Slam Dunk: Sakuragi learned from Kawamura Eiki's experience

Chapter 165 Sakuragi's One-on-One Defense Against Kawata Masashi

When Kawata Masashi was positioning himself in a low position, he discovered that the person he was boxing out for had changed; it was now the red-haired number 10, Sakuragi.

Kawata frowned slightly as he glanced at Shohoku's defensive positioning. Takenori Akagi was standing in the low post on the weak side, boxing out Masahiro Nobe.

The two players switched positions. Shohoku's captain voluntarily gave up his strongest matchup, allowing a freshman to guard him, the nation's top high school center.

In the stands, the first people to notice this change were not the spectators, but the college scouts and sports reporters.

"That redhead is going to guard against Kawata?" Kazuo Karasawa's voice was filled with undisguised surprise as he watched Akagi and Sakuragi switch places.

In the stands of Ryonan High School, Sendoh turned his head and asked Uozumi beside him, "Captain, can Sakuragi hold his own against Kawata?"

"He should be able to hold on." Uozumi's tone was unwavering. "I've been sparring with him for half a year. His strength and technique should be up to par."

In front of the Sannoh bench, Goro Domoto's brow was furrowed. Shohoku had changed their lineup? They actually switched Sakuragi to guard Kawata?

Domoto's mind raced. If this was Coach Anzai's arrangement, what exactly was that old fox up to? Was he relieving the captain of the defensive pressure, letting Akagi guard Nobe who had limited offensive capabilities, and then using a freshman to go head-to-head with the nation's top high school center in the low post?

Kawada waved to catch the ball, leaned back, and pressed his entire weight against it.

"I didn't expect your captain to run away. Now it's your turn to guard me." Kawata said as he dribbled the ball, the rhythm of the basketball bouncing and falling on the floor steady and heavy.

Sakuragi Hanamichi braced his arms on Kawata's back, bent his knees to their maximum angle, and lowered his center of gravity than when he was defending any opponent.

The weight of Kawada's approach caused his feet to slide less than a centimeter off the floor, but his core muscles tensed up instantly upon impact, swallowing the force.

"Hmph." Sakuragi's voice came from behind Kawata, his arrogance unabated. "I'm going to be the number one high school player in all of Japan. That little monk of yours named Sawakita has already been crushed by me, utterly pathetic. So I've been thinking, next I'm going to crush you, the guy who claims to be the number one high school center in the country. Bring it on, fat gorilla."

"Fat gorilla?" Kawata started dribbling and backing down the opponent.

Kawata slammed his back against the ground with the same force he used against Akagi. He tightened his core, used his legs to generate power, and concentrated all his strength into one point to slam out.

Every time Akagi was hit by that force, his feet would slide back half an inch. But Sakuragi Hanamichi didn't slide. His feet seemed to be glued to the floor, his knees remained at the same angle, and Kawata felt even greater resistance than Akagi, yet he held on.

The second time, Kawata increased the force, dribbling with more power and striking at a more difficult angle with his back.

Sakuragi clenched his teeth, but his defensive position remained unyielding.

Kawada's third impact followed, with the same result. He thrust several times in succession, but couldn't move the red-haired man's center of gravity even half a step backward.

Masashi Kawata was startled. In the national high school basketball world, there were only a handful of players who could withstand his back-to-the-basket power one-on-one in the low post without being at a disadvantage.

Ryonan's Uozumi and Shohoku's Akagi both count. But now this red-headed guy can actually hold his own? What kind of monster is he?

Domoto Goro stood on the sidelines, his tactical board almost slipping from his hand.

Finding himself unable to withstand the onslaught, Masashi Kawata abandoned his back-to-the-basket style; if he couldn't withstand it, he would change his approach.

He slammed the ball to the ground, and his body began to sway. His left shoulder dropped, his right shoulder rose, and his feet tapped rapidly on the floor.

This is the real secret weapon that made Masashi Kawata the best high school center: his footwork under the basket.

His footwork is so refined that no one in the country can match it among players of the same size. This is a technical legacy he inherited from playing point guard. Just now, Akagi Takenori was fooled countless times by this footwork.

But Sakuragi Hanamichi was not shaken off.

As Kawata's left shoulder lowered, Sakuragi's left foot moved half a step to the left, a full beat faster than Akagi's. When Kawata followed with his right turn feint, Sakuragi's right foot quickly returned to its starting position.

Kawata faked three times under the basket, and Sakuragi's defensive lateral movement kept up with each fake.

Kawata found himself unable to shake off this guy. His footwork under the basket was his proudest offensive weapon, but this red-haired man's lateral movement speed was completely beyond his expectations. He couldn't back down him, he couldn't shake him off, and his shooting angles inside were completely blocked.

Kawata decisively changed his strategy. He pushed off the ground with his right foot, sprang outwards, and retreated towards the free-throw line.

His mid-range jump shot is an important weapon in Sannoh's offensive system. Utilizing his soft mid-range shooting touch, this is another card he uses to break through tough defenses.

Sakuragi Hanamichi's defensive speed was faster than Kawata had expected.

His defensive footwork precisely cut off Kawata's shooting angle, and his two long arms were raised high, completely blocking the view of the basket.

Kawata had no time to adjust; the attack time was running out, so he had no choice but to force a shot.

Sakuragi jumped at almost the same moment, his speed was a beat faster than Kawata's. When Sakuragi's body reached its highest point, his right hand completely blocked Kawata's view of the shot.

The ball flew from Kawada's fingertips. Its trajectory was disrupted, and the ball bounced off the rim.

It didn't go in.

Just as Kawata pulled out, Akagi Takenori had already filled in the gap under the basket.

The Shohoku captain's defensive positioning and Sakuragi's coordination were so perfect that no words were needed. When Sakuragi went out to guard Kawata, Akagi immediately abandoned his defense on Nobe Masahiro and turned to dive into the basket to help him out.

As the basketball bounced off the back of the rim, Akagi jumped and grabbed the rebound.

Shohoku's defense was successful; their strongest inside offensive threat on the court was successfully defended one-on-one by a freshman.

Domoto Goro stood there dumbfounded. The judgment that Akagi couldn't defend against Kawata was correct.

But Shohoku doesn't listen to reason at all; they simply replaced him with someone who could defend Kawata.

Moreover, this person is only a first-year student and is not even as tall as Kawada.

He couldn't get past his defender with his back to the basket, his footwork was too slow, and his mid-range shots were disrupted. Kawata Masashi couldn't find a single reliable way to score against this red-haired man.

What kind of monster is this?

In the stands, Kazuo Tangze remained silent for two seconds before turning to Shota Sugiyama beside him, his tone filled with deep regret.

"If Sakuragi Hanamichi were a third-year student, I would do anything to beat him. With him, we could dominate the national college basketball league."

He's so versatile; he can truly play all five positions.

"It's a pity he's only in first grade; he'll have to wait another two and a half years."

Shota Sugiyama, the starting center for the Fukasawa Sports University basketball team, kept his eyes glued to the red number 10 on the court.

He can shoot from the center circle, back down to the basket from the three-point line, dunk over Sawakita and Kawata, and lock down the nation's top high school center on defense.

Will such a prodigy wait two and a half years in Japan?

"Coach," Sugiyama finally spoke, his voice calm and collected, "Will such a prodigy stay in Japan?"

I might go to the United States.

Tang Zeyi was taken aback when he heard this. He didn't say anything because he knew that Sugiyama was right.

The pool of Japanese basketball is too shallow; it can't provide the space and environment for this true dragon to grow.

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