Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 333 Akagi's Father!
This match is undoubtedly a highly anticipated one.

Although Ryonan only won second place in the winter selection tournament, this was entirely due to their own shortcomings.

In addition, the two teams have faced each other in the national tournament.

Before Sannoh Industrial unleashed its trump card of tight defense, Ryonan had not fallen into much of a disadvantage.

In addition, there is another major highlight of this match.

"This is going to be good!"

In the audience, Mitsui rubbed his hands together, his eyes filled with schadenfreude as he looked at Sannoh Industrial.

In the match against Hakata, Mitsui achieved a score of 45 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists, proving his strength in one fell swoop.

This was only because Mitsui didn't play the full game; he was substituted with five minutes left in the match. Otherwise, he would have had a chance to achieve a 50+ triple-double.

Akagi asked in confusion, "What kind of show?"

"Matsumoto Minoru's revenge battle!"

Hearing Mitsui say this, Akagi became even more puzzled.

"Wait, didn't Matsumoto Minoru and his wife break up amicably? What does this have to do with the revenge war?"

"Ahem, this is Matsumoto Minoru's revenge match against Sawakita!"

Mitsui wore a mysterious expression and continued, "I heard that after Sawakita joined Sannoh, he publicly challenged Matsumoto Minoru, and it ended in Matsumoto Minoru's crushing defeat!"

Naito, intrigued by Mitsui's words, couldn't help but ask, "Senpai, who told you that?"

"A fisherman!"

When the topic of fishermen came up, everyone instinctively looked at Sendoh, who was warming up on the field.

Overcome with curiosity, Naito continued, "Then how did Sendoh know that?"

"Why do you have so many questions? The reason why Sendoh knows this is naturally because Zebei told him."

Mitsui waved his hand, afraid that Naito would ask any more questions.

Not far away, Kogure was being interviewed by Yayoi Aida.

Aida Yayoi couldn't help but ask, "Kogure, which team do you think will win this game?"

Because of Kogure's preconceived notions, Aida Yayoi had absolutely no interest in Sendoh.

She even suggested that her younger brother, Hikoichi Aida, enroll in Shohoku High School after graduation so that he could help her gather information about Kogure.

However, Aida Hikoichi did not agree and was still observing.

Kogure shook his head and replied, "It's hard to say!"

He wasn't just giving Aida Yayoi a perfunctory answer; both teams were very strong, and either one had a chance of winning.

If Sannoh Industries were still at its peak, Kogure would naturally favor Sannoh.

Unfortunately, Minoru Matsumoto of Sannoh Industrial transferred to Ryonan, which weakened his strength to some extent.

On the other hand, Ryonan has pieced together the last piece of the puzzle, further enhancing their strength.

Within the Ryonan system, Minoru Matsumoto could be described as thriving.

Judging from their strength on paper, Sannoh Industrial still has a certain advantage, but it's not as significant as in the national competition.

This is the Minoru Matsumoto effect!

In addition, it is also related to the form of both teams.

In order to defeat the on-form Shoyo, Sannoh's main players played almost the entire game.

In contrast, Ryonan did not have this problem at all. They were well-rested and ready to launch another challenge against Sannoh Industries.

Aida Yayoi then asked, "What are your thoughts on Matsumoto Minoru transferring to Ryonan High School?"

"This was all within the rules! But judging from the result, Matsumoto Minoru's transfer to Ryonan High School was undoubtedly the right thing to do!"

This can be seen from Minoru Matsumoto's data.

During the national tournament, due to Sawakita's change in playing style, Matsumoto Minoru averaged only 17 points per game, barely qualifying as Sannoh Kogyo's third-highest scorer.

When the Winter Tournament came around, Minoru Matsumoto averaged over 30 points per game, temporarily ranking first in the scoring list, followed closely by Mitsui.

Of course, this is also related to Kogure not exerting his full strength, otherwise Matsumoto Minoru would not have had a chance.

At this point, both teams had finished warming up.

"Alright, the match is about to begin!"

Kogure then declined to continue the interview with Aida Yayoi, citing the need to watch the game, and focused his attention on the field.

"Mountain King, Mountain King!"

"Lingnan, Lingnan!"

As the main players from both sides stepped onto the field, the atmosphere in the stadium noticeably heated up.

Both sets of fans expressed their support for their teams with unified chants.

Their shouts echoed like waves, one after another, throughout the stadium.

The match hadn't even started yet, but the supporters of both sides had already ignited the entire stadium with their passion.

Thanks to the advantages of being the host country, even Ryōnan's Ryōnan is inferior in terms of momentum.

It must be said that Ryonan's immense influence is also closely related to Kogure's personal guard.

As fans of Kogure, the Kogure fan club is well aware of the friendship between Shohoku and Ryonan.

So they started spontaneously cheering for Ryonan.

