If you had to pick the player he disliked the most, it would definitely be Tsuyoshi Minami. He'd always wanted to avenge Fujima, but unfortunately, he didn't have the chance. However, he believed Shirasawa would take care of it. Shirasawa was now on the same team as Fujima, and he felt that Shirasawa would definitely give Fujima a "gift."
"After we leave Kiyota, I'll take you out for some seafood for lunch."
" Maki, let me treat you this time. I can't keep letting you spend money."
"It doesn't matter, I don't like to haggle over money."
The conversation between the two drew sneers from those nearby. "What are you bragging about... At your age, isn't it normal to have some money? Don't corrupt that kid..."
There were more than ten games played this morning.
According to the skill ratings in " Slam Dunk," there weren't many upsets. As a result, people have started using that rating to predict the afternoon's games.
Another team from Kanagawa, Ryonan High School, will also make their appearance this afternoon. Their first opponent is Ebihara High School. Ryonan's team rating is B, Ebihara's is C. Judging by the ratings alone, the two teams are not in the same league at all. Ryonan's B rating is mainly due to a lack of hard-earned honors and the fact that they haven't won the prefectural championship. Relying solely on Sendoh, a five-star high school student, is indeed not enough to raise their rating. Their true strength is far more than just B.
The match started promptly at 2 PM.
This match didn't attract much attention. Ebihara wasn't a strong team, and Ryonan was playing in the national tournament for the first time, so they weren't very well-known. The stands weren't even half full. But this only fueled Ryonan's fighting spirit; they were determined to put on a good show!
With a shout of "Go Ryonan!", the competition officially began.
With Three Muskets and the monster Uozumi, this lineup was simply too much for Ebihara to handle.
Just ten minutes into the first half, Ryonan already had a 15-point lead.
The duo of Kaede Rukawa and Sendoh completely shattered Ebihara's defenses.
They weren't entirely unfamiliar with this level of individual ability.
Dai Moroboshi and Shinichi Maki carry this kind of aura.
Sendoh is alright, after all, he's a five-star high school student.
But what about number 11?
Where did this unfamiliar face come from in Kanagawa? It's a bit too sudden!
The Ryonan team has two monsters like this hidden inside; how are they supposed to play this game?
This is pretty much the mindset of the Ebihara players.
Actually, the outcome was already pretty much decided before the first half was even over.
The halftime whistle blew, and the score was 63-31, with Ryonan leading by a full 32 points.
Five minutes into the second half, the point difference was rapidly approaching 40 points.
Coach Taoka waved his hand, substituting all the key players off the field.
Let's call it a day; we still have a tough battle to fight tomorrow.
The final whistle blew, and the score was 108-81.
Ryonan won by 27 points, easily securing their first-ever victory in the national tournament.
In this way, they, like Shohoku, became one of the top 32 teams in the country.
Tomorrow, the two teams from Kanagawa will each face their own challenges.
"Coach! We're playing against Shohoku in the same arena tomorrow!"
"They attacked Toyotama first, and only after they finished did it come to our turn with Rakuan."
Hikoichi Aida leaned closer, his voice brimming with excitement.
Seeing Shohoku's game in person was one of his wishes for this trip.
"Yes, let's see how Shohoku performs first." Moichi Taoka nodded, a smile appearing on his face. "Hopefully, both teams from Kanagawa can make it into the top sixteen."
"I have confidence in ourselves; now it's up to Shohoku."
The first round of matches is over, and the results are roughly as expected.
Not a single upset occurred.
In other words, if this trend continues, Aiwa Academy and Hakata Shodai Affiliated will definitely be somewhere behind Group C.
Apart from the game where Toyotama swept Yuki Technical, the other games today didn't make much of a splash.
The player's highest single-game score also came from that game.
Tsuyoshi Minami scored 38 points by himself.
But those 38 points... aside from being hated, there doesn't seem to be anything particularly noteworthy about them.
Tsuyoshi Minami's nickname " Ace Killer " actually has two meanings.
The first level, as people often say, involves targeting the opponent's trump cards.
The second layer is that Tsuyoshi Minami himself is like an assassin, with extremely deadly personal abilities.
The title of "Five-Star High School Student" is well-deserved.
" Mitsui, you'll be in charge of defending Tsuyoshi Minami tomorrow."
Inside the guesthouse, the entire Shohoku team sat together.
The atmosphere wasn't as relaxed as it was yesterday.
After watching Toyotama's match, it would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous at all.
Their run-and-gun style of play, once it gets going, can widen the score gap significantly in just a few minutes.
Therefore, Akagi dared not be careless in the slightest and carefully analyzed the situation.
"No problem, watch how I lock him down!"
Mitsui answered readily. Compared to the Mikoshiba type, Tsuyoshi Minami's fighting style was clearly more to his liking.
He's fast, but not very strong.
As long as it's not the type to physically tough it out, Mitsui is confident.
"Don't be careless," Akagi cautioned. "You saw it today too; Tsuyoshi Minami's shots are incredibly quick, and his off-ball movement is top-notch."
After watching today's match, I have a basic understanding of Toyotama.
