The person ranked twentieth is an old acquaintance.
Tsuyoshi Minami was just eliminated from the five-star high school students.
This position is brilliantly chosen; it's like it's specifically designed to choke him, forever a goalkeeper. The fans are quite satisfied, at most muttering, "He doesn't even deserve it!"
Tsuyoshi Minami Lie is a natural at creating controversy, Yayoi Aida uses him very effectively.
However, what fans care about most is the ranking of the top ten. The rankings of eleventh to twentieth are more of a foil to the top ten, while also giving ten more people a chance to shine.
Twelfth on the list is Atsushi Tsuchiya, the commander of the Daiei Academy.
He was the most wronged one. He played exceptionally well in this year's national tournament, and his performance against Ryonan really boosted his reputation. Unfortunately, he didn't even make it into the top ten.
Compared to this, the top ten are definitely more prestigious.
Eleventh is Ken Hoshino from Hakata Shodai Affiliated.
This guy, who was once hailed as the best forward in the country, would have ranked even higher in the national tournament if he hadn't been worn out by Hanamichi Sakuragi.
Speaking of Hanamichi Sakuragi...
This genius has been privately arguing with Shirasawa and Sanae for ages.
As Shohoku's starting power forward, and the man whose average rebounds per game in the national tournament were second only to Hiroshi Morishige, he did make the list, but only ranked nineteenth. Sakuragi's selection is largely due to his physical talent and potential. Of course, his stats are also impressive, especially his rebounding.
What could Sanae say in the face of Sakuragi's tearful complaints?
They directly shifted the blame onto the person who started it all.
Sakuragi steeled himself and dialed Yayoi Aida's number.
The voice immediately launched into a tirade. "If you don't deliver something impressive in the finals, next time you'll be kicked out of the top 20!"
Sakuragi gripped his phone, his lips pursed into a thin line. But then he thought, this was, after all, a significant honor he could be proud of.
At this moment, the tenth place was finally revealed—the other member of the Hakata Shodai Affiliated Twin Stars, Hajime Chiba.
This duo is firmly holding onto the top ten spot, and no one can argue with that. After all, their specialty is pick-and-roll, and if there were a ranking of the top ten duos in the country, these two would most likely be at the top.
Ninth place: Kaede Rukawa, the newly promoted five-star high school student.
His average score of 30+ points per game in the national competition has made this kid incredibly famous. In particular, the fierce battle against Sannoh Industrial High School gave him a huge boost, pushing him into the single digits of the rankings.
But ahead of him in the rankings is the rhythm master, Dai Moroboshi.
Both being top scorers, Dai Moroboshi's average points per game do indeed surpass Kaede Rukawa Kaede's. Of course, this is inseparable from his tactical role, but Dai Moroboshi's individual offensive firepower is definitely among the top three in the country.
Seventh place: Hiroshi Morishige.
Regardless of how much luck played a part, Hiroshi Morishige single-handedly carried the team into the semifinals. His average stats can only be described as "frightening," and many fans felt he was unfairly ranked seventh.
However, the sixth one is even more ruthless— Ryonan's absolute ace, Akira Sendoh.
The match against Sannoh Industrial High School in the semifinals left Sendoh with no way to hide his abilities. He and Kaede Rukawa both made it into the top ten, and the Ryonan Twin Stars officially surpassed the Hakata Twin Stars to become the strongest duo in the country.
Fifth place: Shinichi Maki.
Kainan didn't even make it into the national tournament this year, but Maki the Emperor is still Maki the Emperor. No one ranked behind him dares to claim they're stronger. Shinichi Maki essentially won by default; after watching the games for a few days, he's still stuck in fifth place.
Fans didn't really argue much about this ranking, only saying that Kainan's poor performance this year dragged him down. Otherwise, Maki the Emperor's ranking would only be higher, or even higher, at least surpassing the one ahead of him, Kazunari Fukatsu.
Kazunari Fukatsu served as the head coach of Sannoh for three years, becoming a nightmare for countless point guards across the country.
That's right, up to fifth place, Shinichi Maki, and almost everyone ahead of him is from Sannoh Industrial High School. That's the confidence of the defending champion.
Third place: Masashi Kawata.
Big Kawata's strength has been acknowledged by Shota Sugiyama, the nation's top center. He can play positions one through five on the court, and apart from his less-than-ideal appearance, he has almost no flaws.
At this point, only the top two high school students in the country remain, and these two are currently recognized as the strongest in the nation, a view they share. Their rankings are also the most subject to change.
After seeing this list, most fans were convinced of its validity.
Of course, just like the selection of five-star high school students, everyone has their own opinion, and it's impossible to satisfy everyone. Every list is controversial, and this version of Slam Dunk is already quite relevant to the current situation.
Currently ranked second is Shohoku's Shirasawa.
The first place naturally belongs to Eiji Sawakita of Sannoh Industrial High School. At least for today, he is still the number one high school student in the country. The only thing between him and Shirasawa is the national championship. The two of them occupy the top two spots without any controversy. As for who should sit in the top seat, the fans will have their own opinion after tomorrow's final.
The Slam Dunk will also be ranked higher, and the finals will be a battle for the title of the nation's best high school player!
The topic of player rankings has become the hottest topic of discussion today. Both fans and players are thoroughly enjoying it.