Only with the support of this organized and disciplined fan group can they suppress the fans of Sannoh Kogyo.

陵南
Center: Uozumi

Ohmae: Toyoyoko Inoue

Komae: Ikegami

Shooting Guard: Minoru Matsumoto
Point Guard: Sendoh

In this match, Coach Taoka fielded what he considered to be the most reasonable starting lineup.

It's not that A-Shen and Fukuda aren't excellent, but rather that they are still in their growth stage and have a long way to go before reaching maturity.

In addition, Ryonan only has one experienced blue-collar power forward, Inoue Toyoki.

Ryonan has a wealth of talent on the perimeter, but their interior players are only Uozumi and Inoue Toyoki.

Apart from Uozumi and Inoue Toyokori, Ryonan had no other qualified inside players.

This is where Ryonan falls short!

When Inoue Toyoki goes on to higher education, Ryonan's weakness in the paint will become even more pronounced.

"We must find an excellent power forward for the team next year!"

Coach Taoka quietly made up his mind to focus the strengthening efforts on the inside.

Excellent interior players are rare, regardless of the era.

"It's a pity that Sakuragi and Rukawa are destined to go to Shohoku, and there's probably only one outstanding new center left!"

Coach Taoka pictured a figure with a few strands of golden bangs in his mind.

However, the competition among teams in Kanagawa is too fierce, and every recruitment season, the strong teams will try their best to strengthen their squads.

Ryonan University might not be able to get such an outstanding freshman.

"If that doesn't work, Mikoshiba from Chosei High School might still have a chance!"

Coach Taoka has added more options to his reinforcement plan.

Since persuading Minoru Matsumoto to transfer to Ryonan, Coach Taoka's confidence has soared, and he might just be able to persuade Mikoshiba to join Ryonan.

Besides Mikoshiba, there's also Masahiro Nobe from Sannoh Industries.

Coach Taoka heard that Matsumoto Minoru and Nobe Masahiro are good friends, so there might actually be a chance to persuade him to join.

The three individuals mentioned above can effectively address the shortcomings of Ryonan.

Just as Coach Taoka was daydreaming, Sannoh's main players also came onto the field.

Sannoh Industrial
Center: Masashi Kawata

Ohmae: Masahiro Nobe

Komae: Eiji Sawabita

Shooting Guard: Satoshi Ichinokura

Point Guard: Kazunari Fukatsu

As for Ito Yu, the former captain of Sannoh Industrial, he chose to prioritize his studies and did not participate in this year's Winter Tournament. This is similar to Akagi in the story's original year, who was preparing for higher education, except that Akagi later changed his mind.

Sannoh Industrial could not be without a captain, and in the end, Fukatsu, known for his composure, became the new captain of Sannoh Industrial.

Compared to the national tournament, Sannoh Industrial has lost Minoru Matsumoto and Yu Ito, significantly weakening its strength.

With this shift in power, the strengthened Ryonan once again challenged Sannoh.

"This guy seems to have grown taller again!"

In the center circle, Uozumi carefully examined Okawada.

Compared to the national competition, Kawada grew another two centimeters, officially reaching the height of the story year—194 centimeters!

On the other side, Okawada was also carefully examining Uozumi.

"This guy looks older and older, he looks like Akagi's father!"

It's no wonder that Kawada thought that way. Just two months later, Uozumi's appearance had lost its childishness and he looked much more mature.

To put it nicely, it's mature; to put it bluntly, it's old-looking!
Thus, Uozumi inevitably became Akagi's father!

Not far away, Fukatsu and Matsumoto Minoru gazed at each other with deep affection.

"Matsumoto, are you doing well in Ryonan?"

Fukatsu wanted to persuade his friend to return to Sannoh Industrial, and he was unwilling to give up even if there was only a sliver of hope.

"I've never felt better!"

Minoru Matsumoto was not lying; he was doing well in Ryonan.

His teammates are all very nice and talented; he loves it here.

In addition, he gained the attention of Coach Taoka.

Their status in terms of team and tactics is significantly higher than during their time at Sannoh Industrial.

He always believed that Coach Taoka was an excellent coach, but he just lacked a little bit of luck.

In contrast, Coach Domoto was born in Rome, coaching the biggest powerhouse Sannoh Kogyo, truly a case of being a hero made by the times.

In short, they could win the championship even if they had a dog tied to the coach's bench.

As the referee tossed the ball into the air, Uozumi and Okawata jumped up together.

Both of them belong to the ape-like species, and their arm spans are significantly longer than their heights.

Among them, Uozumi is taller and has a longer arm span, while Okawata has the advantage of better athletic ability.

slap~
The two players hit the basketball almost simultaneously, and in mid-air, they began to struggle, ultimately ending in a draw.

