"Everyone should relax tonight and not think about the game."
After dinner, Coach Anzai Anzai's first assignment was surprisingly to rest.
This is actually quite important for Shohoku, who are making it to the national championships for the first time.
Of course, the main reason is that Shohoku has the advantage – they don't have to play tomorrow anyway.
Things aren't so easy in Ryonan.
Although Coach Taoka did not arrange high-intensity training, it was essential to gather the players together to repeatedly practice tactics.
In short, you guys can't be idle; you all need to be on high alert!
The tournament doesn't impose any strict restrictions on players, except for prohibitions on drinking and certain outrageous behaviors; otherwise, they can do whatever they want.
Once you enter the guesthouse area, it's basically up to the coaches of each team to manage things themselves.
Coach Anzai's hands-off approach is indeed rare.
Shirasawa and Hanamichi Sakuragi strolled out of the guesthouse area without encountering many people.
" Xiao Bai, this is truly a godsend! Dad actually granted me leave, otherwise I would still be worrying about Yoko."
Thinking of Yoko, Sakuragi quickened his pace, eager to see her immediately to put his mind at ease.
As agreed, Yoko and Haruko should have already arrived in Hiroshima.
Shirasawa had already booked a hotel for them, and they must have checked in by now.
However, Sakuragi still felt uneasy until he saw her in person.
Actually Shirasawa was the same, after all, Haruko was also "lured" by him...
Even if Coach Anzai doesn't give him leave, he'll most likely find an excuse to sneak out and check on the two girls.
thump thump thump--
A knock sounded, and the door was quickly opened from the inside.
" Xiao Bai! Sakuragi, you're here!"
Haruko wore an oversized T-shirt, which made her look even thinner, revealing only her two slender and straight legs.
She wasn't wearing slippers in the room; her feet were fair and delicate, which stirred something in Shirasawa's heart.
Of course, Sakuragi's attention was entirely on Yoko.
The young couple had been apart for less than two days, but they acted as if they hadn't seen each other for ages, holding hands and talking non-stop.
After exchanging only a few words, Yoko pushed Sakuragi out for a walk.
Before leaving, Yoko winked at Haruko, the meaning of which couldn't be clearer—she wanted to make room for the two of them.
However, the current situation is somewhat delicate.
"Is your sprained ankle okay now?"
Shirasawa looked openly at Haruko's slender ankles, thinking to himself, "Wouldn't it be too much to pick them up and examine them closely?"
"It's ready a long time ago!"
Haruko spoke, she actually lifted her foot and swung it around.
This was truly a test of Shirasawa's composure.
When a man and a woman are alone in a room, the atmosphere is inevitably a little awkward. The blush on Haruko's face hadn't faded, and after a few casual words, Shirasawa felt uncomfortable all over, as if an awkwardness was seeping into his very bones.
I need to get up and move around.
" Haruko, are you hungry?"
Now that you mention it... I am starting to feel hungry.
"Okay, then I'll make you some noodles."
The national competition has officially begun.
As soon as the morning sun shone down, the guesthouse area came alive. Teams from all sides walked out one after another, some even with their luggage packed, looking like their "experience cards were expiring."
Even the five seeded teams that received a bye in the first round weren't idle. Sannoh Industrial High School was probably the earliest to get up in the entire guesthouse area; while others were still brushing their teeth and washing their faces, they had already run countless laps along the coast.
S-level teams are putting in this much effort, while some C-level teams are still lazy and undisciplined. In comparison, one can only say they deserve it.
Shohoku also set off with the main group. Their first task today was to watch Toyotama High School's game.
First round of matches.
Apart from the five seeded teams, all 54 other teams were present. The games started at 8:30 a. m. and were played simultaneously in several stadiums.
Twenty-seven games in one day! The media reporters were absolutely swamped; it was truly a basketball extravaganza.
10:30.
Nishikawa Gymnasium.
A match has just ended, and naturally, some are happy while others are sad. The winners have already entered the top 32 nationwide, while the losers can only pack their bags and leave Hiroshima.
After all, the guesthouse area is closed to losers. Of course, if you're willing to pay for your own hotel stay, you can stay as long as you want. However, not all teams are that well-off; most have to head back.
The national tournament doesn't give you time to celebrate victory, nor does it allow for sentimental farewells. Once a match is over, the arena is immediately cleared, the audience is replaced, and the next round of the top 32 competition begins right away.
Toyotama High School vs. Yuki Technical.
" Toyotama--!!"
"Go! Go! Go!"
In national tournaments, weaker teams often suffer from a lack of fan support. Strong teams usually have a large number of fans who travel from their hometowns to cheer them on. For a team like Toyotama, which consistently ranks in the top eight, fans believe that they are at least guaranteed to reach the top eight, making the trip worthwhile to watch a few games.
Therefore, Toyotama has always had a large number of fans.
But today's game is different.
Although Yuki Technical isn't a strong team, they are the host country!
" Yuki--!! Keep it up!!"
"Send Toyotama home--!!"
The roar of the home fans immediately drowned out the Toyotama's side.
"What are you all shouting for! You, the shorty! I think you're the one shouting the loudest, you come here!"
