Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 326 Sannoh Industrial: Who drew this lot? Such a dirty hand!
Time flies by unnoticed, and it's already mid-December.

For some reason, this year's Winter Games came earlier than usual.

As the host country, the rally for this year's Winter Games was held at the Kanagawa International Gymnasium.

Although it is far inferior to the Tokyo Dome, it is still the best stadium in Kanagawa.

This winter tournament saw three teams from Kanagawa participate, breaking the record for the most teams to participate in the winter tournament.

Among them, three teams from Kanagawa Prefecture and two teams from Akita Prefecture, a total of 50 teams gathered together, coming from 47 different regions.

Since most regions only have one spot, the selection process is extremely competitive, with even some nationally strong teams being eliminated.

That's right, Hainan High School was mentioned again, along with other schools in similar predicaments such as Buri High School, Fengyu High School, and Meipeng Industrial High School.

The Winter Tournament is divided into two groups, each consisting of 25 teams, with seeded teams automatically receiving a bye for the first two rounds.

These two seeded teams consist of the national tournament champions and runners-up, namely Shohoku and Sannoh Industrial.

Shohoku High School was placed in Group 1, while Sannoh Industrial High School was in Group 2.

Hua Hua Hua~
Before the rally even began, the entire stadium was filled with a loud clamor that vibrated everyone's eardrums and sent adrenaline soaring.

Kanagawa hosted its first-ever winter tournament, drawing spontaneous gatherings of local residents.

Not only was the stadium packed, but the area outside was also teeming with enthusiastic crowds.

When the Shohoku team made their grand entrance, the entire stadium erupted in cheers.

"Xiangbei, Xiangbei!"

"Mumu, Mumu!"

……

Countless spectators shouted themselves hoarse, hoping that the local team could lift the Winter Championship trophy on home soil.

Among them, Shohoku, as the defending champion, is undoubtedly the team they favor the most.

In the Shohoku team, Kogure's popularity is unparalleled, and the "Kogure fans" have made great contributions to his success.

The Kanagawa National Gymnasium has 12 stands, and Kogure Mikoto alone occupies three of them. In particular, they are an organized and disciplined fan group.

With Kogure leading his team to victory in the national tournament, the number of 'Kogure no Mikoto' has expanded further.

"too crazy!"

Watching the crazy 'Kogure fans,' Sawakita clicked his tongue in amazement while feeling a deep envy for Kogure.

It's hard to say how long it will take for him to have such a fan base.

"Don't think I don't know you're staring at those girls' long legs; your eyes are practically glued to them!"

Kawada grabbed Sawakita's shoulders with both hands and shook him violently, venting his anger over Matsumoto Minoru's transfer on Sawakita.

"You...you're spouting nonsense! This is slander!"

Zebei was almost shaken to pieces; the only thing that remained stubborn was his mouth.

"Kawata, stop!"

With Fukatsu's intervention, Kawada stopped physically punishing Sawakita.

"Kanagawa is stronger than usual this year!"

Fukatsu immediately changed the subject.

"Yes, besides Shohoku and Shoyo, Ryonan also poses a serious threat to us!"

Ito Yu agreed, but his eyes showed a hint of worry.

In previous years, all three Kanagawa teams would have been contenders for the championship.

It's no wonder that Kanagawa is known as the 'Mini National Tournament'.

"It's all Sawakita's fault. If it weren't for Sawakita, Matsumoto Minoru would never have transferred to Ryonan."

Kawada crossed his arms, and because of Matsumoto Minoru, he now disliked Sawakita very much.

Sawakita remained silent, because Matsumoto Minoru's transfer to another school was indeed related to him.

Who told him to openly challenge Matsumoto Minoru as soon as he joined Sannoh Industrial?

That challenge completely destroyed Matsumoto Minoru's status and prestige.

At the time, Matsumoto Minoru was about to ascend the throne, but before he could even sit on the throne, he was kicked off by Sawakita in front of everyone, and his status plummeted.

While the Sannoh players were discussing, the Shohoku team had already lined up in the center of the court, and all 50 teams had officially assembled.

Among them, Hakata is the king of Zuoshan in northern Hunan.

In Basketball Weekly's ratings, Sannoh, Hakata, and Shohoku were all rated as AA-level teams.

Shohoku, the defending champions, were rated as an AAA-level team.

There might be an element of Aida Yayoi's influence, but the main reason is that Shohoku itself possesses such strength.

As for the A-level teams, they include Aiwa Academy, Ryonan, Daiei, Josei, Rakuen, and Jinbo University Affiliated School.

