Slam Dunk: Sakuragi learned from Kawamura Eiki's experience

The new weekend came sooner than expected.

On Saturday morning, the bus from Heguang Middle School once again headed to the county gymnasium.

Today's opponent is Wushi Middle School.

As Coach Takeda said, Takeishi Junior High School was the prefectural champion two years ago and the runner-up last year. They are a long-established powerhouse with a solid foundation and high tactical awareness. Even though their ace student has left, they are still far superior to the opponents from the previous two matches.

But when someone asked, "So how do we play?", Takeda simply said, "Same as the first two games." Get the ball inside, and the twin towers will solve the problem. Simple and brutal, but effective.

The match was more difficult than Takeda had anticipated.

Wushi Middle School is indeed different.

Although the star player has gone to college, the remaining players are very disciplined on defense, quick in helping out, and have a good grasp of the timing for double-teaming.

When Sakuragi first received the ball under the basket, the two double-teams were almost instantly in place, leaving him no space to even turn around.

But he passed the ball to Oda, who made a mid-range shot.

Near the end of the first half, Wushi Middle School, relying on the tacit cooperation of its teammates, caused Heguang Middle School's outside teammates to make frequent mistakes, and once narrowed the gap to only four points.

Coach Takeda called a timeout from the sidelines. He didn't say much, but simply told the players, "Give the ball to Oda or Sakuragi."

At the same time, he gave Sakuragi a pep talk: "Sakuragi, it's all up to you today! Grab the rebounds and beat them!"

After the timeout, Sakuragi seemed like a different person. He became even more aggressive when positioning himself under the basket, catching the ball without hesitation and jumping directly to overpower his opponents with his height and leaping ability.

He fought even more fiercely for rebounds, and the moment the ball bounced off the rim, his body was already at its highest point before everyone else, grabbing the ball firmly with both hands.

On the defensive end, they were even more ferocious. When the small forward from Wushi Middle School tried to break through for a layup, Sakuragi pounced from the side, using his explosive speed to get there first and slap the ball away.

The final score was 73-60. Hok Kwang Middle School narrowly advanced to the semifinals by a 13-point margin.

When the final whistle blew, the substitutes rushed onto the field, and someone shouted, "The semifinals! We've made it to the semifinals!"

Coach Takeda stood on the sidelines, arms crossed, a smile playing on his lips, but not as excited as his players. He knew that the semifinals weren't the end. Tomorrow would be the real test.

The next day, Sunday, the county gymnasium was even more bustling than the day before.

The stands for the semi-finals were packed with people, their colorful school uniforms filling the stands like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

There were some different faces in the stands. They weren't students, they were adults. They were wearing shirts or polo shirts, holding notebooks, their gazes were steady, not like they were just watching a spectacle, but like they were scrutinizing something.

They are basketball coaches from various universities.

County competitions are the best time to discover promising talents. Junior high school competitions can reveal talent, mentality, and potential. These qualities can still develop in high school, but the foundation is laid in junior high.

Two people were sitting in the guest seats.

One of them was tall with broad shoulders, wearing a green polo shirt, his hair was neatly combed, his arms were crossed in front of his chest, and his gaze was calm and focused.

Shigeichi Taoka, coach of the basketball team at Ryonan High School.

The other man sitting next to him was round-figured, his belly bulging out of his shirt, with a full head of white hair and a white beard on his chin, and an enigmatic smile on his face.

Coach Anzai, a former national team player and current basketball coach at Shohoku High School, is a legendary figure in the Japanese basketball world.

His presence here today prompted many acquaintances to greet him.

Taoka Shigeichi turned to look at Coach Anzai, a confident smile playing on his lips.

"Coach Anzai, my target today is Rukawa Kaede from Tomioka. I hope you'll be lenient and not try to steal him from me."

He spoke politely, but his eyes were very serious.

Ryonan has Akira Sendoh and Jun Uozumi; these two are enough to give other schools a headache.

If they could also recruit Rukawa Kaede, forming a formidable trio with Sendoh and Uozumi, reaching the national tournament wouldn't be a dream. Thinking of this, Taoka Shigeru's smile deepened.

Coach Anzai sat in a chair, his hands resting on his round belly.

Hearing Taoka's words.

"Hehehe." He laughed, his eyes narrowing into slits, his face squishing together, making him look very kind.

"Don't worry, Taoka-kun, I won't fight you for it."

Having received the answer he wanted, Taoka turned his head and his gaze returned to the court.

