Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 283 Kogure's Second Evolution

The following morning at 9:00 AM, Osaka Nagai Multipurpose Stadium!
After the eight teams were determined, all the quarterfinal matches were held at the Nagai Stadium.

By this time, the arena was already packed with people, and even the aisles were crowded.

"Mountain King, Mountain King!"

"Mountain King, Mountain King!"

……

On the field, the first match is about to come to an end.

They all came from Group 1, namely Sannoh Industrial and Ryonan.

Apart from neutral spectators, the audience at the scene was basically composed of fans of Sannoh Industrial.

This also gives Sannoh Industrial a home-field advantage!
Judging from their roster, Ryonan is clearly inferior to Sannoh Industrial.

Among them, A-Shen and Fukuda are still in the rapid growth stage and have a long way to go before reaching their peak.

From the very beginning of the match, Ryonan was at a disadvantage.

However, Ryonan is not without its own strength.

Among them, the immortal path made the greatest contribution.

Even though Fukatsu is a top-tier point guard and excels at defense, he still couldn't limit Sendoh's performance.

Under Sendoh's organization, Ryonan displayed a multi-pronged offensive approach, maintaining high efficiency on the offensive end.

Ryonan's offense does not rely on a single scoring point, but rather on the cooperation and coordination of the whole team, so that every player has the opportunity to participate in the offense.

As the team's ace, Sendoh not only plays a crucial role in organizing the offense, but he can also score a lot of points in key moments.

Furthermore, Uozumi's importance to the team is in no way inferior to Sendoh's.

Even though Uozumi was limited by Kawata on the offensive end, he also limited Kawata's performance on the defensive end.

With his tall stature and long arms, Uozumi is not afraid of confrontation. In particular, he has been trained by Kogure, which has made him more stable and fully reached the level of an awakened fish.

Of course, this is also related to the fact that Kawada is not yet in its complete form.

The current Ōwada is at most in its mature stage; it is still some distance from being fully developed.

In addition, Uozumi also clearly had the upper hand in controlling the rebounds by taking advantage of his height and wingspan.

Even though Kawada is also a primate, the two are a full ten centimeters apart in height.

Most importantly, Kawata only played inside for a few months, and his experience in positioning was clearly inferior to Uozumi's.

Although Kawata is highly talented at rebounding, Uozumi is not necessarily inferior to him at his peak.

No matter what, Uozumi is the only player in Slam Dunk who can grab rebounds even when Akagi and Sakuragi are targeting him.

For offense, there's Sendoh; for defense, there's Uozumi!
It was thanks to the outstanding performance of Ryonan's two core players that Ryonan was able to avoid falling into a major disadvantage.

By the end of the first half, Sannoh Industrial hadn't even managed to pull ahead by double digits.

On the Sannoh bench, Coach Domoto couldn't help but exclaim, "Kanagawa is just too competitive! The Kanagawa Prefectural Tournament truly lives up to its reputation as a mini-national tournament!"

"If the third-place team in the Kanagawa Prefecture tournament is this strong, then Shohoku and Shoyo are even stronger."

"This doesn't even include Hainan High School and Wuli High School, which are unable to participate in the national competition."

"Fortunately, Kanagawa only had two main tournament spots and one playoff spot, otherwise they could have had at least four of the eight quarter-final teams!"

The Sannoh players began to discuss the situation, all shocked by the intense competition in Kanagawa.

It's ridiculous that more than one of the top eight teams in the country might not be able to participate in the national competition.

"In the second half, we need to increase the intensity! Let's finish this game as soon as possible and save our energy for the next one!"

It's clear that Coach Domoto is about to implement the team's trump card again—press defense.

Sawakita asked casually, "Coach, is the next game going to be another Kanagawa team?"

Looking at the group standings, if Sannoh Kogyo defeats Ryonan, their next opponent will be the team that advances from Group 3.

"That's possible!"

Fukatsu rested his chin on his hand in deep thought, and continued, "Hakata is very strong, but Shohoku is not weak either. It's really a headache."

Kawada clenched his fist and said, "Don't forget the final Shohoku!"

"That means we might have to face Kanagawa teams for three consecutive matches..."

In an instant, the Sannoh coach and players felt the deep malice from the world.

The second half of the game began soon!
Taking advantage of his height and wingspan, Uozumi once again outmaneuvered Kawata and flicked the ball to his own team.

slap~
Just as Sendoh was about to receive the ball, Sawakita suddenly pounced and made the steal first.

Despite Sendoh's best efforts to stop him, he was still unable to prevent Sawakita from making the mid-range shot.

When Ryonan was about to serve, the Sannoh players not only did not return to defense, but instead used a defensive press tactic against the Ryonan players.

