This is one of the reasons why Akagi was excited before the game started; he had to show off his skills in front of Shota Sugiyama today.
Another point is the defense against Aiwa, Aiwa is somewhat similar to Toyotama.
They are highly efficient offensively, able to take two shots from any position.
Especially their three-point shooting; last year, they were the team that attempted the most three-pointers out of 59 participating teams nationwide, and also made the most.
Therefore, we need to keep a close eye on the perimeter defense.
Coach Anzai didn't say much; the key to this match was the matchup between Shirasawa and Dai Moroboshi.
He believed Shirasawa could win.
There has been a small adjustment Aiwa there.
Dai Moroboshi transitioned from shooting guard to point guard.
They directly confronted Shirasawa on both offense and defense.
After all, Shirasawa's ability to lock down point guards is too ruthless, Aiwa He doesn't dare to take that risk.
After the setup time ended and both teams shouted their encouragement, the starting players officially took to the field.
Shohoku still uses the same starting five that never change.
No matter how chaotic things are outside, we remain as steady as an old rock...
Aiwa Academy's starting lineup is: point guard Dai Moroboshi, shooting guard Tōji Jun Fukumori Suzuki, small forward Jun Sakichi Nakata, and center Takayuki Otomo.
Takenori Akagi and Takayuki Otomo stood in the center circle; the difference in their height and weight was significant.
The referee tosses the ball into the air, and the game officially begins!
ah!
With Takenori Akagi instantly reached peak condition.
He decisively tipped the ball back to the backcourt, giving Shohoku their first possession of the game.
Shirasawa dribbled past half-court, Dai Moroboshi immediately closed in.
" Moroboshi went all out right from the start."
Shinichi Maki smiled slightly as he looked at the field.
Kiyota nodded in agreement; he had witnessed Dai Moroboshi's strength.
In the Aichi Prefecture final, Dai Moroboshi scored wildly in the second half, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer to defeat Meihou Industrial and lead his team to a super comeback victory.
Dai Moroboshi's condition back then was exactly the same as it is now.
"Looks like he figured out Shirasawa's strength beforehand... This is going to be interesting. Let's stop holding back and just go for it!"
Kiyota sat up straight excitedly, afraid of missing any exciting moment.
Snap~ Snap~
Shirasawa controlled the rhythm at the top of the arc...
Dai Moroboshi spread his arms wide, his feet moving continuously.
Since watching the duel between Shirasawa and Shinichi Maki, he has specifically intensified his strength and combat training.
This was all to prepare thoroughly for dealing with Shirasawa.
Shirasawa calmly dribbled the ball, then extended his left hand and waved it, as if to set a screen.
This made Dai Moroboshi's eyes twitch, and he subconsciously glanced in the direction of the screen.
At that very moment,
Shirasawa threw the ball with his right hand!
The basketball grazed past Dai Moroboshi's ear. He was startled and tried to react, but it was too late.
The ball was extremely fast.
Flying straight towards the basket
The target is Takenori Akagi!
Akagi used absolute power to push aside Takayuki Otomo, jumped up from under the basket, caught the ball with both hands, and completed Alley-oop pass dunk!
Boom!!
Akagi didn't jump very high, but his jump was powerful.
The basketball hoop made a loud bang, as if it had been hit by a cannon.
After scoring, Akagi raised his arms and roared in triumph!
The difference in the two teams' inside game is obvious to the naked eye.
Dai Moroboshi also gained a new understanding of Jizawa's strength—this was a ruthless character whose eyes couldn't be looked away for even half a second!
Offense and defense transition
Dai Moroboshi controlled the ball.
They encountered Shirasawa's defense after crossing the halfway line.
No wonder Shinichi Maki had such a hard time fighting him back then; the pressure he exerted was just too intense!
However, Dai Moroboshi was no pushover either.
After a series of crossover dribbles, he executed a crossover move and slipped past Shirasawa!
That's right.
Shirasawa has been defeated!
This is quite rare for Shirasawa.
The last person to completely get past him was Fujima.
Shirasawa was caught off guard by the problem with his left hand.
Later, whether it was Shinichi Maki, Kaede Rukawa, Sendoh, or Tsuyoshi Minami, no one could get past him so cleanly and efficiently!
Nobunaga Kiyota was so shocked that his eyes widened.
From the audience's perspective, this pass was unbelievable— Dai Moroboshi clearly didn't make any big feints, and his speed didn't look particularly fast, so how come Shirasawa didn't react?
Wouldn't this stop him in one step?
Shinichi Maki smiled faintly, "That's what makes Moroboshi so formidable. Last time you saw his speed and impact; that was enough to deal with Meihou Industrial ' defense."
"But Moroboshi so formidable is his rhythm."
Rhythm?
Nobunaga Kiyota frowned, his face full of question marks.
As for rhythm, Dai Moroboshi is indeed a veteran in this regard. It could even be said that before Eiji Sawakita emerged, his singles ability was the best in the country. What supported his position was his ever-changing offensive rhythm.
Dai Moroboshi's physical attributes and athleticism are top-notch. Just like when he played against Meihou Industrial, his sheer power was enough to scatter the entire opposing team. Aiwa, with his strength, achieved a terrifying score of 46 to 14 in just over ten minutes. But that wasn't the strongest Dai Moroboshi.
His greatest strength lies in combining rhythm changes with his physical gifts. While it might be a bit slower, it can absolutely leave defenders completely bewildered. The play he just made past Shirasawa is a perfect example— Shirasawa clearly anticipated his next move, but just couldn't gauge its speed.