The basketball was subjected to intense pressure, and Ikegami was the first to grab it.

After landing on the ground, Uozumi and Okawada both took a step back to stop the momentum.

Immediately, Ikegami passed the ball to Sendoh, who then organized the team's attack.

Soon, Sendoh dribbled the ball past half-court.

After observing the situation on the field for a while, he passed the ball to Minoru Matsumoto.

Matsumoto Minoru's matchup was none other than Ichinokura Satoshi!
If Sawakita took away Matsumoto Minoru's chance to become an ace, then Ichinokura Satoshi stole his playing time.

In basketball, players in the same position are rivals, so their relationship is naturally unlikely to be good.

"bring it on!"

Ichinokura Satoshi immediately went to greet him.

He was well aware of his weakness, which was his height!
Compared to Minoru Matsumoto, Satoshi Ichinokura was more than half a head shorter.

In fact, Satoshi Ichinokura's height is more suited to playing point guard.

Unfortunately, he didn't have that talent.

Although Satoshi Ichinokura's tenacious defense was very persistent, Minoru Matsumoto was very familiar with this defensive style.

Taking advantage of his strength and weight, Minoru Matsumoto chose a bulldozer-like breakthrough.

Despite Ichinokura Satoshi's best efforts, the two men differed by more than ten kilograms, and Matsumoto Minoru easily pushed them apart.

The moment Matsumoto Minoru broke through, Kawata immediately covered for him.

From the very beginning of the match, Kawada was already prepared to clean up the mess left by Ichinokura Satoshi.

Satoshi Ichinokura performed very well against ordinary players, and even earned the reputation of a defensive expert.

However, his defensive efficiency drops significantly when facing opponents who have a clear advantage in height and weight.

Unlike Sawakita, Matsumoto Minoru did not choose to face the challenge head-on, but instead casually tossed the ball toward the basket.

Bang~
With a loud thud, Uozumi slammed the ball home with both hands and scored.

"Matsumoto, well done!"

The two high-fived each other, then turned around and went back to defend.

Offense and defense reversed!

Fukatsu delayed the game, deliberately slowing down the pace.

This way, the number of rounds can be reduced, preventing teammates from exhausting their stamina too quickly.

This was a helpless move by Sannoh Industrial, because Shoyo was too fast, and they had no choice but to run alongside them.

This means their condition may be worse than imagined!

The Sannoh players didn't make any runs; they were more like strolling around the field.

Beyond the three-point line, Fukatsu dribbled the basketball silently, calmly observing the situation on the court.

"You're stalling for time!"

Sendoh naturally saw through Fukatsu's plan and immediately entangled himself with him.

Fukatsu dribbled sideways, still maintaining steady control of the ball.

Compared to Sendoh, his ability to fight is better.

No matter what, he was someone who could rival Amu; how could he do that without a strong physique?

At this moment, Kawada took the initiative to step forward and provide cover.

With Kawada providing cover, Fukatsu seized the opportunity to shake off Sendoh and drive straight to the basket.

On the other side, after blocking Sendoh, Kawata quickly cut into the basket.

Uozumi had no choice but to switch positions, spreading his arms wide in a state of readiness.

Instead of forcing a breakthrough, Fukatsu cleverly passed the ball to Kawada, who was cutting into the basket.

This pass showcased Fukatsu's excellent passing skills and precise control of the game's rhythm.

After receiving the ball, Kawada easily leaned against Sendoh and quickly adjusted his posture, preparing to score with a hook shot.

Sendoh did not give up; he stayed close to Kawada, trying to interfere.

Just as everyone held their breath in anticipation, a dull thud echoed as the basketball failed to fall into the hoop and instead hit the edge of the rim.

The shot lacked power, and some Sannoh fans instinctively let out a sigh, feeling deeply regretful.

Kawada immediately tried to grab the rebound at top speed, but unfortunately, he was too late.

Uozumi rushed into the paint and secured the rebound first.

In Slam Dunk, Uozumi is the only player who can grab rebounds even when double-teamed by Akagi and Sakuragi, especially since his opponent is Kawata, who hasn't reached his peak yet.

Compared to the storyline year, Kawata's inside skills are ultimately somewhat inferior.

"Sendou, speed up the attack!"

Suddenly, Coach Taoka's voice rang out from the sidelines.

"Yes, Coach!"

Sendoh responded immediately, his voice filled with confidence.

After receiving the ball, Sendoh quickly darted around the court.

Ryonan's offensive pace noticeably quickened, which boosted the team's overall morale.

The Ryonan players also rushed forward quickly, ready to receive the pass.

Beyond the three-point line, Sendoh successfully faked out Fukatsu with a fake move, then made a quick breakthrough and drove straight to the basket.

His movements were fluid and decisive, instantly dismantling the opponent's defensive formation.

(End of this chapter)