Shinichi Maki also noticed that Dai Moroboshi's expression was unusually focused, clearly prepared to fight to the death.
The whistle blows, the game begins.
Hiroshi Morishige's jump ball startled Maki Shinichi and the Shinichi Maki once again.
His jumping ability and explosive power were completely inconsistent with his enormous size!
After the jump ball, he rushed to the frontcourt in a few steps, effortlessly pushing aside Aiwa's inside players. The guard lobbed the ball towards the basket, Hiroshi Morishige, leaning against the defender, easily caught it.
At this point, Aiwa Academy's inside connections were meaningless to him.
He received the ball, turned around smoothly, and with just this one move, the defender was knocked back two steps.
He leaps up and slams the ball down with both hands!
A loud crash!
The basketball hoop trembled violently, as if he were about to tear it off.
Aiwa's center forward was knocked to the ground by the force of the impact, completely unable to defend himself.
2 to 0.
These two points are significant because it's clear to everyone that Aiwa Academy can't stop Hiroshi Morishige at all!
"This... this fighting style is too brutal!!" Nobunaga Kiyota stared, his mouth agape, his face filled with astonishment.
He'd never seen this style before. Everyone says Akira Sendoh's offense is about simplifying complexity, but Hiroshi Morishige's is simply simplistic to the point of being brutal...
In addition to his exaggerated physique, he also possessed top-notch athletic ability, especially strength.
Shinichi Maki knew Aiwa and that center; he wouldn't dare say anything else, but in terms of strength, they were at least on par with Kazuma Takasago.
He's the starting center for one of the top four teams in the country, but against Hiroshi Morishige, he's practically made of paper.
Everyone was stunned, but looking at Hiroshi Morishige himself, he looked so relaxed, he hadn't used his full strength at all!
This opening move essentially set the tone for Meihou Industrial's playing style.
The whole team had only one thought: get the ball to Hiroshi Morishige. The guards dribbled the ball across half-court, and then tried every possible way to get the ball into the hands of that behemoth.
Next, the land was flat and clear.
One person defending? A free kill. Two people flanking? Still useless. Even if three rush in, don't expect to cause him any real trouble!
He was like a bulldozer on the field, sending chills down the spines of those watching him.
Every time a ball was scored, a collective gasp rippled through the stands.
The thing Aiwa Academy's interior players did most in the first half was wrestling... Under Hiroshi Morishige's repeated and brutal charges, they fell to the floor one after another.
Moreover, this guy's strength isn't limited to just his offense.
His defense is equally terrifying!
The three-second zone is his territory; anyone who dares to enter is doomed.
Even Dai Moroboshi took a solid hit from him!
Only ten minutes into the first half, the score was already 15-28, with the Aiwa Academy trailing by a full 13 points.
Hiroshi Morishige alone overwhelmed Aiwa and the entire team. Luckily, they had Dai Moroboshi to score some points, otherwise they might not have even managed to get those 15 points!
Boom!
On the court, Hiroshi Morishige delivered another powerful two-handed dunk!
This play drew the Dai Moroboshi was helping on defense, and he gritted his teeth and rushed forward to try and interfere.
This is the result; he's curled up on the floor in agony.
Looks like he really hurt himself.
To make matters worse, the referee blew his whistle and called a defensive foul on Dai Moroboshi!
beep!
The referee who had just called Dai Moroboshi blew his whistle again.
This time, he called Hiroshi Morishige.
Even now, Hiroshi Morishige is still hanging from the basketball hoop, looking down at the people on the ground.
According to the rules, hanging baskets for extended periods is prohibited unless there is a risk of injury. This regulation, to some extent, aims to protect public property.
These fouls also count towards the individual fouls. Including this one, Hiroshi Morishige has now accumulated three individual fouls, two of which were for hanging off the rim.
Rather than saying he has a problem, it's more accurate to say he's genuinely arrogant!
Especially this time, the one he trampled underfoot was none other than " Star of Aichi," Dai Moroboshi!
Hiroshi Morishige's action was clearly a declaration made through body language:
Here, I'm the one who calls the shots!
"Get down here right now! Do you hear me?!"
The referee had had enough. After blowing the whistle, the guy completely ignored it. The entire basketball hoop creaked and groaned as he pulled on it, and it looked like it was about to fall apart.
Hiroshi Morishige finally let go and landed on the ground, the basketball hoop shaking violently with a sigh of relief.
He looked down at Dai Moroboshi, who was getting up, and grinned, revealing a sinister smile full of disdain.
Dai Moroboshi slowly stood up, walking with a noticeable limp, probably from a serious injury sustained in the fall.
There was nothing he could do but be substituted off the field, limping towards the infirmary.
The unexpected incident caused an uproar throughout the stadium.
Hiroshi Morishige actually managed to dethrone Dai Moroboshi?!
Keep in mind, his dunk was completely clean; there was no offensive foul whatsoever! He simply used brute force to take down Aiwa Academy's star player!
The visual impact is indescribable.
Hiroshi Morishige being seemed to have four words written on it: Those who block my way shall die!
The team members from the Aiwa Academy looked at him with obvious fear. This sense of oppression was something they had never experienced before since the national tournament began.
Dai Moroboshi did not return until the end of the first half.
The score was now 21-51, with the Aiwa Academy trailing by a full thirty points!