It can be as fast as a gust of wind, or as slow as a snail, or even stop suddenly. If it were just a single change of direction, it would be fine, but Dai Moroboshi changes his rhythm with every dribble, which is something not just any top point guard can do. With this kind of strange rhythm, good ball-handling skills are useless.
His dribbling isn't like others', which is wide and sweeping. It's close to his body with small movements, making it easier to follow up with the next move or shoot. He also doesn't dribble aimlessly in one place; he moves forward slowly, giving him more options. In short, this is his unique dribbling rhythm, impossible to imitate. Even a top defender like Shirasawa couldn't quite get it right in a short time. This rhythm is even harder to counter than Fujima's left hand.
On the court, Dai Moroboshi drove past Shirasawa and took three steps toward the basket. His first step was as fast as lightning, slipping past Sakuragi in an instant; however, his second step was ridiculously slow, causing Takenori Akagi, who was helping to defend, to miss completely and watch as Moroboshi slowly launched his shot.
Swish--
Goal! The score is tied.
Shirasawa couldn't help but click his tongue twice. "This rhythm is fucking weird..."
"Back up, back up!" Even after scoring Dai Moroboshi's face remained tense, not relaxing for a moment. Coach Aiwa stroked his mustache, nodding in satisfaction. "I told you you could catch up to Sawakita, and you were being modest. With this kind of attack, who can stop you?"
" Kiyota, last year Aiwa lost to Hakata Shodai Affiliated in the semifinals, but Dai Moroboshi scored 41 points, he was simply unstoppable," Shinichi Maki said confidently. "That's his offensive ability. Before Sawakita came out, his one-on-one was in a class of its own."
Shinichi Maki had always acknowledged Dai Moroboshi's strength, but he was only referring to one-on-one attacks. In terms of overall strength, he didn't think he was inferior to Dai Moroboshi. Similarly, in his eyes, Shirasawa's overall strength was truly in a class of its own. Although Dai Moroboshi scored, he didn't believe that Dai Moroboshi could beat Shirasawa —after all, Shirasawa had defeated him, Maki Shinichi Maki, before.
During the offensive and defensive transition, Shirasawa dribbled the ball across half-court and faced off against Dai Moroboshi again. This time, he played simply: he pulled up the basketball and made a crossover fake, making Dai Moroboshi tense up, but he didn't move immediately. After creating space, he threw the ball near the basket.
Takenori Akagi positioned himself well, received the ball, turned, and made a left-handed layup with ease. Takayuki Otomo had absolutely no answer to him.
"It's my responsibility." Takayuki Otomo raised his hand. Both goals he conceded were due to Akagi dominating him. Who else could it be but his responsibility? Aiwa didn't have any other options... Where in the country can you find so many good centers? Especially in Aichi Prefecture, they've only produced one Hiroshi Morishige over the years. Takayuki Otomo was already the best of the worst.
"It's alright, as long as the defense is solid, we can fight back on offense." Dai Moroboshi his best to encourage his teammates. They had anticipated Akagi's presence. Not only Shohoku, but any team with a strong inside player against them would basically focus on attacking the inside, so they were used to it. Moreover, they had a way to deal with Akagi.
Dai Moroboshi attacked again, this time Shirasawa's defensive position was a bit further away. Shirasawa also had to slowly adapt to Dai Moroboshi's style of play, just like he had to adapt to Fujima's left hand when playing against Shoyo.
Dai Moroboshi dribbled forward between his legs, then stopped and started, followed by a small spin move, getting half a body length past Shirasawa. This time, Shirasawa's defense was noticeably better, which secretly surprised Dai Moroboshi with his offensive reading ability.
Using the half-body difference, Dai Moroboshi suddenly accelerated! His explosiveness was completely different from before, and he shot out in a flash. Shirasawa's explosiveness was no less impressive; he went from still to moving in the blink of an eye, and the two rushed towards the basket one after the other.
Just then, Sakichi Nakata came up to set a screen, tripping Shirasawa. Dai Moroboshi took advantage of the moment to drive into the paint, and without hesitation, jumped up to attack the basket against Akagi under the rim! Takenori Akagi was equally determined, raising his hand to meet Dai Moroboshi head-on in mid-air!
"No, that's not right." Shota Sugiyama, sitting in the audience, immediately frowned.
The whistle blew immediately afterward.
In mid-air, Dai Moroboshi leaned against Akagi, using his waist and abdomen to stabilize himself. Once Akagi's body was firmly on top of him, he threw the ball out.
The ball didn't go in.
But the referee's gesture was clear— Takenori Akagi, defensive foul! This was his first foul of the game.
"Look at her, she's still young after all."
Shota Sugiyama pursed his lips and gently shook his head.
In fact, he had already figured out what was going on the moment Dai Moroboshi jumped up.
That wasn't aimed at the basket at all; it was clearly an attempt to draw a foul.
As a top-tier center, the most crucial skill is judging the opponent's offensive intentions.
Knowing when to jump and block, and when to simply reach out and interfere, involves a great deal of skill.
Akagi clearly lacked experience in major competitions and was too confident in his physical abilities. He was single-mindedly focused on using a big hat to boost morale, and ended up falling right into Dai Moroboshi's trap.
When it comes to experts in this area, Masashi Kawata is definitely one. His athleticism isn't top-tier, but his defensive contribution is immense. He might not have many blocks in a game, but nobody dares to mess with him. That's all thanks to his experience; what kind of unpredictable offensive tactics hasn't he seen?