Chapter 22 - The County Competition Begins
After the morning's competition, training was done, and rest was taken. Sugiyama's strength was fully recognized by the entire team, which was exactly what Kudo had hoped for. As long as Sugiyama could be accepted by the entire Shoyo team as the starting center, and Oshima switched to power forward, Shoyo would definitely have a height advantage. With Sugiyama guarding the basket, Oshima's speed and agility could complement Nakamura without worrying about the restricted area. In addition to the three-point shooter Ikeda on the outside, this lineup was truly formidable!
That afternoon, during the team selection for the main and regular roster, Sugiyama Shota unsurprisingly forced Oshima into the role of the team's second center, while Oshima became the main power forward. In addition to Sugiyama becoming the starter, the freshmen Ryosuke Ushijima and Ichiro Nakatani were selected as part of the 15 regular players.
After finalizing the roster, Kudo once again clarified his current tactics: the primary focus would be on the inside game, with Sugiyama Shota carrying the load. When the opposing team double-teamed Sugiyama, the outside would open up, allowing Nakamura Nobutane to lead the second wave of offense. Nakamura's stable shooting and first-class breakthroughs would be key. Whether Nakamura played alone, teamed up with Hiromoto Ikeda for a breakaway play, or coordinated with Oshima and Sakiyama for a pick-and-roll, would depend on the situation on the court. As for the point guard, Saionji Takibe was trained in dribbling, passing, and three-point shooting. To motivate Saionji, Kudo even lied to him, claiming that dribbling with gloves—a technique later used by Wade—was his own secret method for improving touch and ball-handling skills.
From the first week of school to the start of the prefectural tournament, the entire Shoyo team worked tirelessly, doubling their training intensity in hopes of qualifying for the national tournament. During this period, some first-year players couldn't withstand the team's grueling regimen and withdrew to join the cheerleading squad. In the end, only 10 first-year players remained, leaving the team with just 25 members.
In addition to the dropouts, Kudo arranged practice games with four teams over the course of the month. To develop Sugiyama's abilities, Kudo scheduled a match against the weaker Shonboku team, allowing Coach Anzai to evaluate Sugiyama's potential. Given Sugiyama's physical similarities to Ryuji Tanizawa, Anzai imparted valuable lessons to him. The other three teams—Lingsnan, Sunrise West, and Tsunku Takeshi—were coached by Kudo's acquaintances. These practice games helped spread Sugiyama's reputation.
By the time the prefectural tournament began, Kudo submitted a 12-man roster. Alongside Sugiyama, who joined the starting five, only Ryosuke Ushijima made the cut as the sole first-year player.
The roster was as follows:
No. 4, Nobukane Nakamura, third year, 189 cm, 78 kg, starting small forward;
No. 5, Oshima Sakiyama, third year, 194 cm, 81 kg, starting power forward;
No. 6, Gen Kakuta, third year, 190 cm, 80 kg;
No. 7, Tomoki Sawamura, third year, 175 cm, 63 kg;
No. 8, Tatsuya Hosokawa, third year, 180 cm, 67 kg;
No. 9, Tomohide Sakagami, third year, 185 cm, 75 kg;
No. 10, Takibe Saionji, second year, 182 cm, 73 kg, starting point guard;
No. 11, Hiromoto Ikeda, second year, 183 cm, 70 kg, starting shooting guard;
No. 12, Shota Sugiyama, second year, 205 cm, 96 kg, starting center;
No. 13, Taiji Aihara, second year, 188 cm, 78 kg;
No. 14, Masa Mizuhara, second year, 170 cm, 60 kg;
No. 15, Ryosuke Ushijima, first year, 188 cm, 75 kg.
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Even after finalizing the roster, Kudo continued to push the team in training. He also focused on scouting opponents, determined not to repeat Shoyo's past mistakes of underestimating teams like Shonboku. Kudo even enlisted Takamoto to gather intelligence on other teams, ensuring no dark horses would catch them off guard.
The first round of the prefectural tournament qualifiers concluded, followed by the second and fourth rounds, which determined the top eight teams:
Group A: Hainan Grand Affiliate vs. Sunrise West;
Group B: Buri vs. Lingsnan;
Group C: Shoyo vs. Shichikubo;
Group D: Minowa vs. Higashi-Funko.
On the day of the match, the entire Shoyo team attended to observe the games. Before the match began, Kudo addressed the team: "Pay close attention to this game. We've played two practice games against Lingsnan, so we know their strengths well. This will help us gauge Musashi's capabilities."
"Coach, who do you think will win?" Nakamura asked curiously.
"In basketball, anything can happen. No team can assume they'll never lose," Kudo replied. "However, Lingsnan lacks a standout player, while Musashi has Miyamoto, last year's Kanagawa scoring king and one of the top five players in the tournament. Musashi also has more national tournament experience. Unless there's a surprise, Musashi should win."
"In that case, let's see how much Lingsnan can push Musashi," Nakamura said.
Oshima chimed in, "It would be great if Lingsnan could defeat Musashi!"
"If that happens, our path to Nationals becomes much easier. If not," Kudo said solemnly, "you'll have to give everything to defeat Musashi. Especially you third-years—this is your last chance to make it to Nationals. Think about all the hard work you've put in over the past two years. Don't leave any regrets!"
"Understood!" the team shouted in unison.
The third-year players stared intently at the Musashi players, their eyes burning with determination.
The game began, and Lingsnan's top-tier defense made it difficult for Musashi to score. The first half ended with Musashi leading 32-28.
Sugiyama commented, "I didn't expect Musashi to struggle like this. They don't seem very strong."
"No, Shota, you're wrong," Kudo countered. "Lingsnan has already given their all, but Musashi hasn't unleashed their full strength yet. Miyamoto, their ace, hasn't even started scoring."
"Is that so?" Sugiyama asked.
"Sugiyama, Coach is right," Nakamura added. "Last year, Miyamoto scored 30 points against Hainan, whose defense is stronger than Lingsnan's. He's only scored 8 points so far. Once he turns it on, Lingsnan won't be able to stop him."
As predicted, Miyamoto dominated the second half, leading Musashi to an 80-60 victory. Lingsnan was once again eliminated from the finals.
"It's a shame for Lingsnan. Their defense is solid, but they lack a reliable scorer," Kudo remarked, noticing Coach Takaoka's disappointed expression.
"Alright! Tomorrow is our game. You'd better bring your best and build on this momentum!" Kudo declared.
"Yes!" the team responded.