Despite Coach Taoka's pre-match preparations and even his consultation with Coach Anzai.

However, it was all in vain; Ryonan was still unable to break through Sannoh Industrial's tight defense.

Simply put, Ryonan does not meet the elements of breaking a tight defense.

Soon after, Fukatsu made a steal and assisted Sawakita for a layup.

The match continued, but it was clear to everyone that Ryonan was being completely suppressed as Sannoh Industrial adopted a tight defensive strategy.

Many times, Ryonan couldn't even get the ball across half-court.

Coach Taoka was like an ant on a hot pan, watching with growing anxiety. He had to call a timeout, but it was to no avail.

The problem now is that Ryonan's offensive has been almost completely contained, and they are unable to stop Sannoh's offensive.

At this moment, the Ryonan players were plunged into deep despair.

They finally experienced the power of Sannoh Industrial's tight defense!

Five minutes later, Sannoh Industrial launched a 25-4 run, extending their lead to 30 points.

In the original work, when Amu was in his second year, in a game between Hainan High School and Sannoh Industrial High School, Sannoh Industrial High School scored 24 points in just four minutes, while Hainan High School only scored 4 points.

At this point, the outcome of the match was clear.

With Sannoh Industrial ending their tight defense, Ryonan's morale plummeted.

Despite Coach Taoka's efforts to boost morale, the Ryonan players' spirits were still broken.

This can be seen from the situation on the field.

After ending their tight defense, Sannoh Industrial pressed forward and completely dominated Ryonan, further extending their lead.

Ten minutes into the second half, Sannoh Industrial's lead had widened to 40 points.

Seeing that defeat was inevitable, Coach Taoka had no choice but to wave his hand and bring on the substitutes.

At the same time, Coach Domoto also substituted his key players off the field.

As both teams' players were leaving the field, Sawakita approached Sendoh triumphantly.

"Sendoh, I won this match!"

"Kitazawa, are you still saying that Sannoh Industrial isn't a super team?"

"Damn it, I've already said it, Sannoh Industrial isn't a super team. And I'm not Kitazawa, my name is Sawakita!"

Zebei left, cursing under his breath.

He seemed to have won, but he was in a very bad mood.

Seeing Zebei's indignant expression, Sendoh's lips curled into a smile.

He did it on purpose, so what!
You won this round, but you might not be able to next time!

For some reason, this time, losing to Sawakita seemed to have ignited Sendoh's inner passion.

Unfortunately, Sendoh's enthusiasm couldn't last three seconds. "As expected, fishing suits me much better!"

For anglers, fishing is everything.

You agree, right, Emperor Heqiang, who has yet to return!

The match ended shortly afterward.

Sannoh Industrial successfully eliminated Ryonan and advanced to the national top four.

The next match will naturally be the second group match, between Shohoku and Daiei Academy.

After warming up, the players from both sides began to take to the field.

"Xiangbei, Xiangbei!"

"Da Rong, Da Rong!"

The moment the two teams entered the field, the fans began to cheer them on.

As agreed, Coach Anzai only sent Kogure, one of Shohoku's key players, and four substitutes.

Center: Satoru Kakuta
Ohmae: Mugure

Komae: Yamamoto Bear
Shooting Guard: Nobuhiko Okamoto

Point Guard: Yasuharu Yasuda

When Shohoku's starting lineup appeared on the court, almost everyone was stunned.

Keep in mind, this is a quarter-final match.

This is incredibly disrespectful to Daiei Academy!
On the Shohoku bench, Coach Anzai's glasses gleamed under the lights.

"Kogure, let me see your true strength!"

After the Winter Tournament, Coach Anzai never saw Kogure go all out again.

This year, Shohoku has seen the emergence of a number of outstanding players, which has effectively made up for the deficiencies in the roster, causing Kogure to play a minor role in the game.

So Coach Anzai used this method to see just how strong 'Full Power Murakami' really was.

Of course, he wouldn't be arrogant.

If the situation turns unfavorable, he will immediately bring on the main lineup.

Before entering the arena, Kogure subconsciously glanced at the attribute panel.

