Coach Moichi Taoka stood courtside with his arms folded.
His sharp gaze swept across Shohoku's half of the court.
There was no delight on his face.
Kaede Rukawa...
He stared at the expressionless number 11.
Before Kaede Rukawa joined Shohoku, he had personally invited the young man.
But looking at him now, was this all the junior high super rookie could do?
He could sense some stiffness in Kaede Rukawa's movements.
And his decisions with the ball were rushed.
It seemed he had yet to adjust to the intensity of high school basketball.
His gaze shifted to Shohoku's shooting guard, the red-haired number 10.
It was Hanamichi Sakuragi.
Moichi Taoka continued his analysis.
This guy moved like a complete novice. He even struggled to receive a pass against Uekusa.
He looked like a beginner.
Although his height and athleticism looked good, he wouldn't pose much of a threat in the short term.
Finally, his gaze settled on Shohoku's number 15, Kawamoto Kazuki, who was matched up against Hiroaki Koshino.
This was his first time seeing this rookie. Even Ryonan's scouting reports had no record of him.
A glance at the courtside introduction told him that Shohoku's rookie number 15 was named Kawamoto Kazuki.
Moichi Taoka's eyes began analyzing him like precision instruments.
This rookie, Kawamoto Kazuki, had excellent physical tools.
His height and wingspan were even better than Sendoh's.
But his performance at the start had been unremarkable.
He had contributed nothing on offense or defense.
Judging by the stats alone, he was slightly inferior to Koshino.
Coach Taoka wrote Kawamoto Kazuki's name on the tactical board in his hands and circled it.
Shohoku had these new rookies this year...
Especially this number 15. He didn't look as simple as he appeared.
This year's prefectural tournament probably wouldn't be quiet.
The game continued, and Ryonan's team-driven onslaught continued with it.
Shohoku desperately needed someone to step up and end its scoring drought.
Kaede Rukawa's gaze grew colder.
Ryonan's fluid offense and solid defense kept Shohoku firmly suppressed.
Although the gap at 2-7 wasn't large, Shohoku was completely on the back foot on the court.
Their offense stalled, and their defense was breached time and again.
Inside the gym, cheers rose one after another from Ryonan's bench, while Shohoku's bench fell silent.
It was Shohoku's possession.
Kiminobu Kogure dribbled across half court, scanning the floor for an opening.
Takenori Akagi was tightly tied up by Jun Uozumi.
Under Tomoyuki Uekusa's coverage, Hanamichi Sakuragi struggled even to receive a pass.
Just as he hesitated, a cold, clear voice rang out:
"Ball."
It was Kaede Rukawa.
He stood beyond the three-point line at a forty-five-degree angle, facing Ryonan's defensive specialist, Ryoji Ikegami.
Experienced and sure-footed, Ikegami stayed tight in front of Kaede Rukawa, giving him no room to receive an easy pass.
Kogure hesitated for a moment but passed the ball over anyway.
The pass wasn't fast.
The instant Kaede Rukawa caught it, Ikegami pressed close, applying heavy physical pressure.
One hand kept pestering him, trying to disrupt Kaede Rukawa's rhythm.
An ordinary first-year would very likely turn the ball over or rush a pass under defense this intense.
But Kaede Rukawa was no ordinary rookie.
After catching the ball, he didn't even make an adjustment.
He abruptly leaned back, using his core strength to force Ikegami half a step away and create a tiny sliver of space!
Then, without a single fake, he rose straight up for a jumper!
"What?"
Ikegami was startled. He hadn't expected Kaede Rukawa to dare shoot so decisively under such tight pressure.
He leaped with all his might to block it, but Kaede Rukawa's elevation and release speed far exceeded his expectations!
The basketball sliced through the air like an arrow loosed from a bow, spinning lightly as it flew straight toward the hoop!
Swish!
A crisp sound rang out as the ball brushed through the net!
The three-pointer went in!
5-7!
Shohoku's bench instantly erupted in cheers!
That basket was a huge boost!
"Great shot, Kaede Rukawa!"
