the next day.
Today is the first rest day of the national tournament, a day when both players and fans can finally relax. But just then, the latest issue of " Slam Dunk " magazine was released, updating the list of the nation's top five high school players.
What was most satisfying was that Tsuyoshi Minami was eliminated, while Kaede Rukawa, who was about to face Sannoh, was promoted to five stars, instantly making that semi-final match incredibly exciting. Fans had virtually no objection to Kaede Rukawa's promotion—he's currently the top scorer for one of the nation's top four teams, why shouldn't he be included?
When Kaede Rukawa, who was having morning training at the gym, heard the news, a rare smile appeared on his lips. He was one step closer to his goal.
Meanwhile, " Slam Dunk " also released the rankings of various awards before the semifinals, and many of them caused a huge uproar, especially the most anticipated National MVP. The top spot on the list went to Shirasawa Hakawa of Shohoku High School, followed by Eiji Sawakita of Sannoh Industrial High School in second place, and only Hiroshi Morishige of Meihou Industrial High School in third.
Of course, some fans disagreed: they were all in the top four, so why is Shirasawa ranked first? No official explanation was needed; fans immediately retorted – why? Because Shohoku fought their way out of the "group of death," and because of Shirasawa's phenomenal 53 points and 17 assists per game! As for why Mori, whose stats were equally explosive, was ranked behind Sawakita? That's because their opponents weren't as strong; the teams they beat couldn't compare to Sannoh Industrial High School!
Looking at it this way, Eiji Sawakita is no longer the undisputed number one high school player in the country; Shirasawa's popularity is almost overshadowing him. However, who will ultimately decide remains to be seen, depending on whether the two face off or who goes further in the competition. Given the current matchups, the probability of Shohoku and Sannoh meeting in the finals is ridiculously high!
On the other side, Meihou Industrial's head coach, Yusuke Oda, put down his copy of " Slam Dunk " and patted the chubby boy next to him. " Hiroshi, it seems there are still some people who don't take you seriously."
"Uncle, I never cared about these things." Hiroshi Morishige, with his round, chubby face, looked particularly cheerful.
"You're a completely different person on and off the court." Yusuke Oda looked at him like he was his own grandson, his eyes full of kindness. Hiroshi Morishige's personality was too distinct—on the court, he was a ruthless destroyer, he loved the thrill of crushing his opponents to pieces, he liked hanging on the rim looking down at the defenders, and even his smile had a sinister edge;
But once he steps off the stage, he's just a clueless idiot with low emotional intelligence. He's honest and his smile is harmless... You could say he can distinguish between work and life, or you could say he's a weirdo.
" Hiroshi, you're going to run into a tough opponent in the next game, Takenori Akagi from Shohoku."
"Oh, I know him. The captain from the last game mentioned him to me." Hiroshi Morishige chuckled. At the end of the last game, Jousei's Mikoshiba had indeed relayed Akagi's message: "Little fatty, just wait for Shohoku's Takenori Akagi!"
Match day.
On the penultimate day of the national tournament, after four days of fierce competition, four teams emerged from their respective groups to advance to the national semifinals. The left bracket consisted of Group A champion Meihou Industrial and Group C champion Shohoku, while the right bracket featured Group B champion Sannoh Industrial High School and Group D champion Ryonan. Of this year's semifinalists, only Sannoh was last year's semifinalist and champion; the other three were all new faces. The landscape of national basketball had completely changed this year.
Today, the teams that will compete in the finals will be determined in the left and right halves of the bracket, and both semi-final matches will be held in the main stadium.
"This is awesome! Both games are here, I can watch them both!"
"Stop using 'we,' I only managed to snag one ticket..."
"Hey friend, want a ticket?"
"..."
Early in the morning, the area in front of the main stadium was packed with people. It seemed like all the fans had come, regardless of whether they had the right to enter or not. Even if they couldn't get in, at least they could catch a glimpse of their favorite stars, and those with money might even be able to snag a ticket from a scalper... After all, ticket sales weren't that legitimate. For example, fan leaders for each team had the authority to buy tickets and could lock in a portion of them in advance.
Tetsuo Hotta and Yohei were very calm, and Shinichi Maki and Kiyota were not worried either—"Buy it! If you dare to make an offer, I dare to pay!"
" Maki, which game should we buy tickets for?"
"Hmph, only children make choices." Shinichi Maki snorted lightly, having already secured two expensive tickets.
Today, the match between Shohoku and Meihou Industrial will be played first, followed by the match between Sannoh and Ryonan. As the fans gradually entered the stadium, the atmosphere inside became increasingly lively.
Both teams then took to the field.
"Holy crap! That's Hiroshi Morishige? He's got a terrifying build!"
"That's right! No wonder he could rack up such insane stats; he's in a completely different league from everyone else."
"Look at Shirasawa! Shirasawa looks super handsome today too!"
"This is going to be interesting! Let's see which of these two rookie kings is more formidable!"
Before the game even started, the stands were already boiling over like water. Everyone was hoping that these two super rookies would create some sparks. If one of them could block the other's shot or dunk on him, the scene would definitely be spectacular.
Tetsuo Hotta found their positions, waving the Shohoku banner loudly and cheering at the top of their lungs. On the court, the players from both sides occupied their respective halves and began warming up with shots.