Hiroshi Morishige scored 34 points in the first half, along with 12 rebounds and 6 blocks.
These statistics are terrifying. And his opponent was Aiwa Academy, one of the top four teams in the nation last year!
His individual score alone exceeded the team 'Aiwa total by 13 points!
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the first half was a one-man massacre show by him.
"See that, Kiyota? This is the National Tournament."
Shinichi Maki seized the opportunity to begin his lecture, though his tone still carried a lingering sense of shock.
"You'll find unexpected people everywhere. If you only focus on Kanagawa, you're no different from a frog in a well."
Clearly, even Hiroshi Morishige was deeply shocked by the destructive power he displayed.
Shinichi Maki has always prided himself on his unparalleled strength. Nationwide, there are only a handful of players who can match his power and explosiveness. Even against tall, imposing centers, he has never been at a disadvantage, as Akagi and Uozumi have both experienced firsthand.
But he was now certain that if he charged forward, he would definitely not be able to break through Hiroshi Morishige's wall!
Because Dai Moroboshi is a ready-made reference point.
Dai Moroboshi's personal abilities are firmly among the top five in the country. In fact, in the eyes of many people (especially locals in Aichi Prefecture ), he is second only to Eiji Sawakita.
Dai Moroboshi's physique and strength were by no means ordinary, and as an old acquaintance, Shinichi Maki knew this very well.
Even Dai Moroboshi as Hiroshi Morishige Dai is completely outmatched in physical combat against Morishige Hiroshi.
Leaving aside the defensive aspect due to their different positions, offensively speaking, when Dai Moroboshi was on the court, he drove into the paint several times, but Hiroshi Morishige thwarted his attempts. On one particular play, he even managed to block Moroboshi's seemingly inevitable dunk!
The difference in strength between the two was visible to the naked eye.
This was the first time that Shinichi Maki had felt wary of a particular player simply by watching the game.
Needless to say, Nobunaga Kiyota, standing next to him, still had his mouth agape.
When the halftime whistle blew, Nobunaga Kiyota was still standing there, his eyes practically glued to the screen.
The freshmen in his class were all incredibly frightening.
He now feels that the idea of standing out from the " Generation of Extreme Evil " is basically a pipe dream.
" Maki," Kiyota turned his head somewhat mechanically, "You tell me... between Shirasawa and this guy, who's more ruthless?"
Before today, Shirasawa was the pinnacle of first-year students in his mind, and perhaps even the pinnacle of high school students nationwide. But now, he felt that Hiroshi Morishige aura seemed to be even stronger. He was a little confused and urgently needed Shinichi Maki to give him a definite answer.
"It's hard to say."
Shinichi Maki answered readily.
He genuinely didn't know. After all, the two played different positions and dominated the game in completely different ways. While Hiroshi Morishige certainly intimidating, what Shirasawa displayed was equally mind-blowing.
"Unless Shohoku actually runs into them, no one can predict the outcome." Shinichi Maki paused, glancing at Kiyota. "But Kiyota, no matter who it is, you're still far from being able to compete with them. Besides, this is just Aichi Prefecture; there are plenty of formidable opponents you haven't even seen yet."
Kiyota remained silent.
He now realized how naive he had been, daring to claim he was the best newcomer of the year... Maki was right, his limited perspective was no different from that of a frog at the bottom of a well.
The second half began, Dai Moroboshi returned to the court. Judging from his running and jumping, his previous injury seemed to have healed well. This was enough to show that Dai Moroboshi's physical foundation was indeed solid, and it also indirectly confirmed Hiroshi Morishige strength.
Upon his return, Dai Moroboshi unleashed his full potential, leading Aiwa Academy in a fierce battle against Meihou Industrial, resulting in a stalemate at one point. Neither Hiroshi Morishige nor Dai Moroboshi could find a way to defeat them.
With five minutes left in the second half, Hiroshi Morishige was about to take over in the paint. He turned and squeezed past the defender, then got up to dunk!
beep--!
A sharp whistle rang out.
The referee signaled a foul, marking Hiroshi Morishige Hiroshi's fifth personal foul. The one who drew this offensive foul was none other than Dai Moroboshi, who had positioned himself correctly beforehand.
Dai Moroboshi was also lying on the ground this time, but a smile appeared on his lips. Experience and composure allowed him to turn the tables.
Hiroshi Morishige cheerfully raised his hand, admitting the foul and graduating after accumulating enough fouls. Looking at him, he showed no resentment whatsoever; on the contrary, he seemed relieved and eager to get off the court and rest.
The coach of Meihou Industrial shook his head helplessly on the sidelines and gave a wry smile, clearly having no complaints about the situation.
" Hiroshi, wouldn't it be better to play a little longer?"
"Hehe... I got tricked by that number 4," Hiroshi Morishige his head sheepishly. "I'm sleepy too."
He looked like a goofy, simple-minded guy next door when he laughed, a stark contrast to the monster he was on the court.
As soon Hiroshi Morishige the court, Dai Moroboshi immediately led Aiwa Academy in a counterattack. He practically dominated the entire half of the game, appearing on both offense and defense.
The final six seconds of the game.
The score was 87-89, with the Aiwa Academy trailing by two points, but they had possession of the ball, and on the final possession, it was in the hands of Dai Moroboshi.
Dai Moroboshi used a screen to move to the right wing, and facing two defenders, he drifted past the three-point line and launched the ball!