Akagi shouted his encouragement.
Kaede Rukawa landed, his face still expressionless, as though he hadn't been the one who had just hit that crucial three.
But his eyes were even colder than before, like burning, ghostly blue flames.
Coach Moichi Taoka frowned deeply on the sideline.
This kid...
He had just thought Kaede Rukawa had yet to adjust to the pace, but the decisiveness and accuracy of that three-pointer were nothing like a slow-starting rookie's.
Ikegami was our best perimeter defender...
It was Ryonan's turn to attack.
Akira Sendoh tried to organize another play, but Shohoku's morale had surged with Kaede Rukawa's basket.
Their defensive intensity rose noticeably.
After several passes, Hiroaki Koshino finally forced up a midrange shot.
It missed.
Takenori Akagi fought hard to secure the rebound.
Shohoku launched a fast break.
It was Kaede Rukawa again!
He raced downcourt like a ghost. Kogure understood immediately, finding Kaede Rukawa in the frontcourt with a precise long pass.
Kaede Rukawa caught the ball, with only Ryoji Ikegami, who had hurried back on defense, in front of him.
Without slowing down, he dribbled straight toward the basket!
Ikegami quickly set his feet, preparing to draw a charge.
But just before he collided with Ikegami, Kaede Rukawa made an incredibly convincing shot fake.
Ikegami instinctively shifted his weight slightly upward.
In that split second, Kaede Rukawa abruptly dribbled the ball between his legs into his left hand.
At the same time, he made a sharp change of direction, bursting past Ikegami's right side in a single step!
After beating Ikegami, Kaede Rukawa rose easily and slammed the ball through the hoop with one hand!
7-7!
A tie!
"Roar-!"
Shohoku's fighting spirit was fully ignited!
Ryoji Ikegami stood where he was, disbelief written all over his face.
A first-year had actually beaten him in such a simple, direct way?
Coach Moichi Taoka shot up from his seat, his face filled with shock.
How was that possible!
Ikegami had been beaten that cleanly?
He stared fixedly at the expressionless number 11 on the court.
That drive just now... his initial burst, the sharpness of his change of direction, his timing...
This guy...
He wasn't struggling with the intensity of high school basketball at all!
Had he been observing earlier?
Taoka realized he had made a serious mistake. He had vastly underestimated this rookie named Kaede Rukawa.
This was no unpolished gem that needed shaping, but a sharp sword already drawn and displaying its edge!
"Defense! Stay on number 11!"
Coach Taoka shouted onto the court.
But Kaede Rukawa's performance wasn't over yet.
The next few minutes became entirely his solo show.
Facing Ikegami's increasingly relentless pressure, Kaede Rukawa kept scoring with one seemingly impossible straight-up jumper after another, lightning-fast spin drives, and even difficult fadeaways.
Ryoji Ikegami gave everything he had, but his defense looked helpless against Kaede Rukawa's sheer talent and hot shooting.
11-9!
15-13!
19-17!
The scores rose back and forth, but almost all of Shohoku's points came from Kaede Rukawa alone.
Through his own strength, he tore open Ryonan's solid defense and put the outcome of the game back in doubt!
The entire gym erupted!
Shohoku's bench also went wild over Kaede Rukawa's sudden individual showcase!
"Kaede Rukawa! Kaede Rukawa! Kaede Rukawa!"
The cheers were deafening.
Hanamichi Sakuragi watched Kaede Rukawa steal the spotlight, gritting his teeth in irritation.
Yet he had to admit that the damn fox really was good.
Takenori Akagi also gained more room inside, occasionally scoring off passes from Kaede Rukawa's drives and kick-outs.
Coach Moichi Taoka's expression grew immensely grave.
He had originally thought that even without Fukuda, Ryonan could still control the game through team basketball.
He hadn't expected Shohoku's lineup to conceal such a god of slaughter!
This Kaede Rukawa...
He might truly have the potential to go toe-to-toe with Sendoh...
He looked toward Akira Sendoh on the court. Sendoh was still smiling, but an intense fighting spirit had already ignited in his eyes.