The loudest shouts came from the stands, calling out the names of Shirasawa and Hiroshi Morishige. This annoyed Hanamichi Sakuragi Shirasawa was popular, fine, but Hiroshi Morishige? What made that chubby guy so special? So what if he's a bit strong? Is being able to stop him the key? Heh, just wait and see how powerful this genius is!
Sakuragi stiffened his neck and stealthily slipped over to Hiroshi Morishige.
"Oh no! What is Sakuragi doing?!" Kogure, watching from the side, was terrified and quickly shouted.
Akagi frowned and looked over, his face darkening. "That troublemaker! Go and drag him back!"
However, Kogure was a step too slow. Sakuragi had already reached Hiroshi Morishige's back and, with a sudden burst of strength, slammed into him with a "bang."
And what happened? Sakuragi stumbled back two steps, almost losing his balance. Hiroshi Morishige, on the other hand, seemed to have eyes in the back of his head; he instinctively shrank his neck and leaned forward slightly, and that was all.
Hanamichi Sakuragi stared wide-eyed, completely dumbfounded, thinking he'd bumped into a wall. Even Gorilla or that monkey boss wouldn't be completely unmoved after such a collision, right?
Sakuragi's "sneak attack" stunned the rest of the Shohoku Team. They knew Sakuragi's strength all too well, and compared to him, Hiroshi Morishige's was simply outrageous! Moreover, Sakuragi was prepared when he collided with Morishige's unpreparedness! Especially Takenori Akagi, whose gaze towards Hiroshi Morishige changed, gaining a new understanding of the guy's strength.
"Are you alright?" Hiroshi Morishige slowly turned around, a sleepy grin still on his face. It seemed he was used to this kind of thing; whenever he had physical contact with someone, the unlucky one was always the other person.
He meant well by asking, but to Sakuragi, it sounded like a blatant provocation! Sakuragi had used his strength, but not his full power, afraid of knocking the guy flying and getting ejected. He just wanted to show off his power and let that chubby guy know what he was capable of, but he hadn't expected this outcome.
"You bastard! What are you laughing at?!" Sakuragi was so angry his hair almost stood on end.
"You're such a strange person." Hiroshi Morishige, his smile slowly fading as his expression turned serious. He was just trying to be helpful, and you swore at him? I have a good temper, but that doesn't mean I don't.
Sakuragi clenched his fists, about to lash out again, but Kogure rushed over and covered his mouth.
"Sorry, sorry, this guy isn't quite right in the head, please don't mind him." Kogure apologized with a smile while trying to drag Sakuragi back.
In the end, Hiroshi Morishige still couldn't figure out what this red-haired guy was up to.
"Idiot! Going there to embarrass yourself!"
"Exactly, they overestimated themselves and only boosted the morale of others." Sakuragi was dragged back indignantly, and Miyagi and Mitsui immediately began to criticize him mercilessly.
"Damn it! That bastard, I'll make him pay when the game starts!" Hanamichi Sakuragi gritted his teeth and said viciously.
Ten minutes later, the referee blew the whistle, and both teams' players returned to their benches. At this time, players from Ryonan and Sannoh Industrial High School also came out of the player tunnel. They tacitly chose to watch the game from the sidelines, where the view was much better than from the stands.
" Hiroshi Morishige..." Uozumi murmured the name as he looked at the enormous figure on the field, recalling the moment when Hiroshi Morishige him in front of the electronic screen on his first day in Hiroshima. He never expected that the one who would ultimately face this monster would be Akagi. However, Uozumi knew very well that Hiroshi Morishige's strength was definitely superior to Akagi's.
"Yes, Captain," Hikoichi Aida nodded, "Judging from Hiroshi Morishige's performance these past few days, Akagi- senpai will definitely be under a lot of pressure in this match."
" Akagi, don't lose to a rookie." Uozumi said softly, looking towards the Shohoku bench.
Ryonan is under considerable pressure right now, even immense pressure, as their opponent is the three-time champion Sannoh Industrial High School! The reason they came to watch this match was at Moichi Taoka's suggestion, hoping to help the players relax a bit.
Otherwise, if this pressure is bottled up until the game starts, it will definitely affect their performance. Also, I want to use the game against Shohoku to motivate the team. Anyway, Moichi Taoka thinks Shohoku will definitely win this game, since Meihou Industrial only has Hiroshi Morishige as their strong point. If it weren't for their favorable schedule, they probably wouldn't have made it to the top four this year.
But then again, luck is also a part of ability, so perhaps Meihou's good luck will continue.
On the Shohoku bench, Coach Anzai was outlining tactics. This time, Shohoku decided to focus on their outside shooting, with even Sakuragi to try more mid-range and long-range jump shots. After all, the opposing team had Hiroshi Morishige, a formidable force in the paint with an average of 9 blocks per game, so there was no need to go head-to-head. In contrast, Meihou Industrial's perimeter defense was relatively weak, which would allow Mitsui, their dominant outside weapon, to shine.
On the defensive end, Coach Anzai gave Akagi and Sakuragi a wink and nodded. The meaning couldn't be clearer: you two are in charge of the paint!