On the fourth day since the National Tournament officially began, the headlines in every sports section were still dominated by Morishige Hiroshi and Meihou Industrial.
In yesterday's game, although Morishige didn't notch another triple-double, he still recorded a monstrous 33 points and 31 rebounds—a double-30 performance that thrilled both fans and media alike.
The sports press continued to heap praise on the "Fatty," and even sought out notable basketball figures for their reactions.
Coach Tangze of the Fukasawa Sports University basketball team said,
"Morishige Hiroshi's potential is limitless. His performance is astonishing! If I had the opportunity to coach him, I'd be thrilled."
Even Sugiyama Shota, who had been compared to Morishige by the media the previous day, offered generous words:
"Morishige Hiroshi has great potential. He'll definitely have a bright future ahead. Fukasawa Sports University would welcome him anytime."
With such endorsements from top coaches and players, the media began to push a new narrative: this year's finals would inevitably be between Meihou Industrial and Sannoh Industrial—the so-called "Industrial War."
Some reporters even offered tactical "advice" to Coach Domoto, suggesting he use Little Kawata to contain Morishige's dominance. The hype was so overblown that other teams—like Aiwa Academy and Shohoku High—were all but forgotten.
Meanwhile, inside Aiwa Academy's locker room, Coach Sakaguchi was briefing his players with a sharp tone and stern expression.
"You all know what to do on offense, but I want to emphasize defense. Shohoku tends to start from the inside in every game, so after the tip-off, our first priority is to secure the paint!"
After meticulously explaining their opening strategy, he clapped his hands and sent his team to warm up.
Across the court, Shohoku had limited knowledge of Aiwa Academy. Their only insight came from Sakuragi, who described what he had seen when scouting them—claiming that Aiwa's ace, Moroboshi Dai, was "way stronger than Rukawa Kaede."
Of course, that comment had to be taken with a grain of salt. Sakuragi would say that about anyone rather than admit Rukawa's talent.
Aiwa Academy's Starting Lineup:
Center: Amamiya Hideyoshi – 195 cm, 88 kg
Power Forward: Aoba Yoshi – 191 cm, 86 kg
Small Forward: Egawa Tatsuhoshi – 187 cm, 80 kg
Shooting Guard: Moroboshi Dai – 185 cm, 79 kg
Point Guard: Fukuoka Yuji – 178 cm, 71 kg
Their lineup was balanced, tall, and powerful—living up to their reputation as one of last year's Top Four teams.
The arena buzzed as Shohoku, in white, and Aiwa Academy, in red, lined up at center court.
The referee glanced left and right, then blew his whistle sharply. Both sides tensed instantly—Akagi and Amamiya Hideyoshi focusing solely on the ball.
The ball flew upward. Sakuragi and Rukawa Kaede dashed for position, but Amamiya, despite being slightly shorter, used his 206 cm wingspan to win the tip.
Moroboshi Dai caught the ball and immediately attacked.
Mitsui stepped up to stop him, but in the blink of an eye, Moroboshi was gone—slipping past like a red flash.
"So fast…"
Miyagi muttered from the sidelines, sweat forming on his forehead.
Moroboshi now had a clear path to the rim.
"Moroboshi! Behind you!"
Fukuoka Yuji's shout came too late—Moroboshi already knew someone was chasing him. The sound of his pursuer's footsteps thundered on the floor.
He glanced sideways and saw a huge figure bearing down on him. With no time to pass, Moroboshi changed his layup into a scoop shot—hoping to avoid the chase-down.
But he couldn't escape.
"Swat!!"
The ball exploded off the backboard—Nango's block echoing through the gym. Mitsui quickly grabbed the rebound near the free-throw line.
"Senior! Over here!"
Nango sprinted ahead for the fast break. Mitsui was about to pass—but hesitated. Moroboshi was right behind Nango, ready to steal.
That split-second delay allowed Aiwa's defense to regroup, killing Shohoku's fast-break opportunity.
This guy's reaction speed is unreal…
Mitsui thought grimly. He already knew guarding Moroboshi would be a nightmare.
Nango, too, was thinking ahead. If Mitsui focuses too much on defense, it might hurt his offense. We might need to switch assignments…
For now, though, he decided to observe a few more possessions before adjusting.
Meanwhile, Moroboshi eyed Nango warily. That block—his speed and jump are not normal. I'll have to watch this guy closely.
Shohoku's possession. Nango passed inside to Akagi to test Aiwa's interior defense.
Akagi backed down Amamiya step by step. As he neared the baseline, Aoba Yoshi suddenly left Sakuragi to double-team.
Two players, both over 190 cm, boxed him in. Akagi didn't force the shot. He looked to pass—but Amamiya's long arms waved like whips, cutting every passing lane.
"Captain! Throw it out first!"
Nango shouted urgently.
Akagi pivoted and kicked the ball out. Nango caught it with ten seconds left on the shot clock. No time to waste.
He leaned forward, drove hard into Fukuoka, and pulled up from the free-throw line.
"Swish!"
Shohoku scored their first basket.
On the other end, Fukuoka pushed the pace. Nango stepped up to pressure him, but the point guard quickly passed to Moroboshi and sprinted off-ball.
Amamiya moved forward to set a screen. Akagi prepared to block him—expecting Moroboshi to drive—but Amamiya adjusted instantly and used his body to set the perfect screen.
Moroboshi darted around it, saw the open space, and rose for a three-pointer.
"Swish!"
The net snapped cleanly.
Akagi's brow furrowed. This was the kind of play he hated most—ball-handlers using screens to pull big men away from the paint.
If he stayed inside, Moroboshi would kill them with threes. But if he moved out, Shohoku's defense would lose its anchor under the rim.
The game had barely begun, yet Akagi already faced a cruel dilemma.
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