In fact, Ryonan's strength is more than enough to qualify them as an AA-level team, but unfortunately, Ryonan's reputation is too poor and they have not yet proven themselves.

Kogure's immediate focus was on Ai and the Academy.

Rumor has it that Moroboshi Dai took nearly two months to recuperate, and thankfully, he is out of danger.

As long as Dai Moroboshi stays healthy, Aiwa Academy will not fall out of the A-class team ranks.

This is the true value of a star player!
As for why Kogure is paying attention to Aiwa Academy, it's because, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Shohoku's first opponent will be Aiwa Academy.

It has to be said that Love and Academy wasn't very lucky, encountering the defending champion so quickly.

Aside from the first round being against weak teams, the second round was against Luoan, and the third round against Xiangbei.

This match schedule left Ai and the players feeling utterly hopeless.

Besides Aiwa Academy and Luoan, Hakata was also in Group 1, but Shohoku was scheduled to meet Hakata in the last round of the group stage.

"Kogure, I've gotten stronger again! This time, I'm going to score against you!"

The first thing Zebei did was stare confidently at Kogure.

He has been training hard for the past two months and believes he has made considerable progress.

Kogure smiled slightly and said, "Sawakita, let's get through Shoyo and Ryonan first."

Compared to Aiwa Academy, Sannoh Industrial had even worse luck.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, after Sannoh Industrial finishes with a bye, their first opponent will be Josei, the second will be Shohoku, and the third will be Ryonan...

Sannoh Industrial enjoyed the same treatment as Shohoku High School in the storyline, which was full of drama and challenges.

Although Chang Cheng is quite capable, he is clearly not on the same level as Sannoh Industrial.

For Sannoh Industries, dealing with Chang Cheng wouldn't require much effort.

However, Shoyo and Ryonan put unprecedented pressure on Sannoh Industries, enough to give Sannoh Industries a headache.

If they relax even slightly, they might suffer an unexpected setback; the key is still to use a series of coordinated attacks.

Facing strong teams like Shohoku and Ryonan, they must go all out to ensure they remain undefeated in the fierce competition.

Sannoh Industrial: Who drew this lot? Their hands are so dirty, they definitely didn't wash them!
Coach Domoto:…

"They are indeed very strong, but there is still a gap between us and them. I am confident that I can beat them."

Zebei's eyes gleamed with confidence.

I hope you can do it!

Kogure shook his head, not very optimistic about Sannoh Industries.

Even if Sannoh Industrial can defeat Shoyo and Ryonan, how much strength will they have left?
Hua Hua Hua~
Only then did the rally begin. The chairman of the organizing committee walked confidently onto the stage and first reviewed the brilliant achievements of last year's winter competition.

He then changed his tone and began to look ahead to the upcoming competition, while expressing his trust and encouragement to all the participants.

After a brief but inspiring speech, the chairman did not linger and quickly ended his remarks.

This decisive and straightforward style naturally won cheers from everyone present.

The atmosphere in the entire venue reached a climax.

After the rally concludes, the first round of the competition will begin.

Apart from Shohoku and Sannoh Kogyo receiving a bye for two rounds, the remaining 48 teams will be assigned to different venues for the knockout stage.

The knockout stage rules are simple yet brutal; every match could be the last, so most teams must give it their all to avoid any surprises.

Aiwa Academy's match was held in the National Gymnasium, where their opponent was Kamimatsu Commercial from Nagano Prefecture.

Kamimatsu Commercial is the undisputed leader in Nagano Prefecture, but it appears ordinary nationwide, often only making its way through the country once in a row.

In this match, Moroboshi Dai enjoyed the treatment of a star, with many spectators cheering him on at the top of their lungs.

However, he preferred not to receive such treatment.

Because the entire audience was chanting the slogan "Stretcher God of War".

He was so embarrassed he could practically dig a three-bedroom apartment out with his toes!
With the referee's whistle, the match officially began.

On the field, the players quickly got into the game.

Unfortunately, the game was completely one-sided.

Love and Academy performed exceptionally well, repeatedly putting the basketball into the basket with ease, earning rounds of applause and cheers from the audience.

On the defensive end, Aihe Academy completely overwhelmed Song Business, leaving them utterly helpless.

In the audience, Kogure yawned; he was almost asleep.

"Let's go back!"

Everyone agreed with Kogure's suggestion; such a one-sided match wasn't very interesting.

Led by Kogure, the Shohoku team chose to leave directly.

……

Two days later, the top 16 teams were successfully determined!
All the top teams (A-level and above) advanced smoothly without any upsets.