As a result, high school basketball players across the country were divided into tiers—the top two, Shirasawa and Eiji Sawakita the first tier, having defeated everyone except each other in their final battle. The third to fifth place teams were in the second tier, the sixth to eleventh teams were in the third tier, and the twelfth-ranked Atsushi Tsuchiya to the twentieth- Tsuyoshi Minami Retsu were in the fourth tier.
For Shohoku, this was a great success. Shirasawa ranked second, Sakuragi nineteenth, Takenori Akagi fourteenth, and Kanagawa's strongest 3D player Hisashi Mitsui, ranked fifteenth. With four players making it into the top twenty, they were basically tied with Sannoh Industrial High School.
Sannoh Industrial High School had the most representatives selected, with five.
Eiji Sawakita first, Masashi Kawata is third, Kazunari Fukatsu Minoru Matsumoto is thirteenth, and defensive specialist Satoshi Ichinokura seventeenth. The two finalist teams alone occupy nine spots.
Although Shohoku had a great harvest, it wasn't a cause for celebration for everyone. Just like at the Kanagawa Prefecture tournament awards ceremony, Ryota Miyagi was still the one who was left out.
Miyagi, however, took it all in stride. His teammates understood his importance, and that was enough. If the list expanded to the top 30, he was sure he'd make it. Besides, the list would have to be updated anyway. Talking was pointless; he'd prove himself in the finals and deliver the most powerful rebuttal.
That evening, Shirasawa took Sanae to the hotel.
He has to go back to his guesthouse tonight, and tomorrow morning he has to leave with the team for the main stadium to play in the national finals. At this crucial moment, the team comes first. But there's still plenty of time, and he can play a game. After all, Sanae is the kind of person who gets itchy as soon as she hears about playing basketball.
Sanae was once again thoroughly humiliated by Shirasawa.
This time, she didn't even have the strength to get up, so she simply lay on the court, panting.
"You're inhuman!"
She was cursing, but her eyes were frighteningly bright, like a gourmand who had just finished a Manchu Han Imperial Feast, radiating comfort from the very core. Shirasawa chuckled at her cursing—this wasn't cursing; it was clearly the satisfaction one gets after finishing a cigarette.
When Shirasawa came out of the shower, he found that Sanae had already fallen fast asleep.
He quietly closed the door, feeling as light as if he were walking on clouds. His anger had subsided, he'd taken a bath, and he felt refreshed. Although this method of preparation was a bit unorthodox, who says relaxation can't lead to unconventional approaches?
However, that bump at the elevator entrance completely ruined Shirasawa's comfort.
Haruko and Yoko happened to be returning from outside when the two groups bumped into each other. This hotel was the best in the entire guesthouse area, and Sanae had booked the room herself; it had absolutely nothing to do with Shirasawa. But the problem was— Shirasawa's head was still dripping with water; his bath was far too obvious.
Haruko and Yoko aren't fools.
Sanae came over today, they knew. Now, Shirasawa is coming out of the building with wet hair again, and the sight of them together is a bit too much for the eyes. Ye Yoko is a clever girl, she immediately used the "mind your own business" tactic, greeted Shirasawa and slipped back to her room. She can't control what Shirasawa does, but if Sakuragi wants to skip work in the future, he'll probably have to get through eighty-one hurdles.
Only Shirasawa and Haruko remained in the corridor.
" Haruko, did you eat well tonight?"
Shirasawa's smile froze, unable to suppress the guilt in his heart. It was all because Haruko was too innocent, so innocent that it made him feel like he had committed some crime. If it were Ayako bumped into him, he could probably still casually invite her to a game. But Haruko wasn't Ayako.
Haruko bit her lip, her voice barely audible. " Xiao Bai, don't overwork yourself today. You have a competition tomorrow, so do your best."
After she finished speaking, her own face turned red.
"Hmm, I'm not tired. You should get some rest too."
As soon as Shirasawa finished speaking, Haruko's big eyes scanned the surroundings, and she suddenly took a step forward. She pressed herself against Shirasawa, burying her face in his chest and hugging him tightly. Shirasawa was stunned—he knew that there was a little monster living inside Haruko, but he didn't expect that little monster had grown up so much.
Haruko nestled in his arms, a smile playing on her lips in a way that no one could decipher.
That expression seemed to say: You're so naughty, but I like you to death.
Shirasawa didn't linger; he said he was going back to the guesthouse and he really did.
Haruko couldn't stop him; the young girl knew what was going on. The night before the competition, at 11:30 p. m., Shirasawa was already fast asleep.
However, the other members of Shohoku were not so at ease.
Standing on the national finals stage for the first time in their lives, it would be a lie to say they weren't nervous. Coupled with the series of events of the past two days, everyone was burning with anxiety, tossing and turning in bed unable to sleep. Hanamichi Sakuragi hadn't even returned to his room yet; even the genius was starting to break down, though he vehemently denied it.
At 10 PM, Takenori Akagi into Sakuragi after taking a shower.
Sakuragi immediately said, "I ate too much for dinner, I'm going out for a run to digest," which pleased Akagi. This kid was finally taking it seriously. Sakuragi's role in the Sannoh Industrial High School was crucial; you could even say that Shohoku's interior defense depended on him. Akagi knew he would have to fight Masashi Kawata to the death for the entire game, and he would most likely be pulled out of the paint, at which point Sakuragi would be the last line of defense.
After finishing his run, Sakuragi chatted on the phone with Yoko for a long time.