As the final buzzer sounded, the basketball swished through the net.
A last-second winner! Aiwa Academy pulled off an incredible comeback.
But everyone knows perfectly well who the real winner of this game is, even Dai Moroboshi, who scored the game-winning shot.
From this day forward, Aichi Prefecture will change.
" Hiroshi, did you see that? The consequence of the team captain leaving the field early is that the championship is gone."
The coach of Meihou Industrial spoke with a hint of helplessness, but his face showed little regret. He crossed his legs and leisurely watched the court; as the team that had been defeated in a last-minute loss, his mentality was truly something else.
However, he did not receive a reply from Hiroshi Morishige.
Turning my head, I saw that Hiroshi Morishige had actually fallen asleep... curled up on the bench like a polar bear, his head nodding off.
The coach wasn't angry at all; instead, his eyes revealed an appreciative smile.
"In another month, you'll be a household name across the country," he muttered to himself with a hint of pride.
Then he reached out and patted the "polar bear" in front of him.
" Hiroshi, dinner's ready."
Hiroshi Morishige groggily opened his eyes, "Finished? What are we eating?"
The composure displayed by this master and apprentice is the greatest source of confidence for Meihou Industrial. They are so confident that they don't care much about the championship title in Aichi Prefecture.
Just like the coach said, the national tournament a month from now is where Hiroshi Morishige. Just getting there is enough; his ranking doesn't matter at all.
For Meihou Industrial, they fear no one except Sannoh.
The process is similar in all counties: after the finals, the awards ceremony follows.
After Dai Moroboshi, Aiwa Academy won the Aichi Prefecture championship trophy for the third consecutive year, establishing a brief dynasty. However, this last trophy was somewhat influenced by luck.
Dai Moroboshi and Hiroshi Morishige were both selected for the Aichi Prefecture All-Star Team. Furthermore, thanks to his game-winning shot that turned the tide of the game, Dai Moroboshi was once again named MVP.
He had little smile on his face and remained tense the entire time.
on the contrary,
Meihou Industrial won second place, but the team members showed no disappointment whatsoever; instead, they smiled confidently. Such a sight is indeed rare in Aichi Prefecture.
"Let's go, heading to Osaka tomorrow." Shinichi Maki spoke as usual, not intending to discuss it with anyone at all. Their next stop was Osaka, and the timing was perfect, just in time for the semi-finals. Let Kiyota see more of the world; he'll surely learn something.
" Maki, isn't Dai Moroboshi an old acquaintance of yours? Why don't we wait for him and meet him before we leave?" Kiyota scratched his head. He had heard Shinichi Maki talk about Dai Moroboshi quite a bit last night. Back then Maki even thought that Aichi Prefecture was Dai Moroboshi's territory.
But now, Shinichi Maki's thoughts were aligning with Dai Moroboshi's back then. At this critical juncture, it was indeed not a good time for friends to catch up.
"So where are we going now, Maki? There's still plenty of time," Kiyota asked again.
"I'll take you to a hot spring."
"Hot springs?! Is it the kind of..." Kiyota's eyes lit up.
"Hehe, little kid, don't ask such questions." Shinichi Maki smiled and didn't continue.
Meanwhile, news of Shohoku winning the Kanagawa championship also spread. However, this time it didn't cause much of a stir. After all, compared to their consecutive victories over Shoyo and Kainan, beating Ryonan wasn't anything new. In fact, many people had never even heard of Ryonan... let alone who Akira Sendoh was.
This is the awkwardness of never having competed in a national tournament. No matter how good you are, you're just a local "mountain king." Without the test of a national tournament, all your efforts are in vain.
Hiroshi Morishige was the same. In the final, he scored 42 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and blocked 7 shots. If it weren't for his foul trouble, he would have almost crushed Aiwa Academy. But unless someone like Shinichi Maki witnessed it firsthand, to others, it just seemed like Dai Moroboshi had held back. After all, the championship ultimately went to the Aiwa Academy, and also because Hiroshi Morishige hadn't yet proven himself on the national stage. That's the weight of the national tournament.
However, Shirasawa and his team are devising a plan that is no less significant than the National Tournament.
Early that morning, all the players signed by the agency gathered at the Base Camp. There was a new face in the team: Kenji Fujima.
"I told you, the next meeting won't be too long." Shirasawa said, extending his hand. Fujima was the most satisfying signing he had made at this stage.
Snap!
Fujima raised his hand and gave him a high five.
"That's right, Captain." Fujima smiled meaningfully, while also making his position clear. As a senior, he was willing to be the second-in-command under Shirasawa. Apart from Hanamichi Sakuragi, no one else was willing to accept the position of vice-captain.
In Sakuragi's eyes, Fujima's code name was "that substitute"... The reason was simple: in the game against Shoyo, Fujima stood up from the bench.
Fujima didn't care; he didn't need anyone's approval... Of course, if Sakuragi was particularly unhappy, they could settle it with basketball. Fujima was happy to teach him how to be a good person.
Not long after, a new member arrived at the Base Camp.
Yayoi Aida. She had already officially signed a contract with Sanae earlier and joined the team under a different identity. This must be kept secret from the outside world; but internally, she needs to get to know all the team members to facilitate future cooperation.
The new magazine is almost up and running, and its flagship magazine will be called " Slam Dunk." According to Yayoi Aida's plan, besides reporting on games and players, the magazine will also feature a dedicated sneaker section as a key element to attract attention initially. Simply introducing sneakers won't be enough; they'll also hold giveaways and raffles. This small investment will definitely yield significant returns. This idea was indeed Yayoi Aida's, proving that Sanae made the right choice in hiring her.
