Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 351 Hand that damn basketball to Kogure!
I believe that Kawada can definitely do it!

Coach Domoto remained stubborn and rejected the two coaches' suggestions.

Coach Taoka and Coach Kawasaki couldn't help but exchange a glance. Coach Domoto's stubbornness made them shake their heads.

"No wonder Sannoh Industrial has been suppressed by Shohoku and defeated by Ryonan in the past two years. So that's the crux of the problem!"

Coach Kawasaki Kazumi believes that Coach Domoto is blinded by greed and obsessed with saving face.

He originally thought that Coach Domoto made Sannoh Industrial successful, but now it seems that Sannoh Industrial made Coach Domoto successful.

Before Shohoku rose to prominence, Sannoh Industrial's roster was so strong that even if the coaching staff consisted of a dog, they could still win the national championship.

To answer using Green's Law: Sannoh Industrial High School was already the national champion before Coach Domoto took over as coach!

Indeed, the platform is more important!

Thinking about this, Coach Kazumi Kawasaki breathed a sigh of relief, because he was about to coach a national champion team.

On the court, Ronnie Fields used Michael Knight's screen to drive straight to the basket.

However, Kawada did not choose to switch defenders immediately.

shuh~
By the time Kawada reacted, Ronnie Fields had already driven into the paint and scored a layup.

Kawada's gaze remained unfocused.

Although his body was still on the field, his thoughts seemed to have drifted far away.

"Kawada, focus. Basketball is more than just a sport; it requires our full commitment. If you continue to lose your way like this, I advise you to give up basketball."

Kogure's voice echoed in the stadium, his tone stern.

As the team captain, he had a duty to remind Kawada to regain his focus on the game.

Kawada's will is weaker than I thought!
He had to make Kawada realize that now was not the time to lose himself.

He wants to win!
Kawada suddenly shivered. Kogure's words were like a thunderclap, striking a chord in Kawada's heart and instantly bringing him to his senses.

At that moment, he finally realized how badly he had performed in the game.

At this moment, Kawada did something unexpected.

clap~
He raised his hands and slapped his cheeks hard. His cheeks began to swell and turn red at a visible speed, showing how determined he was.

Through self-harm, Okawada finally regained consciousness.

"Okawada, it seems I underestimated your magnanimity!"

After speaking, Kogure prepared to lead his team to launch an attack.

"Thank you!"

Kawada made a barely audible sound to express his gratitude to Kogure, then ran headlong towards the front.

After adjusting his mindset, Kawata re-examined the game and focused his attention on the court.

He began to communicate actively with his teammates and started to focus his energy on defense.

As the match progressed, Kawata's performance gradually improved.

Under these circumstances, Farragut Academy's efficiency began to decline to normal levels.

For a time, both sides got back on track, with little difference in scoring efficiency.

However, Farragut Academy maintained a firm advantage on the boards, causing the score to widen further.

There's nothing that can be done about it; you can tell just by looking at the height difference between the two teams' interior players.

Kevin Garnett, 210 cm
Michael Knight, 202 cm
Willie Farley, 198 cm
Farragut's three forwards have a significant height advantage.

In contrast, the island nation's forwards are generally ten centimeters shorter than their opponents.

Seeing that the coaching staff had not made any substitutions, Kogure was forced to focus some of his energy on protecting the rebounds.

Kogure's positioning skills and rebounding instincts are undeniably good, but despite this, there is still a gap in his ability to compete for rebounds.

Compared to the disadvantaged frontcourt, they actually have a subtle advantage.

The combined strength of Kogure and Fujima, forming a trident, surpasses that of their opponent.

Although Fujima couldn't withstand Arnold Johnson, he was more technically skilled and agile, resulting in a back-and-forth exchange of blows.

As for Kogure, needless to say, even Ronnie Fields would be at a disadvantage in a one-on-one situation.

Ronnie Fields is still a high school player after all. Even if his skills have reached the NBA level, he's at best just an average substitute.

Kogure, on the other hand, is at the level of a main substitute, so there is at least a level difference between the two.

However, the main problem now lies in cooperation.

Kogure and Fujima come from different teams. They know each other's strengths, but they know very little about each other's habits, which causes them to miss many easy scoring opportunities.

"It's a bit difficult to handle!"

Kogure frowned slightly. At this moment, he really wanted to transform into Brother Crow and say, "If it's too difficult, then don't do it."