First and foremost is their physical fitness, which is one of their greatest strengths. They are incredibly fast runners, seemingly tireless.
Tsuyoshi Minami, in particular, ran all over the field and played the entire game without showing any signs of fatigue.
Then there's his speed of release.
Perhaps to match the "fast" aspect of his run-and-gun offense, Tsuyoshi Minami developed a rapid shooting technique.
Often, before the defender can even react, the ball is already out, and it's incredibly accurate.
To be honest, this is quite a challenge for Mitsui.
Because Shirasawa had to monitor and control the Weibancang Itakura, cutting off their escape route at the source.
Of course, the pre-match defensive strategy mentioned is just a general direction.
The situation on the field can change in an instant; anything can happen.
Maybe after a few rounds, Shirasawa will switch to defend against Tsuyoshi Minami.
Teams generally try to avoid this kind of ace-on-ace situation in the early stages of a game.
Otherwise, if their star player suffers a loss, it will severely damage the team's morale.
This has nothing to do with trust or distrust. Even if Shirasawa was initially assigned to guard Tsuyoshi Minami, Toyotama would have found a way to switch him out using a screen.
There was no need for Shohoku to do that during the game.
They believed that no matter who Shirasawa was up against, he could win!
Then, Coach Anzai gave a few brief instructions.
He values in-game adjustments more than pre-match planning, and isn't particularly concerned about that.
He cares more about the players' confidence than tactical details.
This is the foundation upon which all tactics can be executed.
The current Shohoku clearly doesn't lack this.
"Alright, it's getting late." Coach Anzai adjusted his glasses. "Everyone should get some rest early today. You can go soak in the hot spring in the yard and relax your muscles."
"Tomorrow, I'll be in top form! Hoo hoo hoo..."
To be honest, Coach Anzai didn't take Toyotama too seriously.
He was thinking more about the upcoming matches.
"Dad, where are you going? Aren't you going to have dinner with us?"
After giving his instructions, Coach Anzai stood up and walked out. The dinner provided by the organizing committee was already laid out at the door, but he didn't seem to be planning to eat it...
"You guys eat," Coach Anzai said with a smile. "I'm going out to meet a friend."
After saying that, he strolled out slowly, looking very energetic.
"Huh? Dad's acting a bit strange..." Sakuragi stroked his chin, looking suspicious. "Could it be that he went to see his old flame?!"
Hanamichi Sakuragi's eyes widened in disbelief. Mrs. Anzai had been good to him; he couldn't let his father go astray!
No sooner had he finished speaking than Akagi delivered a powerful punch to his head.
"Idiot! What nonsense are you spouting!"
"Oh my... Gorilla, you're reacting so strongly, do you really know the inside story?"
"I know you for a second! You have absolutely no concept of respect!"
In an izakaya.
Coach Anzai sat calmly, with a cup of tea instead of wine in front of him.
He was sitting opposite an old man of about the same age.
Not an old lady...
It's Coach Kitano.
I thought you weren't coming to Hiroshima.
Coach Anzai took a sip of tea; this meeting was a pleasant surprise.
"Haha, I didn't really want to come," Kitano chuckled, picked up his cup and took a sip, "But I was curious."
" Anzai, we've been coaches for so many years, and we've never faced each other on the field. I'm afraid we'll never have the chance again."
He said this with a touch of emotion in his voice.
It's truly a pity for the two of them; they haven't run into each other all these years.
When Anzai was teaching at the university, Kitano was coaching the high school basketball team; when Anzai came to the high school, Kitano, disheartened, went to teach elementary school students...
"Heh, so you came all this way just to see your team, Toyotama, play against my team, Shohoku?"
"Yes, to be honest, that's the idea."
"Although I stepped down more than two years ago, those kids are still playing the way I left them, only I can't coach them from the sidelines anymore."
"So, Anzai, do you dare to have a match with me?"
Kitano put down his cup and looked over with a meaningful gaze.
The meaning behind the words is quite clear.
This so-called competition is just to make Anzai a figurehead coach!
If I can't give on-site instructions, then you shouldn't give instructions either.
Kitano knew perfectly well that Jinpei's command was meaningless, Tsuyoshi Minami and the others wouldn't listen to him at all.
This comparison is fair.
"You old codger," Coach Anzai chuckled, "Our Shohoku hasn't achieved anything in the national tournament yet."
It sounds like a polite refusal.
But Kitano's lips curled into a smile.
He knew Anzai hadn't finished speaking.
really,
Coach Anzai sighed, then said, "Let's have a match then, ho ho ho..."
Kitano smiled contentedly.
This was something on his mind, and it was definitely not for secretly helping Toyotama.
"As expected of you, you still have such courage. However, if there are any major changes in the competition, you can terminate this match at any time."
The major change Kitano mentioned refers to when Shohoku was defeated or on the verge of collapse.
That way, Anzai can immediately take over command and get the team back on track.
Of course, if this actually happens, it would mean that Kitano has won.
Even if Shohoku later turned the tide with Anzai's adjustments, it wouldn't change the outcome of their match.
Coach Anzai shook his head.