The afternoon sun slanted across the tree-lined paths of Shohoku High School.
A bus bearing the name of Ryonan High School slowly pulled up near the gym.
The doors opened, and a group of boys in matching tracksuits bearing Ryonan's name filed out.
They were much taller and bigger than ordinary students.
They instantly drew the attention of the Shohoku students nearby.
"It's the Ryonan Basketball Team!"
Some Shohoku students recognized them.
The Ryonan players wore composed expressions and walked with firm strides.
They naturally exuded the confidence and presence of a strong team.
The boy in the lead had a slightly tousled hairstyle, yet possessed a certain rakish handsomeness.
A faint, relaxed smile played at his lips. He was Akira Sendoh, Ryonan High School's undisputed ace.
He stood nearly 190 centimeters tall and had a well-proportioned build. Even his seemingly casual stance held top-class athletic ability.
As one of the very best players in Kanagawa Prefecture, Sendoh possessed an astonishingly complete skill set.
Scoring, assists, rebounds-he could do it all.
Not only was his style of play effortless and composed, but his basketball IQ and court awareness also far exceeded his age.
Right behind him was the towering Jun Uozumi, who stood over 200 centimeters tall.
He was the pillar of Ryonan's interior and one of the prefecture's top centers.
Dark skin, a resolute face, and a body as steady as a rock.
Wherever he stood, he resembled an insurmountable barrier.
Next came the defensive stalwart, Ryoji Ikegami.
He was Ryonan's defensive anchor on the perimeter, experienced and tenacious, and made it his duty to mark the opposing team's spearhead.
There was also Tomoyuki Uekusa, whose ball handling was steady and whose turnover rate was extremely low.
And Hiroaki Koshino, a forward brimming with fighting spirit who fought hard for every ball.
This Ryonan team balanced offense and defense and was widely recognized as a powerhouse in Kanagawa Prefecture.
They were far beyond anything the Shohoku of old could match.
Their coach, Moichi Taoka, walked at the rear.
He was a middle-aged man known for his strictness and tactical expertise.
He surveyed Shohoku's campus, working out tactics for the upcoming game in his mind.
Meanwhile, inside Shohoku's gym, the players had finished warming up and were listening to Takenori Akagi's final reminders.
"They're here!"
Someone spoke in a low voice.
At the news that Ryonan had arrived, the atmosphere instantly grew tense.
Hanamichi Sakuragi immediately bounded to the doorway and peered outside, shouting, "Which one's Sendoh? Which one's Uozumi? Let this genius see how many eyes they've got!"
Kaede Rukawa kept tying his shoelaces, his face as expressionless as ever.
He had long heard of Akira Sendoh's great reputation.
Kawamoto Kazuki stood quietly to one side, doing basic dribbling drills.
The information he had gathered about Ryonan flashed rapidly through his mind, especially the characteristics of Akira Sendoh and Jun Uozumi.
He knew this would be a tough battle for the Shohoku Basketball Team.
After all, Coach Anzai had told him to hold back.
So Kawamoto Kazuki could not unleash his abilities to the fullest.
But this was very necessary to conceal the team's tactics.
Soon, Ryonan's players entered Shohoku's gym under Coach Taoka's lead.
The two teams met at center court, and an invisible pressure instantly filled the air.
Beneath the friendly handshakes, an undercurrent of rivalry surged.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Coach Anzai, Coach Moichi Taoka turned to his players and declared in a booming voice, "Listen up! Shohoku will be very strong this year, but that makes this the perfect test for us! We must prove to everyone that Ryonan's strength doesn't lie in any one individual, but in the team! Today, we'll defeat Shohoku with pure team basketball!"
His words were meant both to motivate his players and for Shohoku's players to hear.
He intended to stir their fighting spirit so he could get a more accurate look at the Shohoku Basketball Team's strength.
That was also the main purpose of his visit.
The three first-year newcomers showed little reaction.
