Akita Prefecture is counting on Sannoh to bring glory to the region; the other teams are probably hoping to simply forfeit...
By this time, the county-level tournaments across the country had mostly concluded, and Shinichi Maki felt there was no need to take Kiyota to watch the weaker teams anymore.
So they turned back from Fukuoka to Osaka.
Let's watch the final and most crucial match in Osaka.
Toyotama High School vs. Daiei Academy.
Daiei Academy emerged as a dark horse last year, qualifying for the national tournament as the runner-up in Osaka Prefecture.
The team's overall strength is quite solid, not much different from Toyotama's.
Unfortunately, they were a bit unlucky, running into a quarterfinal team in the first round. They fought hard for forty minutes, but ultimately lost.
Back then, the team's ace was a third-year student.
This year, the ace graduated, and everyone thought that Daiei Academy's popularity would only last for a short time. Unexpectedly, another one has emerged in the team to take on a major role.
Atsushi Tsuchiya, a second-grader.
Last year, this guy didn't stand out much. Although he was the starting point guard, he mostly did the passing to his teammates.
Nobody expected this guy to be keeping it all under wraps, waiting for this year to finally unleash his power...
As a second-year student, I became the team captain this year. I was able to unleash my full potential and led Daiei Academy all the way to the semifinals. We won the first two matches, and our ticket to the national tournament was already in our pocket.
Today's match against Toyotama is going to be quite interesting.
The situation is changing rapidly this year; the power structure of Osaka Prefecture might even change hands.
Hey! Look over there! Isn't that Shinichi Maki?!
"It really is him! Maki, the Maki the Emperor of Kanagawa. I never expected to run into him here."
"Brother, you don't know yet? The Maki the Emperor are a thing of the past. Kainan didn't even make it to the national competition this year."
"How could I not know that? But that doesn't stop me from liking him. His playing style is so domineering, it's just my style."
Many people on the street pointed and whispered about Shinichi Maki, and some fans even came over to ask for autographs. This shows the popularity he gained during the national tournament. But then again, if he were a bit more handsome, or looked younger... his fan base would probably double.
Shinichi Maki was used to all the talk and praise, and didn't take it seriously at all. But Nobunaga Kiyota was different; his eyes widened in disbelief. Only now did he understand how important the national tournament was for a player. "One day, I'll be as successful as Maki!" Kiyota silently vowed to himself.
"Oh... isn't this our Maki the Emperor?"
"Oh dear... shouldn't this title be taken back now?"
As soon as he entered the hall, a shrill voice rang out, completely different from the previous chatter; it was clearly someone looking for trouble. Kiyota immediately frowned, turned his head, and saw a tall man with a small braid, wearing a sports jersey.
Toyotama's people?
Before Kiyota could speak, Shinichi Maki spoke first. "It's you, the one with no name." Shinichi Maki said this partly out of displeasure, and partly because... he had genuinely forgotten this person's name. Toyotama was at best a top eight in the country, not even in the same league as Kainan before. Of course he knew Toyotama's ace, Minami Tsuyoshi Minami, and he even remembered Fujima, but this person in front of him... was clearly not Tsuyoshi Minami.
" Kishimoto! Good luck in the match later!"
" Kishimoto! We must go even further this year!"
The shouts from the fans nearby gave the answer: it turned out that this person was Toyotama's second-in-command, Minori Kishimoto.
"Hey, are you angry?" Minori Kishimoto seemed completely unconcerned about the "no name" thing, and instead became even more enthusiastic. "What's this, coming here to gather information for Shohoku?"
"What did you say?! I'll teach you a lesson..." Kiyota's temper flared up instantly.
Shinichi Maki raised his hand to stop him, coldly throwing back a remark. "Gathering intelligence? You're not worthy."
Kishimoto wanted to continue provoking, but when Shinichi Maki's gaze swept over him, he immediately choked. Just that one look sent a chill down Kishimoto's spine. Maki's aura Maki the Emperor was no joke; with that physique, he could probably rank among the top fighters in the country.
Once inside the stadium, Shinichi Maki finally relaxed.
"Why did you stop me, Maki! That guy deserves a beating!" Nobunaga Kiyota wasn't tall, but he was incredibly bold. As a member of the " Generation of Extreme Evil," recklessness was ingrained in his bones. If Shinichi Maki hadn't stopped him, he probably would have kicked him. Anyway, Kainan is on holiday now, so it's fine if he gets into a fight...
" Toyotama High School is notorious throughout the country for being a villain," Shinichi Maki said calmly. "That's how they play basketball; they deliberately provoke their opponents to achieve their own goals. Last year, Shoyo fell to them; Fujima was injured by Tsuyoshi Minami, which directly led to their loss. Kiyota, if your hot temper were on the court, they'd have you completely under their thumb."
Kiyota was taken aback; he hadn't expected there to be such a team in the national tournament. The villain? That was a pretty harsh term.
"That's what real matches are like," Shinichi Maki continued. "It's not just about who's stronger or weaker; you also have to deal with all sorts of unexpected and messy things. To be an excellent player, you need solid technique and a sharp mind. Fujima is a prime example. If he had avoided Tsuyoshi Minami instead of going head-to-head with him, Shoyo's outcome might have been different."
Kiyota nodded. He had indeed learned a lot from following Shinichi Maki on this trip. Sure enough, one cannot truly grow up without experiencing the outside world.
" Tsuyoshi Minami! Tsuyoshi Minami!"
Shouts rang out; the Ace Killer had made his entrance.
