"Wow--!"
"Amazing!"
" Tsukubu! Tsukubu! Tsukubu!"
" Nango! Nango! Nango!"
Even the spectators in the stands couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
"Good shot! Nango!"
The Tsukubu and players on the field erupted in hoarse cheers.
Despite still trailing by a large margin, at that moment they felt as if they had won the world.
The Nango was completely engulfed in flames!
He was no longer a frivolous rookie with blond hair, but a ferocious beast in the paint, completely enraged and unleashing all his potential!
Mid-range jumpers, hook shots, face-up drives, strong drives to the basket, and even playmaking and passing...
He unleashed all his offensive talent without reservation.
The desperate support from the entire Tsukubu team created a few, but deadly, attacking opportunities for him.
Despite Kawamoto's three-pointer, the score continued to widen.
However, the other members of Shohoku were caught off guard by Nango's sudden outburst.
Kaede Rukawa frowned, and Ryota Miyagi also dropped his relaxed expression.
Takenori Akagi stood under the basket, watching Nango make another difficult jump shot right in front of him, and his heart was filled with turmoil.
"Is this the amazing newcomer that Godai was talking about?"
Akagi had to admit that Nango's rebounding positioning and defensive awareness were still very immature, far from meeting the standards of an excellent center.
But his offensive skills and talent are probably unmatched in the entire Kanagawa.
Even Hanagata won't do!
More importantly, when facing centers of his own caliber, his movements remained almost perfectly consistent, and his stamina and strength were also quite outstanding.
During a break in play, Akagi couldn't help but ask in a deep voice, "Hey, when did you start playing basketball?"
Nango wiped his sweat, catching his breath, and answered naturally, "Me? I only started formally learning this spring after joining Tsukubu."
"What?!"
Akagi's pupils contracted sharply, almost thinking he had misheard.
You only started formally learning this spring?
You can reach that level in just a few months!
He looked at Nango's face, which was particularly sharp because of his seriousness, and the image of Hanamichi Sakuragi, who had also made rapid progress, flashed through his mind.
"Another monster-level rookie?"
A complex mix of emotions welled up within Akagi.
It was shock, it was emotion, and it also reflected the sense of urgency felt by the older generation.
"If given three years to receive systematic training and accumulate competition experience... he can definitely surpass me now."
Akagi was fully aware of this.
The world of basketball is both cruel and fascinating.
Like the Yangtze River, the new generation pushes the old one forward; the old strongmen will always be replaced by younger, more talented new stars.
Then they became the backdrop and foundation of their legendary journey.
Only God will never be forgotten!
But it is precisely this constant influx of fresh blood and endless possibilities that makes this sport forever captivating, forever exhilarating, and forever something to look forward to.
In the stands, Toru Hanagata of Shoyo had somehow started standing and watching the game.
His voice was filled with undisguised admiration. " Fujima, this rookie center from Tsukubu is really amazing."
Kenji Fujima nodded solemnly, "Hmm, it's kind of like your style."
"No!"
Hanagata slowly shook his head, his tone frank.
He's better than me.
Seeing Fujima's surprised expression, he continued his analysis, "My offense relies more on mid-range and long-range shots and hook shots; my face-up isolation ability is a weakness. But this Nango, look at his footwork, his face-up drives, his finishing touch around the basket... he's so well-rounded."
"Don't forget, his opponent is Akagi. Under Akagi's level of intensity, his movement fluidity and accuracy hardly decreased."
"As for support..."
Hanagata paused for a moment, then said, "I relied more on the overall height advantage of our Shoyo and your playmaking. But what he possesses is the vision and basketball IQ to find teammates to pass to when he's double-teamed."
"More importantly, he's only in first grade!"
"It would be a waste to put such talent in an environment like Tsukubu's, where he wouldn't have enough tough opponents to hone his skills and be exposed to high-level tactics."
He turned to Fujima and said very seriously, " Fujima, I'm serious. Think about it. After the game, go and contact him, and try to bring him to Shoyo. With him joining, our inside game will be completely solid, and we'll have a much better chance of reaching the top four in the national tournament."
"Also, I want to see how far a newcomer with a similar playing style to mine, but even more talent, can ultimately go..."
Kenji Fujima's gaze shifted between Nango and Shohoku's number 15, before he finally nodded slowly. "I understand. Such talent shouldn't be wasted. I'll give it a try."
At the same time, Kawamoto's frustration at being rejected by Shinichi Maki vanished in Kainan.
Koichiro Nango's talent and potential have shown him the perfect answer for Kainan's future inside game.
Let's forget about Kawamoto, that top-tier rich kid.
But recruiting people from this Nango shouldn't be difficult.
The yellow-haired breed is easy to analyze.
They probably can't even pull out 100 yen from their pockets.
But they can summon more than a dozen girls with just one phone call.
By leveraging Kainan's flexible enrollment system and generous scholarship policies, we can surely achieve our goal with ease.
Fujima and Maki's minds had already drifted beyond the competition; they were secretly plotting for the future.
As for Ryonan...
The two commentators, "Giant Chef Under the Basket" and "Lazy Fisher," simply remarked that Tsukubu's center position was quite good.
I had no other thoughts besides that.
There's a reason why Ryonan has been ranked third for a thousand years.
Let's start with the coach.
Although Taoka sought powerful external support everywhere, his philosophy was fundamentally flawed.
They don't even have the ability to ignite the fighting spirit in their star players.
Ultimately, he was just a half-baked expert, neither fish nor fowl.
As for the players...
More Zen-like.
Playing ball is just for fun.
What could be more enjoyable than cooking and fishing?
"Beep beep--!"
The final whistle blew, and the score was set.
Tsukubu won 92-64 against Shohoku.
But a significant portion of the applause that erupted from the stands at that moment was dedicated to Tsukubu High School, and was sustained and enthusiastic.
Viewers may be amazed by Shohoku's monstrous number 15 and gasp at Mitsui's hot shooting touch.
But what truly left an impression on them was the never-give-up spirit displayed by the Tsukubu team in the face of a huge score difference and a gap in strength.
They saw that Captain Tomokazu Godai, despite being locked down on the outside and exhausted, still dragged his heavy legs to make tackles and fight for the ball, directing the team in a hoarse voice.
They saw that, despite being delayed for a moment by Kawamoto Kazuki's despairing attack, Hiroshi Natsume, with red eyes, still rushed forward without hesitation.
They saw Yoshikazu Tamura and Kenta Mine in the paint, using their fearless positioning, diving to save the ball, and even their bodies to block Shohoku's attacks time and time again.
They also saw that the newcomer, Koichiro Nango, took over the team's hopes at their most desperate moment.
Every precise pass to a teammate amidst a double team, every sprint to get back up and defend after a fall...
Sweat plastered his dyed blond hair to his forehead, the expensive hairspray long since worn out.
The frivolity on his face was gone, replaced by a fierce, focused expression and an unyielding stubbornness.
As the final whistle blew, he even growled at the exhausted Natsume, "Give me the ball! Give it to me!!!"
In the final moments, even though Tsukubu's entire team knew there was no way to turn the tide, not a single person gave up.
They continued to execute tactics, continued to make desperate runs, and continued to create every possible opportunity for Nango.
Until the final whistle blew, only Nango remained in the gesture of receiving the ball; the other players collapsed to the ground.
His jersey was soaked with sweat, his face was pale, and he didn't even have the strength to lift his arms.
But their eyes did not falter; instead, they held a calm and composed expression.
They gave their all, pouring out their pride and passion for Tsukubu onto the field.
" Tsukubu! Well done!"
"You've worked hard, men!"
Don't cry! You guys are amazing!