He suppressed his shock and didn't say anything; if this energy were to leak out, the team's morale would collapse.
Hoffmann understood this perfectly, and he also looked at Shirasawa at the free-throw line, his competitive spirit immediately ignited.
The strong are never afraid of the strong; these people only have one thought in their minds: I am the coolest.
Amidst cheers from the crowd, Shirasawa took the free throw, and the basketball swished through the net, making it 3-0. Shohoku's start was explosive.
The fans in the stands erupted, with one shouting at the top of their lungs, "As expected! You can always trust Shirasawa!!"
Another fan shouted even louder, "No wonder he's our high school league MVP! Let them see the true value of a national-level award!!"
Hikoichi Aida clenched his fist and shouted. He firmly believed in three things: first, Shirasawa was unstoppable; second, Sakuragi -senpai was unstoppable; and third, Shohoku would win.
He looked up and saw that Shirasawa had already scored points, meaning that one-third of the goal for the third task was now complete.
Shirasawa is still the same Shirasawa who fears no one. No matter what world-class team you're facing, he's not intimidated at all. Right now, he doesn't need Coach Taoka to cheer him on; his fighting spirit is already at its peak, which is the key to Shohoku's victory.
Ryota Miyagi ran over to give Shirasawa a high five and said with a smile, "Great job!"
In the past, Miyagi would at most smile or raise his hand in a perfunctory gesture, but now that he is the captain, he has to follow the "Captain's Guide" and encourage every player.
This approach is correct, but having to interact with everyone during a single game is exhausting for Miyagi.
The offensive and defensive shifted, Shirasawa's surprise attack dealt a heavy blow to the Chariot Country, causing them to fail on their very first attack.
Wagner, in particular, is in top form. He used about 70% of his strength at the start, and now he's definitely over 90%. The reason he didn't use 100% is because the match is still long, and he's afraid he won't have enough stamina later on.
Wagner has good physical fitness, but he can't withstand an opponent like Shirasawa. Wouldn't you have to push his physical fitness to the limit? If you don't manage the time well, he might collapse at some point later on.
Snap, snap, Wagner dribbled the ball steadily across half-court, and Shirasawa didn't rush to defend him again.
In their last encounter, Wagner figured out Shirasawa's style, and Shirasawa also figured out Wagner's strength—it was absolutely top-notch and should not be underestimated.
On the inside, Takenori Akagi spread his arms to defend Brad. Seeing Hoffmann about to get into position, he frowned and called out, " Sakuragi!"
Hanamichi Sakuragi responded and confidently ran to the three-point line to meet Hoffmann.
In the past, Sakuragi would always be a little absent-minded at the beginning of the game and would take a while to get into the zone. But now it's different. He gets straight into the game from the start, which is like eliminating the pre-game animation. His actions are very smooth.
Wagner, positioned beyond the three-point line, dared not make any rash moves against Shirasawa's defense. He used his sturdy build to stabilize the ball and, seizing the opportunity, passed it to Hoffmann on the right.
Wagner breathed a sigh of relief. This was the price of physical exertion. He had to be careful even when crossing the halfway line. He had to seize every opportunity to adjust his physical condition and maintain his best form.
The fans in the stands erupted in cheers, with someone shouting, "Wow! That big guy is here! The height difference is outrageous!"
"That guy is an amazing shooter, but Shohoku has no other options but to pray..."
When Sakuragi and Hoffmann stood together, their 26-centimeter height difference was too striking. Sakuragi, who was usually tall and strong, looked like a dwarf at this moment.
Sakuragi glared at Hoffmann with his neck stiffened, and declared, "Hey, Long-Haired Freak, let me tell you beforehand, height is useless to this genius!"
He was still the same old him, spouting insults before even engaging in combat. Before a real fight, Sakuragi believed no one was stronger than him, and he needed to show his opponent. However, this time he wasn't grinning foolishly like before; he had already adopted a defensive stance, waiting for the fight to begin.
The " Long-Haired Freak " that Sakuragi was talking about was Hoffmann, who had shoulder-length hair. When these two stood together, not only were their hairstyles completely different, but their height difference was also outrageous.
Sakuragi was still spouting tough talk, but Hoffmann didn't understand a word he said, thinking it was just the other guy talking nonsense, and even sneered. Before Sakuragi could finish his tough talk, Hoffmann suddenly raised the ball high outside the three-point line and slammed it towards the rim.
Sakuragi panicked and yelled "Despicable!" as he leaped into the air. His speed stunned Hoffmann —the kid didn't seem to bend his knees much, yet he jumped higher than he expected. Unfortunately, Sakuragi was a beat too slow and couldn't help but gasp when he landed; the ball had floated and gone too high!
Even with a well-prepared jump, he might not have been able to reach it. I used to think that Hanagata Toru was the hardest to Toru Hanagata, but now it seems that Hoffmann is the real ruthless one. Under the basket, Takenori Akagi and Brad are locked in a tight battle. He is not at a disadvantage in terms of strength, but Brad is too tall, so he has to do his best to push him outwards.
But physical fitness isn't something you can just cut back on. The basketball swished into the basket. Hoffmann's three-pointer was clean and crisp, much easier than Shirasawa's previous basket.
Although it wasn't as effective as Shirasawa in boosting morale, the result was the same—that's exactly what the Chariot Country team wanted. Their playing style has always been steady, without any flashy, wide-open plays. They're all tall and have long arms, but their average number of dunks is pitifully low.
Hoffmann plays the same way in his domestic league. Unless it's a fast break, he rarely dunks; he either fires down threes or fakes a layup inside. Call him soft? You'd be wrong! He doesn't jump particularly high, and his explosiveness is average, but he's definitely not a softie; it's just his style.