But veterans such as Akagi and Kogure dared not take them lightly.
They knew very well that Ryonan, with Akira Sendoh and Jun Uozumi anchoring the team, was an extremely fearsome opponent.
The players on both sides began their final preparations.
Coach Anzai said little, merely telling them to play their best.
Ryonan's starting lineup:
Akira Sendoh played point guard, Ryoji Ikegami and Hiroaki Koshino partnered at forward, Tomoyuki Uekusa appeared to be playing shooting guard, and Jun Uozumi remained at center.
This lineup emphasized ball movement and defense.
Clearly, Coach Taoka intended to defeat Shohoku through collective teamwork.
More importantly, this would better conceal Sendoh's strength.
He walked up to Akagi. Similar in height and build, the two resembled mountains about to collide.
"Akagi."
Uozumi's voice was low and powerful. "We didn't get to play to our hearts' content last time. Today, I'll show you the true strength of Ryonan's center."
Takenori Akagi fearlessly met his gaze and clenched his fists. "I couldn't ask for more! Bring it on, Uozumi!"
Fighting spirit clashed fiercely between the two giants.
The Shohoku Basketball Team's referee walked into the center circle with the basketball.
The practice game was about to begin!
Shohoku starters: Takenori Akagi (C), Kawamoto Kazuki (PF), Kaede Rukawa (SF), Hanamichi Sakuragi (SG), Kiminobu Kogure (PG).
Ryonan starters: Jun Uozumi (C), Hiroaki Koshino (PF), Ryoji Ikegami (SF), Tomoyuki Uekusa (SG), Akira Sendoh (PG).
Would Shohoku's new lineup show its edge, or would Ryonan's team basketball prove superior?
A practice game full of uncertainty was about to erupt!
The referee tossed the ball into the air.
Using his height advantage, Jun Uozumi overpowered Takenori Akagi and tipped the ball toward his own half.
Akira Sendoh easily scooped up the ball, and Ryonan launched the first attack.
On the opening possession, Sendoh dribbled across half court and faced Kiminobu Kogure's defense without rushing to drive.
He raised a hand to signal, and Uozumi quickly came up to set a screen.
It was a simple, efficient pick-and-roll. Sendoh used the screen to shake off Kogure, and the instant he drew Akagi into switching onto him-
With a flick of his wrist, he threaded a precise bounce pass to Uozumi rolling toward the basket.
Uozumi caught the ball and, facing Kawamoto Kazuki's slightly late help defense, took off for a one-handed slam!
0-2.
Ryonan struck first.
On Shohoku's possession, Kogure handled the ball and tried to feed Akagi in the low post.
But Uozumi aggressively fronted him, cutting off the passing lane.
Kogure instead swung the ball to Kaede Rukawa on the wing.
Facing Ryoji Ikegami's tight defense, Kaede Rukawa forced up a pull-up jumper, but the ball bounced off the rim.
Uozumi established position and secured the defensive rebound.
Ryonan counterattacked, with Sendoh receiving the ball and pushing forward quickly.
On the move, he keenly spotted Hiroaki Koshino racing ahead and delivered a precise long pass across half court.
Koshino caught it and finished the layup.
0-4.
On the next possession, Akagi barely managed to receive the ball in the low post. Under Uozumi's physical defense, he missed a turnaround hook.
Sakuragi fought hard to tip the offensive rebound to himself, then jumped again and scored the putback, earning Shohoku its first points.
2-4.
Ryonan immediately answered.
Sendoh completed a handoff to Tomoyuki Uekusa.
Uekusa faked a shot and passed instead, returning the ball to Sendoh as he cut out off a screen.
Sendoh caught the ball beyond the three-point line and shot without hesitation. The ball swished through the net.
2-7.
In the opening three minutes, Ryonan rode fluid teamwork and Sendoh's excellent playmaking to a 7-2 run.
Shohoku had scored only two points, from Hanamichi Sakuragi's putback.