Basketball miracles

Chapter 182 [Whose player is this?]

The overweight Mitsuyoshi Anzai finally managed to squeeze into the basketball court. Japan in the 90s was still quite harmonious; in the future, if he squeezed like that, he'd definitely get accused of sexual harassment by girls.

As soon as Anzai Mitsuyoshi walked to the sidelines, he was deeply impressed by Sakuragi Hanamichi's performance.

Sakuragi was practicing his second set of dunks, repeatedly catching the ball and driving to the basket, slamming the rim with one hand and two hands. He also practiced shuttle runs, displaying astonishing speed.

Even in the Japanese national team that Anzai Mitsuyoshi played for back then, no one could train like that.

I originally thought that Ryuji Taniwa was a rare genius, but I didn't expect that someone was even more courageous than him. Whose player is this?

Xiao Tu wasn't playing basketball at the moment; the first person he saw was Anzai Mitsuyoshi.

We recognized each other in our eyes; we're both people who love to have fun.

As a coach, Mitsuyoshi Anzai's biggest flaw is his slacking off, and to an outrageous degree. This old man doesn't come to the basketball club to work; he comes to have fun.

Xiao Tu had long ago seen through Anzai's character through the comics. He only liked geniuses, and from the moment he arrived, he developed a strong interest in Sakuragi Hanamichi and Rukawa Kaede, completely ignoring ordinary people like Akagi Takenori and Mitsui Hisashi.

Furthermore, Anzai still preferred to push his players to their limits. He made Sakuragi shoot 20,000 balls in a week, and even when Sakuragi had a back injury, he continued to play him.

If Sakuragi didn't have the protagonist's halo, he would have been completely screwed over by Anzai.

"Coach Anzai, you've arrived." Akagi Takenori immediately stepped forward and bowed to greet the coach.

Anzai's eyes never left the court as he casually asked, "Akagi-kun, who's that red-haired guy? A freshman?"

Akagi Takenori replied, "Yes, he's Sakuragi Hanamichi, a first-year student. Actually, he's a beginner; he's physically gifted but currently only good at dunking."

Ayako walked to the sidelines and said to Sakuragi and Yasuda, "You two stop practicing for now and come see the coach."

"What coach?" Sakuragi stopped and looked towards the sidelines.

Ayako whispered to Sakuragi, "He's Coach Anzai. He comes to watch us practice occasionally. Don't let his appearance fool you; he was a national basketball player when he was young."

"That fat pig?" Sakuragi instinctively felt that Anzai was unreliable.

Ayako explained, "Although he is very fat now, five years ago he was known as a devilish coach at a certain university and had a nickname, 'White-haired Demon.' Can't imagine that, right? But this is what he looks like now, and he is called 'White-haired Buddha.'"

The players gathered together, and Coach Anzai announced some news. "I've arranged an inter-school practice match for you against Ryonan High School."

Ryonan was one of the top four teams in last year's prefectural tournament, but the Shohoku players were not intimidated by their reputation; in fact, they were quite excited.

Kogure Kiminobu looked at Akagi: "Great, Takenori, we can get our revenge now. With Xiao around, Sendoh will never be able to score so many points again."

Akagi nodded and laughed, "The people of Ryonan are in for a lot of trouble now."

Coach Anzai was a little confused. How did they suddenly become so confident? Last year, Shohoku was completely crushed by Ryonan.

Because of Sebastian Shaw? Could this international student really be exceptionally talented?
Coach Anzai looked at Xiao Tu, who nodded and smiled in greeting.

After a brief exchange, Coach Anzai suggested that the first-year students compete against the second and third-year students in separate teams. With so many students now, they could play a full-court practice match.

Sakuragi Hanamichi immediately objected. "Dad, this isn't fair."

Akagi Takenori said, sweating, "Sakuragi, don't call me that."

Sakuragi didn't care about manners; all he wanted was to show off. "The second and third-year students are too strong. We have no chance of winning. Unless we get Xiao on our team, we won't have a chance."

The first-year students immediately agreed, including Rukawa Kaede.

Rukawa knew he couldn't win; he was the only first-year player capable of dribbling and attacking, and he didn't want to take on five opponents alone, so he could only pass to Sakuragi. Even though it was a practice match, Rukawa didn't want to be completely outmatched.

In the manga, Rukawa Kaede has no objection because it's essentially a duel between him and Akagi Takenori. With Mitsui Hisashi absent, the senior players on the team are all quite weak, leaving only Akagi as a capable player.

The third-year players also disliked the suggestion; they would lose face if they lost. Akagi and Mitsui both immediately objected.

"Sakuragi, do you dare disobey the coach's orders?"

"You're just a newcomer, and you've gone too far!"

Before the match even started, Coach Anzai realized one thing: Xiao Tu was too strong; he was guaranteed to win on either side, even if his teammates were first-year rookies.

Anzai made the decision: "Let Xiao Jun join the first year; that way, their strengths should be more even." Sakuragi Hanamichi clenched his fist excitedly. "Yay!"

Sakuragi always seems a bit silly, but he's very smart when it comes to basketball. He knows it's comfortable playing on the same team as Xiao Tu, and Xiao Tu is willing to pass him the ball.