Once everyone had arrived, Shirasawa announced the next move.
"There's still a month until the national tournament starts; we need to make the most of this gap."
" Sanae's arrangements are basically complete; we're going to organize a different kind of match."
"If this is done well, it will be just as significant as the national competition."
Shirasawa had barely finished explaining when Michael Okita couldn't sit still any longer. He was undoubtedly the one in the team who needed the most opportunity; otherwise, this year would have truly slipped by unnoticed. When everyone signed the contract, they knew a little about the future plans. They had mentioned wanting to do a national tour, but they hadn't decided on the number of teams. Now that they had a decent roster, it was time to get moving! Taking advantage of this month before the national tournament, they could go out and compete under their own names. Even if it wasn't far away, they would definitely make quite a splash in Kanagawa.
Fujima knew about the plan all along and took over the planning and arrangement. With him on board, Shirasawa was completely freed up.
Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, Fujima pulled out a proposal.
"The competition we're going to hold is -- the 100-Point Battle!"
Kaede Rukawa: "!!!"
Michael Okita: "!!!"
Hanamichi Sakuragi: "???"
The 100-Point Battle" – as the name suggests, whoever reaches 100 points first wins. That's a bold idea! Whether it's a one-on-one or three-on-three match, reaching 100 points is quite extreme! Especially in a one-on-one, the intensity is the highest. Two players of similar skill levels, going all out, would probably only score twenty or thirty goals before reaching their limit.
Although I still have enough stamina to keep going, my strength will inevitably be diminished as I expend more energy.
The idea of getting 100 points is so outrageous that no one would dare to even think of it!
Everyone was both excited and a little apprehensive upon hearing this.
However, the fact that it's 100-Point Battle is enough to attract attention.
With the addition of Shirasawa, Kaede Rukawa, and Fujima as key figures, it's sure to attract many challengers.
Take Kaede Rukawa for example. He might not win if he scores 10 points, but if he scores 100 points, who knows!
If you have enough stamina, you can wear down your opponent.
If I could really beat Kaede Rukawa, my reputation would be truly legendary.
Shirasawa and Fujima need not be mentioned.
Who knows, even Kiccho Fukuda might come and give it a try.
This is a good thing, but the concern is whether they can win every game?
This competition isn't something we're doing all the work for someone else.
The goal is to enable the team members to make a name for themselves.
The only way to become famous is to win.
Defeat all challengers with 100-Point Battle!
If the competition can be promoted nationwide, its significance will be no less than that of the national competition, representing a true clash of individual abilities.
Therefore, they cannot afford to lose.
But no one has ever scored 100 points; the unknown is the scariest thing.
Fujima saw through their thoughts at a glance; he had already prepared a foolproof plan.
"Don't worry, we're not the only ones who haven't played before, but we can start practicing in advance."
A training plan for the 100-Point Battle was laid out before everyone.
As a coach, Fujima is a professional...
He said sternly, "It's better to be prepared. Whoever loses doesn't deserve to stay on the team."
The current Fujima is not like he was back in Shoyo, when he had to worry about his teammates and act as both father and mother to them.
Here, there are no pushovers; everything is decided by strength.
Fujima has also changed his style, becoming a veritable devilish vice-captain...
Perhaps, this is the true face of Kenji Fujima.
Kaede Rukawa and the others were already spitting fire.
Unworthy to stay?
That's incredibly exciting!
Hanamichi Sakuragi slammed his hand on the table and began to shout with great conviction.
"What's 100 points? That's what you mortals think. For a genius like me, 1000 points is what's truly impressive!"
He had no concept of scores, only that he was certain he could do it, and his physical strength was unmatched, at least on par with the top three, like Kaede Rukawa...
But Shirasawa immediately poured cold water on his enthusiasm.
"Let's test the waters in Kanagawa first. If it goes well, we can expand it to other prefectures."
"Because Sakuragi, Kaede Rukawa, and I need to prepare for the national tournament, we will miss some games."
He continued, "Therefore, the format will be a 1-on-1 100-point battle, Sakuragi and Ichiro Katsumi will not participate."
Fujima arranged the schedule according to everyone's availability and decided who would be the champion on which day.
Shirasawa chose the most difficult challenge: a one-on-one duel.
This tests not only physical strength, but also willpower.
Fujima nodded; he was confident that he could get the team used to the percentage model within a few days.
Ichiro Katsumi had no objections. Although he was confident, he was clear about his role: he was a team player, and one-on-one combat was his weakness.
Not to mention the exaggerated 100-Point Battle.
Letting him play is practically the same as forcing him to leave the team...
Only Sakuragi was the first to jump out and disagree.
In the eyes of a genius, the word "defeat" simply doesn't exist...
He glared and shouted, "Why can't I go? Even if Shinichi Maki comes, we'll still do it!"
Sakuragi's inexplicable self-confidence is innate, but Shirasawa won't let him act recklessly.
Like Sakuragi Ichiro Katsumi is a team player; one-on-one situations are not suitable for him.
Let alone facing Shinichi Maki, he couldn't even beat Nobunaga Kiyota.
Sakuragi and Ichiro Katsumi's stage is in 3-on-3 or 5-on-5 matches; that's when they truly shine.
A detailed explanation is unnecessary without Shirasawa or Fujima appearing.
Ichiro Katsumi gave him a wink and pulled Sakuragi aside, whispering to him for a long time.