiced against the combined Shoyo and Ryonan team, then Ryota Kudo trained against double-teams with Akira Sendoh’s help before the team departed for Hiroshima.
• On the train to Hiroshima, Ryota Kudo defended Kiminobu Kogure from an Osaka player and challenged Minami Tsuyoshi to prove Toyotama’s strength against Shohoku.
• Shohoku defeated Toyotama 132-93, and Ayako Inoue told the team that Aichi Gakuin would be its next opponent.
• Dai Moroboshi repeatedly scored against Kaede Rukawa as Aiwa Academy built a 38-28 lead, while Coach Anzai adjusted Shohoku’s lineup and defense.
• Ryota Kudo broke Aiwa Academy’s double-team by copying Moroboshi’s moves, then imitated Moroboshi’s shot to score and move Shohoku within eight points.
• Ryota Kudo concealed his pain as Shohoku brought Hisashi Mitsui into the game, and Kaede Rukawa blocked Moroboshi before Kudo passed the loose ball to Mitsui for a three-pointer that cut the score to 38-33.