At nine o'clock in the morning, the two teams stepped onto the court, namely Shohoku and Aiwa Academy.

Among them, the Shohoku players wore classic red jerseys, while Aiwa Academy wore blue jerseys.

As the two teams took to the field, the fans' enthusiasm was completely ignited, and they began to cheer wildly for their favorite teams.

"Shohoku will win!"

"Kogure, Kogure, you're amazing!"

……

Various slogans rose and fell, resounding throughout the stadium.

Among them, the momentum of the Shohoku team clearly surpasses that of Aiwa Academy.

This is Kanagawa after all, and Shohoku's home advantage is very obvious. Aiwa Academy's fans are almost surrounded by a sea of ​​Shohoku fans.

With the cheers of the home fans, the Shohoku players became increasingly confident.

On the other side, Aihe's players were on high alert, and many of them showed signs of tension.

The match hadn't even started yet, but a tense atmosphere was already in the air.

Beep~
The match officially began with the referee's whistle.

Shohoku fielded a lineup of Akagi, Naito, Kogure, Mitsui, and Miyagi.

During this period, Miyagi worked much harder than before, not only successfully developing his mid-range shooting ability, but also becoming much more focused.

So Coach Anzai gave Miyagi a chance.

On the other side, Aihe Academy also fielded its main lineup.

Center: Sugiyama Shoyo, 193 cm, 88 kg, third year student
Great Forward: Hattori Deku, 188 cm tall, 83 kg, third-year student
Front: Moroboshi Dai, 184 cm tall, 76 kg, second grade
Shooting Guard: Ryo Yamada, 179 cm tall, 70 kg, second-year student
Point Guard: Mizuki Watari, 176 cm tall, 66 kg, third year
Amid cheers from the Kanagawa fans, Akagi easily passed the ball to Miyagi.

Miyagi displayed lightning speed at the first moment.

Before Mizuki Watari could react, Miyagi easily broke through her defenses.

At the same time, Kogure and Mitsui quickly pulled them together, and Moroboshi Dai and Yamada Ryo dared not leave them unattended and had to follow.

In this situation, Hattori Desaku appeared under the basket, ready to meet Miyagi.

Just as Miyagi was about to enter the paint, he didn't continue his breakthrough. Instead, he casually tossed the ball into the air and immediately dodged to the side.

Before Hattori Desaku could react, he was enveloped by a massive shadow.

Naito grabbed the basketball with both hands and delivered a brutal alley-oop.

Bang~
Hattori Dessou felt a powerful force strike him, and his feet flew off the ground, sending him flying out of the field.

At that moment, Hattori Tokus's mind was completely blank.

Arriving late, Sugiyama Shoyo helped Hattori Tokus up and asked with concern, "Hattori, are you alright?"

Hattori Tokus watched Naito's retreating figure with lingering fear, then shook his head and said, "I'm fine!"

He wasn't unaffected, because the impact just now made him feel as if he saw his grandmother!

Offense and defense reversed!

Soon, Mizuki Watari dribbled the ball past midfield and began to assess the situation.

In order to shake off Kogure, Dai Moroboshi is trying his best to reposition himself.

However, it was all for naught; Kogure's positioning skills were far superior to his.

Moroboshi was devastated to discover that no matter how he moved, he could never shake off Kogure.

In this situation, Moroboshi Dai actively sought cover from his teammates and finally gained a one-body-length advantage.

Mizuki Watanabe keenly sensed the opportunity and passed the ball without hesitation.

slap~
Just as Mizuki Watari passed the ball, Kogure suddenly accelerated, raising his speed to a new level.

Just as Moroboshi was about to receive the ball, Kogure, with his excellent anticipation and reaction, made the steal first.

Moroboshi Dai tried to steal it back, but Kogure easily outmaneuvered him.

Kogure grabbed the basketball and quickly launched a fast break.

Teammates also joined the fast break, rushing towards the frontcourt like a sharp arrow ready to be released.

"Get back to defense quickly!"

Ai and the players reacted quickly and immediately returned to defense at top speed.

Among them, Dai Moroboshi gritted his teeth and chased after Kogure at top speed.

Unfortunately, the opportunity had been lost. Despite Moroboshi Dai's best efforts, he was still a step too late.
Kogure was like a wild horse that had broken free of its reins, galloping ahead of everyone else, unstoppable.

After stepping onto the free-throw line, he leaped into the air, his body fully extended in mid-air, completing a breathtaking gliding dunk.

Hua Hua Hua~
The next moment, the entire stadium erupted in cheers.

The audience was stunned by this wonderful moment and stood up to applaud and cheer.

(End of this chapter)