Name: Mumu Gongyan
Age: 16
Height: 190cm
Wingspan: 207cm
Weight: 85kg
physical fitness
Strength: 97, Speed: 97, Stamina: 97, Flexibility: 97, Reaction: MAX, Injury Resistance: MAX, Explosiveness: 98, Jumping Power: 97
Offensive techniques

Ball handling: 97, Passing: 94, Layup: 97, Close shot: 97, Mid-range shot: 97, Three-point shot: 96, Free throw: 97, Positioning: 95, Playmaking: 94, Dunking: 96
Defensive skills

单防：95、协防88、抢断:95、盖帽：90、防守篮板：93、进攻篮板：88
Special nicknames: Glider, God's Left Hand, Mamba Mentality (crippled), Never-Ending Runner (crippled), King of Cool
技能：交叉步LV10、急停跳投LV9、欧洲步LV9、转身跳投LV9、极限拉杆LV8、击地传球LV8、后撤步跳投LV9、后仰跳投LV9、背身单打LV9、指尖挑篮LV8、西克玛步LV9、内线脚步LV8、山姆高德过人LV8、死亡缠绕LV9、勾手LV8、不看人传球LV7、胯下变向LV6
Status: Excellent
Evaluation: College superstar/College player/NBA reserve player
Kogure gained a great deal during the training camp.

This can be seen from the change in Kogure's evaluation.

He was promoted from an NBA water boy to an NBA reserve player.

In short, with his current ability, he could probably rank in the top 300 in the NBA.

If nothing unexpected happens, the next step will likely be becoming a starting substitute in the NBA.

"The advantage is mine!"

After closing the panel, Kogure was filled with confidence.

Although the star players in Slam Dunk are stronger than those in reality, there is still a limit to how strong they can be.

Even Zebei, whose strength is closest to his, is still at a different level.

Kogure thought to himself, "I wonder if I'll be able to reach NBA starting level before graduating high school?"

If even GOat, whose butt gets bruised, can do it, what reason does he have not to be able to do it?

As the Shohoku players stepped onto the court, the Daiei Academy players felt insulted.

For a moment, their hearts were filled with dissatisfaction and anger.

No matter what, they are one of the top eight teams in the country.

However, Shohoku only sent one key player to the court, even though that person was the number one high school player in the country.

In their view, Shohoku's actions were undoubtedly a sign of contempt for them.

"Shohoku is too arrogant!"

"Then defeat them and make them suffer the consequences!"

……

At this moment, the Daiei players were united in their hatred of the enemy and determined to make the Shohoku team pay a heavy price for their underestimation.

Daiei Academy
Center: Shusaku Kudo, 191 cm tall, 84 kg, third-year student
Greatsword: Jun Tsuchiya, 188 cm tall, 80 kg, second-year student
Forward: Aotahama, 183 cm tall, 75 kg, third grade
Shooting Guard: Mao Lixi, 178 cm tall, 70 kg, third grade
Point Guard: Daijiro Itakura, 180 cm tall, 74 kg, first-year student
Beep~
As the referee blows his whistle, the game officially begins.

During the jump ball phase, Kogure and Shusaku Kudo went to the center circle to perform the jump ball.

The next moment, the referee tossed the ball high into the air.

As the basketball began to fall, Kogure overpowered Shusaku Kudo, using the significant advantage of having only one arm to slap the ball towards his own team.

"That guy can jump really high!"

Seeing the height Kogure jumped from the spot, Jun Tsuchiya's eyes were filled with envy.

As soon as Yasuda crossed half-court, he prepared to pass the ball to Kogure.

However, at that moment, Itakura immediately stepped forward and took the initiative to confront him.

Upon seeing Itakura's abstract and ferocious appearance, Yasuda was clearly startled.

Under Itakura's intense pressure, Yasuda's movements became completely distorted, and he lost control of the basketball.

In a panic, Yasuda instinctively tried to grab the basketball.

slap~
Just then, Itakura made the steal first.

"That's so easy!"

Itakura smiled slightly. If he had been matched up against Yasuda for the entire game, he believed he could have scored more than 30 points.

The next moment, Itakura surged ahead, quickly charging towards the basket.

Although Itakura's speed is not as good as Miyagi's or Fujima's, he is still among the top-tier players.

In just two or three seconds, Itakura appeared under the basket, ready to score a layup.

"careful!"

Jun Tsuchiya's voice rang out.

At the same time, a dark figure suddenly pounced on Itakura, its speed even exceeding Itakura's by a factor of three.

Upon discovering it was Kogure, Itakura was visibly startled and filled with panic.

He had watched Kogure's game; it was the game between Shohoku and Hakata.

In that match, his older brother Kenjiro Itakura was completely outmatched by Kogure, offering no chance to fight back.

Itakura believed that his abilities were inferior to his older brother's, and since even his brother couldn't get along with him, he couldn't possibly win.

Perhaps due to his panic, Itakura took two extra steps after taking three, almost crossing the baseline.

It was only then that he belatedly realized what was happening.

Beep~
Unfortunately, Itakura wasn't the GOAT, and the referee didn't tolerate him, immediately blowing the whistle.

"You should take three more steps, making it eight steps in total!"

Kogure glanced at Itakura and couldn't help but make a comment.

(End of this chapter)