The captain was like that, and the other players were pretty much the same. They didn't care whether the audience shouted or not, as long as the ball went in. Hoffmann didn't celebrate much after his shot either, he just casually clenched his fist, as if he had done a routine task. He probably only gets really excited when he makes the game-winning shot in the final moments.
"Idiot!" Sakuragi was still in a daze when he received a familiar punch to the head. He turned around and saw Akagi, who was frowning and glaring at him.
"What are you whispering to that Long-Haired Freak? He can't understand a word! Focus on the game! Stop with the nonsense!" Akagi wasn't dissatisfied with the defense just now, he was just afraid that Sakuragi would get too cocky and he wouldn't be able to contain Hoffmann.
He knew Sakuragi's character all too well; reasoning with him was useless, fists were always the quickest solution. Hikoichi Aida, clenching his fists in the stands, looked on with pity.
" Sakuragi- senpai is under too much pressure! What's the difference between this and making me go one-on-one against Kaede Rukawa or Sendoh? The height difference is fatal, and they can even shoot threes, how am I supposed to defend against that?" Just as he finished speaking, a deep voice came from the side.
" Hikoichi, your analogy is wrong. The difference between you and Sendoh or Kaede Rukawa isn't height, but Sakuragi has a monster inside him." "I think the gap between him and Hoffmann will gradually narrow." It was Jun Uozumi who spoke. He had just sat down next to Hikoichi and nodded to Moichi Taoka.
"Coach." Moichi Taoka nodded quickly, "Captain Uozumi! You've finally arrived!" He then scratched his head, "Um... you're telling the truth, but you have to consider my fragile heart." Uozumi smiled, "Don't call me captain anymore, Hikoichi. The captain now is Sendoh."
Like Shohoku, Ryonan changed captains to Akira Sendoh after Jun Uozumi. At the time, the teammates had some complaints, not because they were dissatisfied with Sendoh, but because they felt that Uozumi was too reliable as captain and no one could compare.
Sendoh is already doing well enough to be at the gym for training on time every day; he's really not suitable to be captain. Moichi Taoka and Uozumi chose Sendoh because they wanted to use his sense of responsibility to get him to focus more on basketball—it's his final year of high school, he shouldn't be thinking about fishing all the time.
As it stands, Sendoh is on the right track. As for how long he can keep it up, that depends on whether the fish in the sea will tempt him. Moichi Taoka doesn't need to worry too much. Now he's not the only one watching Sendoh. Sendoh has joined Shirasawa's management team, and Sanae and Kenji Fujima will definitely keep an eye on him and constantly remind him not to slack off.
After all, this was his first time competing against so many top players, and the core fun of basketball is competition, which he was truly experiencing right now.
He could be overtaken or even surpassed if he wasn't careful, and the two people he thought he couldn't beat, Hizawa and Eiji Sawakita, were both on his side.
The atmosphere of healthy competition completely transformed Sendoh, Moichi Taoka couldn't help but want to bring Kiccho Fukuda over to try it out as well, but Sanae rejected him on the spot.
Putting aside Fukuda's unattractive appearance, his raw skill, talent, playing habits, and personality are far inferior to these guys. Sending him over would only make things worse.
The two sides traded blows for several rounds, but Shohoku was finding themselves in more trouble.
The Chariot Country was tall and strong, but their movement speed was ridiculously fast. Calling them an upgraded version of Shoyo was an understatement. With their super-wide defensive coverage and super-fast movement, Shohoku would need time to adapt and adjust.
Shirasawa was Shohoku's absolute guarantee during this period. Relying on his superb individual ability, he scored points with inside and outside shots, like a sharp spear that pierced through the seemingly impenetrable iron barrel formation.
The Chariot Country was not to be outdone. Hoffmann went head-to-head with Shirasawa, scoring repeatedly on Hanamichi Sakuragi's head, just like the opening phase when they played against the Cheetah. Shohoku simply couldn't contain him.
The genius Sakuragi was so angry that his face turned red.
Sakuragi.
On the bench, Kiminobu Kogure clenched his fists, his eyes filled with worry.
Yasuharu Yasuda was in the same pose; these two former and current vice-captains were in sync, both worried about Sakuragi.
" Sakuragi excels in hand-to-hand combat, and Hoffmann's style of play simply doesn't allow him to unleash his full potential."
Kiminobu Kogure's analysis is quite insightful. Sakuragi's advancement was entirely due to hand-to-hand combat, which unleashed his physical potential. From fighting against Koichiro Nango to Takano, from Kazuma Takasago to Jun Uozumi, and even against Suguru, to later fighting the Kawata brothers, the stronger the confrontation, the more Sakuragi could perform. This was his advantage.
The only exception was Ken Hoshino from Hakata Shodai Affiliated, who was defeated by Sakuragi in a different way, ultimately relying on physical strength and stamina.
But today's Hoffmann is different. He basically doesn't go head-to-head with Sakuragi, and he doesn't make any high-intensity runs. He just catches the ball, shoots, and maybe adds one or two fakes. His extremely high release point means he doesn't have to worry about anything. Sakuragi has no way to use his strength.
All Sakuragi could do was try his best to jump and block, but Hoffmann's shots were a mix of real and feints, making it impossible to tell if it was a fake or not. Because of the height of his release, if he was even a step too late, he would miss the opportunity to block, Sakuragi completely helpless.
After each goal, Hoffmann clenched his fist slightly, while Hanamichi Sakuragi angrily clenched his fist, creating a stark contrast between the two.
"Don't rush."
On the court, Takenori Akagi spoke up, "Use your brain more. Remember how Robinson defended him in the last game against the Cheetah? Don't jump right away. Judge the situation before you shoot."