The game on the field continued, but an unexpected incident occurred off the field.

At this moment, Kongmu, the team leader, came to the bench.

"Coach Domoto, it's time to make a choice. This lineup has almost no chance of beating Farragut Academy!"

"Chairman Kongmu, you have to believe me..."

"It's not that I don't believe you, but the lineup on the field looks strong, but it's actually a disorganized mess."

As the chairman of the organizing committee, Kongmu naturally understands basketball and is an insider.

This is different from some associations on the other side of the strait.

"But……"

Coach Domoto wanted to continue making excuses, believing that as a well-known young coach in high school basketball, Sora would give him that face.

However, it was all for naught. Kuki and the chairman of the Akita organizing committee didn't get along, so naturally he wasn't too fond of Coach Domoto, who was coaching Sannoh Industrial.

Coach Domoto was only brought into the coaching team because of his big name.

Sora didn't bother with Coach Domoto. He waved his hand and then pointed at Coach Taoka, saying, "Fine, Coach Taoka, you'll be in charge of the team!"

"you!"

Coach Domoto was shocked and furious, his face turning red instantly, but he dared not speak out.

This is tantamount to being publicly humiliated!
With a serious expression, Kuki said to Coach Taoka, "Coach Taoka, I want a victory. Can you do it?"

He needs a victory to solidify his position and prestige.

"I will definitely do my best!"

Coach Taoka didn't give a definitive answer, but he wasn't very confident either.

Farragut Academy is too strong, even stronger than Sannoh Industrial by one or two levels.

Beep~
After taking over the reins, Coach Taoka immediately requested a timeout.

On the bench, Coach Taoka watched the players.

Coach Taoka immediately began to select his players.

"Akagi, Naito, Sendō, Mitsui and Mugure!"

Coach Taoka always believed that the strongest lineup was led by the four giants of Shohoku.

As for Sendoh being included, it was out of personal motives; the higher the intensity of the match, the better it would train the players' abilities.

In addition, Sendoh is familiar with the four giants of Shohoku, and there is some tacit understanding between them.

Finally, Sendoh was not only taller than Sawakita, but also less ambitious, making him easier to control.

"Play the same way you played in Shohoku!"

Coach Taoka was just one sentence away from telling Kogure to handle that damn basketball.

After the timeout, both teams returned to the court. Soon after, Kogure stood with the ball beyond the three-point line.

Although Kogure's position has changed to point guard, he is still guarded by Ronnie Fields.

Ronnie Fields stood in front of Kogure, waving his long arms.

Ronnie Fields bent his knees slightly and kept waving his long arms.

Arnold Johnson was assigned to guard Mitsui, who is 184 cm tall, so his height disadvantage was minimal.

While Kogure was organizing the attack, his teammates quickly sprang into action.

Soon, with the cover of Akagi and Naito, Mitsui had gained a two-body-length lead over Arnold Johnson.

In an instant, Kogure flicked the ball with one hand, accurately passing it to Mitsui.

At that moment, Mitsui happened to appear just outside the three-point line.

The timing of the pass was perfect; Mitsui didn't even need to adjust, he jumped up, caught the ball, and shot immediately.

This scene occurred far too often in Shohoku's matches.

shuh~
Arnold Johnson only had time to wave his hand before watching helplessly as the basketball pierced the net.

Offense and defense reversed!

As soon as Arnold Johnson crossed half-court with the ball, Kogure immediately closed in on him.

Caught in a deadly grip, Arnold Johnson appeared disheveled and could no longer maintain his composure.

He finally understood how Ronnie Fields felt!
This defensive pressure is absolutely off the charts!

Under Kogure's pressure, Arnold Johnson's ball-handling skills became distorted.

slap~
Before Arnold Johnson could adjust, Kogure seized the opportunity and stole the ball.

"not good!"

Not far away, Ronnie Fields quickly caught up and began to interfere with Kogure from the side.

However, Kogure was almost unaffected.

The basketball seemed glued to Kogure's hands, and Ronnie Fields could never find an opportunity to throw it.

It was also because of Ronnie Fields that Kogure's speed declined.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Garnett, who had been making a quick getaway, rushed back to the basket to take control.

At this moment, Kogure is about to rush into the paint area.

Suddenly, Kogure abruptly stopped.