Toyotama isn't just famous as a team; its fans are also quite "famous." Especially their group of delinquents, known for Osaka shouting and taunting. The fact that they can attract such fans speaks volumes about Toyotama's playing style...
Even when these people go to other places, they remain arrogant.
In contrast, the fans from Yuki were much more amiable. The short guy being pointed at shrank back and didn't dare to say a word.
We came to watch the game, but they clearly came to fight...
But this is Yuki's territory after all. Some people are afraid, but others aren't. What are you bunch of outsiders doing here acting so arrogantly?
Hey you blondie! Watch your mouth, this isn't Osaka!
"If you don't want to watch, get out!"
Faced with the backlash from the fans from Yuki, Toyotama's side didn't back down either. The blond guy was clearly a tough character; he rolled up his sleeves and was about to charge forward. The scene quickly descended into chaos, and it was only after security personnel intervened that the fan conflict was brought under control.
" Toyotama is really outrageous. I didn't expect these people to be so arrogant even when they're in another city."
In the audience, Nobunaga Kiyota commented with a smirk. He and Shinichi Maki had only arrived in Hiroshima yesterday, and for Shinichi Maki, sitting here purely as an audience member this time, his feelings were somewhat complicated.
Toyotama had encountered Kiyota's fans back in Osaka. When Toyotama played against the Daiei Academy, Atsushi Tsuchiya and his entire family were subjected to a barrage of insults. Even the Daiei fans from the same prefecture didn't dare to retaliate, which shows just how notorious these people are.
Kiyota never expected that they would dare to cause such trouble in Hiroshima.
"This group is quite well-known in national competitions; they caused quite a bit of trouble in the past two years."
Shinichi Maki took over the conversation, his tone calm.
"It's fair to say that Toyotama's consistent run to the quarterfinals is partly due to their contributions. After all, their presence definitely has an impact on the players on the field."
He paused, then looked towards the sports field.
"However, they'll only make it to the quarterfinals at best. Against truly strong teams, all these tactics will be in vain."
Shinichi Maki smiled.
He was trying to figure out about Toyotama's fans, mainly because of the players' mentality. If someone's mentality wasn't good, they would definitely mess things up. For example, if you stood at the free-throw line, they might yell, "We'll kill you after you score!" Who knows if they really meant it? But at that moment, your heart would definitely skip a beat.
However, this tactic only works against ordinary players. Truly formidable opponents have incredibly stable mentalitys. Shinichi Maki recalled Atsushi Tsuchiya during the Osaka finals. Kishimoto trash-talking on the court, and fans were hurling insults from the stands, but Atsushi Tsuchiya seemed deaf to it, completely unfazed. Yet, he responded with point after point. That's the mentality of a true champion. Therefore, Shinichi Maki's statement that they'd at best reach the quarterfinals makes sense—teams that make it to the quarterfinals have key players who are not pushovers and are completely unaffected by off-court antics.
The facts speak for themselves. Neither these troublemaking fans nor their " Ace Killer " Tsuyoshi Minami could ever get past the top eight in the national competition.
"Sigh, they're going to have a tough time against Shohoku tomorrow." Kiyota crossed his arms and clicked his tongue. "Those guys from Shohoku, especially Hanamichi Sakuragi, they all seem like they're about to explode."
That hit the nail on the head. Shinichi Maki nodded in agreement. "Exactly, this is probably the first time Shohoku has seen something like this. If someone gets carried away, it'll be troublesome." He paused, but his tone was quite certain. "However, they have Shirasawa. Toyotama might be able to cause some trouble for a while, but in the end, Shohoku will most likely still Shohoku."
He had barely finished speaking when the Shohoku Basketball Team appeared in the stands. This wasn't Kanagawa, so not many people recognized them, and it didn't cause much of a commotion. By the time the Shohoku players found their seats, the game was just about to begin.
Toyotama's center, Mitsuaki Iwata, walked to the center circle to prepare for the jump ball. Although he played center, his height was rather pitiful, only 1.9 meters, which was a significant disadvantage for the position. But Toyotama was, after all, a top-eight team in the nation; surely he must have some unique skills to be a starter?
The jump ball result is in— Mitsuaki Iwata didn't get it. It seems his unique skill probably has little to do with physical attributes...
Possession of the ball fell to Yuki. They passed the ball around a few times in their own half, but Tsuyoshi Minami suddenly burst out and stole it away. His defensive anticipation and timing were truly brilliant. As soon as the ball was intercepted, the other four players from Toyotama, as if they had planned it in advance, rushed forward in unison, their coordination was impeccable. And their speed was truly astounding!
Tsuyoshi Minami passed the ball to guard Daijiro Itakura. Itakura caught the ball and, without stopping, flicked it forward, sending it to Minori Kishimoto. Kishimoto caught the ball, started running smoothly, and easily scored a layup, taking the first two points of the game. The entire counterattack took only three or four seconds. The ball passed through the hands of two people, but it was like giving Kishimoto a boost, making him run faster and faster.
For the next ten minutes or so, Toyotama maintained this rhythm, constantly increasing the speed, increasing the speed, and increasing the speed again!
"They're playing at too fast a pace," Kogure remarked, adjusting his glasses. "It's like everyone on the field is running back and forth; Yuki is clearly falling behind."