What's truly frightening is Shirasawa! There's no other reason than Akagi's pure premonition—he knows perfectly well what Haruko's feelings for Shirasawa are.
"Huh? Did I laugh?"
"Yes, and his smile was very lewd."
Twenty minutes later, the Shohoku Basketball Team returned to the court, this time as spectators. The game about to begin was between Ryonan and Rakuan.
As the representative team of the Kyoto region, Rakuan is a perennial contender in the national tournament, qualifying almost every year, but they have never achieved top results. They have dominated the Kyoto region for many years, similar to Kainan in Kanagawa in the past. Rakuan's best result in the national tournament is the quarterfinals, and last year they were eliminated in the round of 16. In " Slam Dunk," they are rated as a B-level team, on par with Ryonan. The team does not have any five-star high school players, and their only advantage over Ryonan is that they have more experience in the national tournament.
Shinichi Maki and Nobunaga Kiyota were no longer in the stands. As soon as the game between Shohoku Toyotama ended, they went to another venue. Compared to the match between Ryonan, there was a match that attracted them even more— Meihou Industrial vs. Urayasu Commercial.
Urayasu is the Chiba Prefecture champion and also reached the national top 16 last year, demonstrating considerable strength, but his performance alone doesn't offer much to watch. What truly fills the stadium is Meihou Industrial, or more precisely, Hiroshi Morishige!
In yesterday's first round of matches, Meihou Industrial easily defeated Shiramatsu High School, with Hiroshi Morishige crushing the opponent in just half a game. Tsuyoshi Minami scored 38 points yesterday to become the top scorer in the first round, making Shiramatsu seem like a mere "backdrop." Hiroshi Morishige played a total of 23 minutes, contributing a near triple-double of 25 points, 18 rebounds, and 8 blocks. If Shiramatsu had been able to hold on a little longer, allowing Hiroshi Morishige to play five more minutes, he could very well have achieved a spectacular 20+20+10 performance.
This game Hiroshi Morishige fame. His playing style was exceptionally popular with the audience, which could be summed up in two words: destruction. Once he entered the paint, he was unstoppable, as if a score wasn't complete until he dunked on the defender. This domineering style of play was unique in the national arena. After just one game, Hiroshi Morishige's fame was already approaching that of Sannoh Industrial High School's center, Masashi Kawata. This assessment carried immense weight, Big Kawata was widely recognized as the best high school center in the country.
Everyone is Hiroshi Morishige anticipating today's match!
"Did you hear? Toyotama just lost to Shohoku!" A boy wearing a baseball cap in the front row shouted, patting the arm of the person next to him.
"I know, the news spread as soon as the game ended. I heard there was even a conflict between the two sides at the end, and Shirasawa from Shohoku had a particularly outstanding performance." The person next to him nodded while glancing at the court.
"Yeah, this year is definitely a great year for rookies. I heard that Shirasawa scored over forty points and had more than ten assists. Let's wait and see what kind of stats Hiroshi Morishige can put up!" Another spectator chimed in.
Even before the match started, the stands were buzzing with excitement as everyone discussed the results of other games. This was the influence of the National Tournament; the news of Shohoku's match against Toyotama spread throughout Hiroshima in a very short time.
Watching his fellow newcomers shine one after another, Nobunaga Kiyota leaned against the railing of the stands, his eyes filled with envy.
Shinichi Maki placed a hand on his shoulder and slowly said, " Kiyota, this is the National Tournament. If you have enough strength, you will soon be known throughout the country."
He paused, his tone turning somber. "But if we're not fully prepared, we might suffer a devastating blow and never have a chance to recover."
After saying that, he gently patted Kiyota on the back. "Your destiny is in your own hands; the key is how much you're willing to sacrifice for it."
The Summer National Tournament is a basketball feast for fans; but for the participating players, it's more like a mirror, revealing everyone's true level. Every year, players like Shirasawa and Hiroshi Morishige emerge, achieving legendary status in a single tournament; similarly, many players who dominate in prefectural tournaments are defeated on the national stage, their confidence completely shattered. The brutal competition amplifies the sense of defeat, enough to drag players into an abyss.
Shinichi Maki specifically reminded Kiyota of this, his meaning was clear: if you're not well-prepared, it's better not to come at all. These words also indicate that Kiyota's current strength has not yet been recognized by him, but Shinichi Maki has high expectations for this junior.
Nobunaga Kiyota raised his head and smiled confidently, "I understand, Maki! I am also a member of the Generation of Extreme Evil, and I will never lose to them!"
Amidst thunderous cheers, the players from both teams stepped onto the field. Hiroshi Morishige strolled leisurely among the group, his figure noticeably taller than the others, like a moving Koyama.
Kiyota reached out and nudged Shinichi Maki's arm. "If Meihou Industrial and Shohoku both advance from the group stage, they might meet in the semifinals. Maki, do you think Akagi can contain Hiroshi Morishige?"
Takenori Akagi, as Kanagawa's top center, relies on his powerful strength and tough playing style to establish himself. Kiyota is eagerly anticipating whether he or Hiroshi Morishige stronger.