Ronnie Fields was on guard and didn't fall too far behind.

At the same time, Garnett rushed up as well.

His defensive awareness is exceptionally good.

When Kogure jumped, the two of them also jumped, their four arms almost completely blocking Kogure's shooting space.
Both Ronnie Fields and Kevin Garnett have excellent jumping ability.

When it comes to Garnett's jumping ability, many fans' first reaction is that Garnett could touch a coin placed on the top edge of the backboard.

However, this is merely a rumor and should not be believed.

Just like the French center who got dunked on by Carter, he went back and retired, and... that's fake too!

Touching the top edge of the backboard—someone actually succeeded in doing so: Ehiogu, whose maximum reach reached an astonishing 404cm, making him the only player to ever touch the top edge of the backboard.

It has to be said that 404 is a very magical number.

Despite the combined blockade by Ronnie Fields and Garnett, Kogure remained unmoved.

The two were surprised to find that the distance between them and Kogure was increasing.

Fallback jump shot!

At that moment, the same thought crossed their minds.

Ronnie Fields and Garnett have great jumping ability, and Kogure is equally impressive.

When Kogure saw the basket, he finally shot the basketball.

As soon as they landed, they both turned around and looked at the basketball.

shuh~
The basketball swished through the net, creating a splash.

Ronnie Fields and Garnett exchanged glances, both seeing seriousness in each other's eyes.

As the game progressed, they discovered that Kogure's performance last night was just the tip of the iceberg.

In short, Kogure's strength was far greater than they had imagined, and he was quite well-rounded.

Even Ronnie Fields, who had a high opinion of himself, had to admit that Kogure performed better than him.

However, Ronnie Fields did not give up.

When it was Farragut Academy's turn to attack, Arnold Johnson passed the ball to Ronnie Fields as soon as he crossed half-court.

He didn't want to be hit by Kogure's Death Coil again!
Facing Mitsui's defense, Ronnie Fields touched the ground and broke through to the right with the ball.

Mitsui has a strong defensive awareness and excellent reaction time. He quickly moved his feet to the side and blocked Ronnie Fields's breakthrough.

Unfortunately, Ronnie Fields pulled the basketball with his right hand and then spun it around Mitsui.

Naito immediately stepped up to cover, and Ronnie Fields broke through and passed the ball to Willie Farley, who was in an open position.

slap~
Suddenly, a figure appeared out of nowhere in the passing lane and easily intercepted the pass.

"What's Kogure doing there?"

Ronnie Fields was visibly surprised; he remembered that Kogure should have been at the top of the arc.

However, now is not the time to think about this.

"Return to defense!"

After Kogure made the steal, Ronnie Fields immediately clung to him, delaying the move slightly and giving his teammates more time to get back on defense.

Seeing that there was no chance for a quick attack, Kogure visibly slowed down.

After dribbling the ball past midfield, Kogure, who had been moving slowly forward, suddenly accelerated, catching Ronnie Fields off guard.

In an instant, Kogure and Ronnie Fields brushed past each other.

Garnett kept a close eye on Kogure, and the moment Kogure broke through Ronnie Fields, he immediately stepped in to cover.

However, at that moment, Kogure made a subtle bounce pass, and the basketball was passed to Naito.

Garnett's expression changed drastically. He stopped abruptly, stomped hard on the floor, and lunged at Naito.

Bang~
Naito seized the opportunity, strode into the basket, and delivered a powerful two-handed dunk.

Garnett was helpless in the face of this.

Even in the American high school basketball scene, Naito's physical attributes are still considered to be at a bug level.

With Kogure's brilliant pass to Naito for a dunk, the gap between the two sides was finally narrowed to single digits.

On the Farragut bench, Coach Stephen stared intently at Kogure, his gaze never leaving him, filled with approval.

He never imagined that Asian players, who have historically been known for their frailty, would possess such a level of talent.

Coach Stephen was delighted by Kogure's talent and developed a fondness for him.

For a moment, he began to weigh the pros and cons, and the idea of ​​persuading Kogure to transfer to Farragut Academy came to mind.

If Kogure joins Farragut Academy, Garnett will anchor the paint in the frontcourt, while Kogure and Ronnie Fields will form a golden duo in the backcourt.

In American high school basketball, such a lineup is practically invincible.

Coach Stephen trembled with excitement at the thought.

(End of this chapter)