The moment Tsuyoshi Minami stepped onto the field, the entire stadium erupted in cheers. Yes, he had a terrible reputation among players, but that didn't stop the fans from idolizing him, after all, Toyotama had secured a place among the top eight in the nation under his guidance. While the two teams warmed up, Tsuyoshi Minami didn't move, not even taking off his training clothes, sitting calmly on the bench. Head coach Jinpei opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just sighed.
When the match officially started, Tsuyoshi Minami still didn't play. Not only did he not play, he waved to the fans and then left the field. It was clear now that Tsuyoshi Minami was resting for this game.
Toyotama High School, despite its reputation as one of the top eight teams in the nation, is actually in a state of chaos. Two years ago, the team's veteran coach, Kitano, was fired by the school and replaced by the current young coach Jinpei. Jinpei may not be the best among young coaches, but he's certainly had good luck. While both are young coaches, Kazumi Kawasaki better reputation in the coaching circle, but he took on a team like Tsukubu, which is only one of the top eight in the prefecture. Jinpei, on the other hand, has taken on a national top eight team like Toyotama; theoretically, he should be reaching the pinnacle of his career.
However, reality is quite different. The original coach, Kitano, had such a profound influence on the Toyotama players that they simply couldn't accept the change of coach, especially Tsuyoshi Minami and Kishimoto. Back then, they were just first-year rookies who came to Toyotama specifically because of Coach Kitano.
Coach Kitano's run-and-gun style of play at Toyotama did attract many passionate young players back then.
The team has consistently remained in the top eight nationally thanks to this, but that's about it; they only make it to the top eight, earning them the nickname "Top Eight Goalkeepers."
This nickname doesn't sound like a compliment. To put it bluntly, it's both a compliment and an insult, implying you're stuck in a rut, unable to improve or improve.
The reality is similar; compared to the teams that can truly reach the top four, they are indeed lacking.
So the school administration made a tough decision and dismissed Coach Kitano.
The players couldn't accept this, and with nowhere to vent their anger, they all took it out on the new coach, Jinpei.
Of course, Jinpei himself also has to take some blame.
Young coaches always want to bring something new and prove themselves.
His first act upon taking office was to abolish the run-and-gun tactics that were the foundation of his business!
Good heavens, isn't this tantamount to taking away someone's livelihood? The conflict immediately escalated.
The drama of discord between generals and commanders has been going on since that day, and it continues to this day.
As a result, Toyotama continued to play run-and-gun offense and made it to the quarterfinals every year.
Jinpei eventually came to his senses and decided to prioritize keeping his position as head coach, since at least the team's performance hadn't declined under his leadership.
He figured that if he endured another year, and waited for those two troublemakers, Tsuyoshi Minami and Kishimoto, to graduate and leave, he could then unleash his full potential to transform the team.
So right now, he really has to rely on these two guys to help him win.
No wonder Tsuyoshi Minami himself said he wouldn't fight because he was injured, Jinpei didn't dare to utter a single word.
Tsuyoshi Minami Lie may play dirty, but his passion for basketball is genuine.
He didn't play today because he was injured.
With the national competition just around the corner, he dared not risk his health; if his injury worsened, it would all be over.
However, he didn't explain these details to Jinpei at all.
Jinpei thought he was faking illness to deliberately sabotage the match and embarrass himself.
Minori Kishimoto, is still on the field, but Jinpei knows perfectly well that this year's Daiei Academy can't be stopped by Kishimoto alone!
This incident further exacerbated the already tense relationship between the generals and commanders.
"What a pity, you'll have to wait until the national tournament to see this Ace Killer."
Shinichi Maki was a little disappointed. He brought Kiyota along mainly so that he could see firsthand how Tsuyoshi Minami played, and be prepared in advance.
As for Atsushi Tsuchiya from the Daiei Academy, Shinichi Maki didn't take him too seriously at first, since he hadn't made a name for himself last year.
However, as the match progressed, Shinichi Maki felt that the trip had been worthwhile!
Atsushi Tsuchiya's skill was on full display in this game.
Toyotama, which usually overwhelms others with its fast-paced offense, was instead overwhelmed by Atsushi Tsuchiya's rhythm and fell apart.
He orchestrated the team's offense with his breakthroughs and passes, and his own scoring ability was ridiculously strong.
In this respect, he is quite similar to Shirasawa, Shinichi Maki, and Sendoh.
However, when it comes to passing skills alone, Shinichi Maki believes that Atsushi Tsuchiya is probably only slightly inferior to Shirasawa.
This was the conclusion that Shinichi Maki drew after watching half the game.
Toyotama's already fragile defense was practically made of paper against Atsushi Tsuchiya.
This is certainly related to Toyotama's old problem of prioritizing offense over defense, but we should not underestimate Atsushi Tsuchiya's top-notch organizational skills.
Near the end of the first half, Daiei Academy was already leading by more than 10 points.
Minori Kishimoto on the field that she was jumping up and down, cursing incessantly.
As a result, he received a technical foul for being so engrossed in his insults.
Well, they sent Atsushi Tsuchiya to the free-throw line again, and the point difference continued to widen.
When the first half ended, the scoreboard showed 47-35.
Daiei Academy led by a full 12 points.
Most importantly, they managed to hold Toyotama, who play a run-and-gun offense, to just 35 points in the first half!
This is a disgrace to run-and-gun tactics.
Of course, the absence of Tsuyoshi Minami, the core player, has indeed caused significant damage to the team.
Just as Jinpei predicted, Toyotama, without Tsuyoshi Minami, was no match for the Daiei Academy.
It seems there's no chance of him winning the county championship.