Shinichi Maki smiled slightly, "If there really is such a duel, I'm even more curious about how Shirasawa will overcome the Hiroshi Morishige barrier of Morishige Hiroshi." He didn't directly answer Kiyota's question, but the answer was self-evident. One wonders if Akagi, far away in another venue, might suddenly sneeze.
Meanwhile, in another arena, the match between Ryonan and Rakuan had officially begun. Ryonan continued with their tried-and-tested tactics: Kaede Rukawa would launch a strong attack, then Kaede Rukawa would be substituted for Sendoh to attack, with Fukuda waiting for an opportunity to score. As long as the opponent didn't have top-tier defensive resources, their defense could easily be completely breached.
After watching the fierce battle between Shohoku and Toyotama, the entire Ryonan team was filled with high morale. The two strong teams in Kanagawa maintained a healthy competition, and everyone hoped that they could advance side by side. If the two teams could meet in the finals, it would surely become a legend that would be hard to replicate. Achieving this goal would be extremely difficult, but at this stage, they absolutely could not fall behind!
Ryonan proved in just ten minutes that Rakuan's entry into the top 16 last year had a significant element of luck, and also confirmed that this B-level team had been holding back all along.
At halftime, the score was 66-41, with Ryonan holding a huge 25-point lead, practically having one foot in the round of 16. The remaining suspense would be revealed in twenty minutes.
However, during halftime, Moichi Taoka remained quite dissatisfied with the team's performance. Having witnessed Shohoku's growth and strength firsthand, Ryonan's weaknesses were exposed in comparison. Their opponents in the last two matches were of limited strength, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, they would face the A-level powerhouse Daiei Academy in the next round. Without a better competitive form, they would be powerless against such a formidable opponent. Moreover, Sannoh Industrial High School stood in their way! They had to proceed cautiously, and the team's momentum could not be relaxed in the slightest.
On the stands, after Haruko's persistent Haruko, Akagi had already calmed down. He was utterly helpless in the face of his younger sister. Shirasawa, Sakuragi, and their group also learned about the conflict between Yohei Toyotama fans. No one expected that behind the Shohoku vs. Toyotama Stadium battle, there was another clash, making it a double celebration.
The second half restarted, and after adjustments at halftime, Ryonan became more aggressive on both offense and defense. The Rakuan players were completely bewildered. "We're clearly behind, why are you pressing so relentlessly?"
That's right, Ryonan is determined to press their advantage and give their opponents no chance to catch their breath.
In the second half, Sendoh controlled the ball and orchestrated the offense, constantly creating opportunities for his teammates and unleashing the firepower of Kaede Rukawa and Fukuda. Uozumi also delivered a dominant performance in the paint, exerting immense pressure on both ends of the court.
With 12 minutes remaining in the second half, Ryonan extended their lead to 37 points. Moichi Taoka decisively substituted all his starters, calling it a day early. The national tournament schedule is packed, and every extra minute of rest is crucial. As Coach Anzai said, winning by even one point is a victory, and blindly pursuing a larger lead can easily backfire.
Kaede Rukawa delivered a stellar performance in this game, scoring 37 points in 32 minutes with astonishing offensive efficiency, and is sure to become a hot topic of discussion after the match.
Sendoh remained low-key as always, putting up a well-rounded performance of 26 points, 13 assists, and 7 rebounds, keeping his achievements hidden.
Uozumi on fire in this game, scoring 18 points, grabbing 17 rebounds, and blocking 7 shots. He was unstoppable in the paint, fully demonstrating the strength of Kanagawa's interior monster. However, those who think Uozumi's performance is exaggerated probably haven't been watching Meihou Industrial's game.
On the other side, the match between Mingpou Industrial and Urayasu Commercial lost its suspense early on. Morishige Hiroshi was sitting on the bench drinking drinks with a smile, regaining his honest appearance. He only played for 30 minutes today, scoring 34 points, 21 rebounds and 9 blocks, and even dunked the injury against center Urayasu center. This was not a malicious foul like Toyotama, it was purely a head-on collision caused by the gap in physical strength.
Hiroshi Morishige and pushed hard to the basket, then turned and unleashed a powerful dunk that sent the opposing center sprawling to the ground. The injured player was helped off the court by his teammates and never returned. The suffocating pressure he brought to the court enveloped the entire arena, and once again Nobunaga Kiyota was stunned.
After the game, Hiroshi Morishige instantly became the subject of numerous interviews by the media. The giant, who had been unstoppable under the basket, suddenly became shy in the face of the dense array of reporters' cameras, his round face turning bright red. He gestured to Coach Oda beside him to answer most of the questions.
But there was one question that Hiroshi Morishige chose to answer personally. A reporter asked him, "Which player do you think poses a threat to you?" He smiled and answered frankly, "No one."
This statement inevitably made him a target of public criticism, but with the absolute strength he demonstrated, most of the doubts from the outside world ultimately seemed pale and powerless.