The air in the locker room of Wako Junior High School was more tense than in any previous game.

The team members changed into their team uniforms. Some tied their shoelaces three times, while others repeatedly checked the position of their knee pads. No one spoke; the only sounds were the rustling of fabric and the tugging of shoelaces.

Sakuragi sat on the bench, still wearing his standard athletic shoes with the laces tied tightly.

Coach Takeda stood in the middle of the locker room, holding a tactical board in his hand.

His expression was different from usual; there was no smile, no "relax" talk, his lips were pursed into a line, and his gaze swept across every face.

"In today's game, on the offensive end, just like in the previous few games, we gave the ball to Oda and Sakuragi in the paint."

"On the defensive end..."

He paused, wrote a name on the tactical board, and then heavily circled that name with a marker.

Rukawa Kaede.

"That number 11 from Tomioka Junior High, Rukawa Kaede. Whenever he gets the ball, double-team him at all costs. If he gets the ball beyond the three-point line, stick to him. If he drives, help defend. No matter where he gets the ball, at least two people will be up against him."

Takeda's gaze lingered on Oda, then shifted to Sakuragi. "Don't give him any space."

Sakuragi, sitting on the bench, tilted his head and raised his hand when he heard the words "at all costs." His posture wasn't like a player asking a coach a question; it was more like a primary school student raising their hand to speak in class.

"Teacher Takeda," Sakuragi said earnestly, but with a hint of natural confusion, "is that guy named Rukawa Kaede really that good?"

There was a moment of silence in the locker room. Several team members exchanged glances, and one of them twitched at the corner of his mouth.

Oda, who was sitting next to Sakuragi, paused his actions upon hearing the question and looked up at Sakuragi.

His gaze was complex, as if he were looking at a creature that had just landed on Earth from outer space, with a sense of doubt that seemed to ask, "Are you really unaware, or are you just pretending?"

Then he confirmed that Sakuragi really didn't know, and Oda sighed.

"Rukawa Kaede from Tomioka Middle School,"

Oda's voice was low, as if he were mentioning a name that needed to be whispered, "His nickname is 'The Fox of Fugaku.' He was the ace of Fugaku Middle School in his first year, and last year he led the team to the national semi-finals. His average points per game..."

He thought for a moment, "Thirty-something. Dribbling, driving, shooting, passing, no weaknesses."

"What Fuchsia fox?"

Sakuragi stood up confidently, tucking the hem of his jersey into his waistband. "That's because you haven't met this genius yet. Watch me defeat him today. Hand him over to me."

The locker room fell silent for a moment. Several teammates looked at Sakuragi's confident face, opened their mouths, and then closed them again.

Someone wanted to say something, but after seeing Xiaotian's expression, they swallowed their words.

Xiao Tian lowered his head, his lips twitched, it was hard to tell whether he wanted to laugh or sigh.

Ignorance is bliss. Xiao Tian mentally went over this sentence.

He fought against Rukawa Kaede when he was a freshman two years ago and knew how terrifying that expressionless guy was.

But he didn't say it, because it would be pointless. Someone like Sakuragi wouldn't believe it unless he saw it with his own eyes.

Moreover, Oda admitted that the idea surprised even himself. Perhaps Sakuragi's "ignorance is bliss" is actually a good thing.

The atmosphere in the locker room of Fuqi Middle School was completely different from that of Wako Middle School.

The team members were each doing their own thing, moving at a leisurely pace, as if they were going through a routine they had rehearsed countless times.

"The core of the tactics remains the same as before." The coach's gaze swept across every face, finally settling on the figure sitting against the wall in the corner. "Give the ball to Rukawa."

The person in the corner didn't look up. He was very tall, about 1.85 meters, with a slender build, but not the thin kind. He had broad shoulders and smooth, strong muscle lines in his arms.

Her face was thin with a sharp jawline and fair skin. Her black, wispy hair fell across her forehead, partially obscuring her eyebrows and eyes.

There was no expression on his face at all; it wasn't that he was "deliberately not showing any expression," he genuinely had no expression whatsoever.

The coach continued, his tone now carrying a hint of more admonition than before.

"The opposing team, Wako Junior High, has a very strong inside game. Oda Ryusei and Sakuragi Hanamichi. Especially that Sakuragi number 15, his athleticism is amazing. You guys need to be careful."

He glanced at Rukawa Kaede.

"Rukawa, in today's game, try to finish your offense from the outside and don't rush to attack the basket."

Rukawa Kaede nodded without saying anything.