Rukawa would much rather be teammates with Xiao Tu. As long as he runs out of position, the ball will immediately be delivered to him. It would be so awesome.

With a top-tier point guard on the team, the offense will be very fluid. Even if Xiao Tu doesn't directly provide assists, he can still lead his teammates to launch fierce attacks on the weak points in the defense.

Xiao Tu clapped his hands and said, "Don't take the outcome of the practice match too seriously. Let's play like we usually do, the important thing is to get familiar with the tactics and play well together."

Mitsui Hisashi said, "Then you go defend Yasuda, don't come after me."

“Sure, you and Rukawa Kaede would be more valuable training opponents.” Xiao Tu immediately agreed. “First-years, come over here, let’s discuss tactics first.”

Coach Anzai sat on the sidelines, watching the game with a teacup in his hand, convinced that the team was completely different from what it used to be.

Previously, Shohoku didn't have a pre-game tactical discussion; the players just played however they wanted. But Xiao Tu brought up tactics, and the first-year players immediately gathered together, listening intently.

"We'll play as we usually practice. Sakuragi will screen for Rukawa in the middle, which is the main tactic. I'll pass to Rukawa when he cuts to the basket and creates an opening. I'll dribble past Yasuda, draw Akagi's help defense, and then Sakuragi will immediately cut to the basket. What should you do then?"

"Catch the ball, take two steps or one step, and then dunk?" Sakuragi felt like he was taking a test.

“Right, what if you don’t have a chance to dunk?” Xiao Tu asked again.

Sakuragi thought for a moment and replied, "Protect the basketball, fake a shot, and jump to shoot inside the paint. If I'm far from the basket, pass the ball to a teammate."

“That’s right, don’t force your way through Akagi. He has an advantage in defense in the paint.” Xiao Tu then looked at the other two. “Kuangtian, you’re agile and fast, so participate actively in fast breaks. When you receive the ball in a set play, don’t shoot randomly, pass it to your teammates. Ishii, wait for your opportunity in the left corner. You don’t need to run around; you can shoot a three-pointer when you’re open.”

"Ok."

"no problem."

Sasaoka Tomoya is the only one without a task. He's the best of the worst, too weak to even get a chance to play in official matches.

After discussing tactics, both sides changed into black vests and white vests, and stood in the middle of the court to start the fight.

Sakuragi Hanamichi stood out, winning the jump ball despite being shorter than Akagi Takenori, and slapped the ball forward.

Xiao Tu instantly sped out and grabbed the basketball, shaking off Kogure without the ball. The speed difference between the two was too great; Kogure had no way to defend. Mitsui Hisashi was the only one who managed to get back on defense and help guard Xiao Tu.

Xiao Tu dribbled the ball behind his back with his right hand and passed it to his left hand, then forcefully slammed the ball to the ground with his left hand, sending it bouncing high into the air.

Rukawa Kaede followed up in the middle, jumped up, and comfortably slammed the ball into the basket with one hand – a very smooth move! 2-0.

The audience on the sidelines immediately erupted in cheers. What a wonderful teamwork! Many girls' eyes turned into hearts.

Coach Anzai nearly dropped his teacup, unable to believe his eyes.

Is this how high school students play? The jumping ability of this year's two rookies is incredible!
Rukawa Kaede's jumping ability also surpasses that of Ryuji Tanizawa, who coached him at Anzai University. They are both 15 years old, and Rukawa is three months older than Sakuragi.

Akagi Takenori watched helplessly as the opponent launched a fast break. He and Sakuragi had just finished their jump ball and he couldn't get back on defense; the opponent completed an attack in just three seconds. The good news was that it was one of their own.

The senior team launched a positional attack, and Yasuda Yasuharu also practiced the Hawks offense. Seeing that Kakuta Satoru was setting a screen for Mitsui Hisashi, he immediately passed the ball to Mitsui Hisashi.

His intentions were too obvious; Xiao Tu intercepted the pass and launched a fast break alone. No one could catch Xiao Tu; he calculated the distance perfectly, took three steps, and dunked with both hands! 4-0.

When they were on defense, Xiao Tu said to Yasuda, "You can't play safely according to the tactical routine, and you can't focus all your attention on your teammates. You have to observe the defenders' positions."

Yasuda quickly nodded; this was both practical experience and guidance.

Yasuda lacked the ability to penetrate, so he carefully controlled the ball in the next possession and passed it to Kakuta, who had pulled out of position. Kakuta then passed the ball to Akagi under the basket, and Rukawa immediately released Mitsui and double-teamed him.

Last year, even when Akagi was double-teamed, he would force his way through, but his shooting percentage was low, and he couldn't pass the ball out. Now, Akagi passed the ball to Mitsui Hisashi in the right corner without hesitation.

Mitsui Hisashi hit an open three-pointer, his touch was soft, and the ball swished through the net. 4-3.

Coach Anzai watched in stunned silence from the sidelines, both teams displaying clear offensive strategies. Everyone seemed to have improved, knowing how to coordinate with their teammates.

(End of this chapter)