Chapter Thirty-Four: Who's Really the Coach?
"Boom!"
Another heavy thud echoed through the gymnasium. Murasakibara Atsushi received the pass deep in the paint, requiring no extra fakes whatsoever. Relying purely on his overwhelming size and strength to bulldoze the defense, he hammered the ball through the rim once more!
Ryonan 16 - Yosen 13
After Murasakibara began participating in the offense, Yosen possessed an absolute focal point in the frontcourt.
Whenever Yosen's offense stagnated and their sets broke down, they'd simply lob the ball high into the paint. Once Murasakibara caught it near the basket, he was unstoppable!
The score climbed alternately as both teams traded baskets in relentless offensive exchanges, temporarily forming a kind of equilibrium.
Until—
With only one minute remaining in the first quarter, the turning point Araki Masako had been waiting for quietly arrived.
"Clang!"
Sendoh Akira's three-point attempt clanked off the rim. The paint immediately became a crowded battleground!
"Smack!"
Murasakibara overpowered Uozumi Jun, snatching the basketball with one hand and securing the defensive rebound with overwhelming dominance.
"Ahh—! Him again!" Aida Hikoichi wailed from the sideline.
Ryonan's players had never witnessed anything like this. Through the entire first quarter, Uozumi Jun's rebound total stood at zero!
Yosen calmly initiated their counterattack.
"Just one final push before Atsushi completely crushes that guy..."
Fukui Kensuke crossed halfcourt and immediately fed the ball to Murasakibara. Uozumi struggled to hold his ground, his expression already grim.
"Ahh, you're that kind of center with no talent, right?" Murasakibara kept Uozumi pinned firmly behind him, speaking lazily. "No matter how hard you try, you're completely useless on the court, aren't you?"
"No offensive rebounds, no defensive rebounds, can't even stop me. That's why your teammates can only shoot from outside—they're too scared to come in."
"Bastard!" Uozumi couldn't manage anything more.
"How boring. People without talent should quit basketball early." Murasakibara powered backward to create separation, then spun and jumped for the dunk.
"GRRRAHHH!"
Uozumi erupted with an unprecedented roar. His massive frame resembled an enraged beast as he launched himself upward before fully regaining his stance!
"Bang!"
Their enormous bodies collided violently in mid-air. Uozumi committed everything trying to block the shot!
However, Murasakibara merely paused slightly in the air, then adjusted his position. With that despair-inducing wingspan and absolute strength, he forced the ball through the rim right over Uozumi's defense!
"Tweet—!"
The referee's whistle shrilled sharply, pointing at Uozumi without hesitation.
Defensive foul!
Basket counts, plus the free throw!
Murasakibara's free throw bounced once on the rim before dropping through the net.
Ryonan 26 - Yosen 26
Yosen had tied the score!
Uozumi hung his head, silent.
The momentum suddenly swung entirely toward Yosen. Uekusa's open shot missed, and Yosen immediately launched a fast break.
With Uozumi's defensive assignment now Murasakibara, Ikegami Ryoji had to switch onto Okamura Kenichi's position.
Though Ikegami's defensive technique was solid, Okamura held a complete size advantage.
He'd finally found his long-absent offensive rhythm. Using his height and weight advantages, he methodically backed down Ikegami step by step, grinding into the paint before finishing with a soft outside floater that settled cleanly through the basket.
Ryonan 26 - Yosen 28
Immediately after, Ryonan's offense stalled again.
Yagami Sorato's mid-range jumper rattled out. This time Sendoh joined the rebounding battle, but the paint's altitude was dominated by Yosen's three players over six-foot-seven. Murasakibara secured the board without question.
Five seconds remained. Yosen seized the opportunity for an instant counterattack.
Liu Wei received the pass on the wing. Sendoh's recovery speed was exceptional, but the height difference between them remained undeniable.
Liu Wei elevated and released a clean floater over the top.
The basketball swished through.
Ryonan 26 - Yosen 30
"Tweet—!"
The first quarter buzzer sounded. In the final minute, Yosen had scored seven straight points behind their interior dominance, completing the comeback and taking the lead!
"Sorry."
Uozumi Jun spoke in a low voice upon returning to the bench, immediately pulling a towel over his head and falling into silence.
As Ryonan's captain, being completely dominated by an opposing first-year—this powerlessness to contain his opponent and this frustration at being unable to help his team pressed down on his shoulders like a massive boulder.
Coach Taoka folded his arms, brow furrowed deeply.
Selecting Yosen High School as their practice game opponent had been a carefully considered decision. This team with the strongest defense was precisely the ideal litmus test for Ryonan's recent training results.
His original plan had been crystal clear:
First, Ryonan's past offense had relied heavily on attacking the rim. He needed to see whether the team's penetration game would remain effective against a nationally elite defensive squad like Yosen.
Second, he wanted to thoroughly test the team's interior strength. Not just Uozumi Jun, but also Ikegami Ryoji's defense and Fukuda Kicchou's offense—this was high-pressure examination that all Ryonan players needed to experience.
Third, over the past month, the team had invested massive time in shooting drills. How effective were those results? He wanted to see the answer in this game.
Only, reality's difficulties far exceeded expectations.
"Was I... too hasty?" Coach Taoka couldn't help questioning himself internally.
The absolute dominance Murasakibara displayed greatly surpassed his pregame estimates. Not to mention that technically accomplished shooting guard Himuro Tatsuya—if Yagami Sorato hadn't shadowed him like a ghost throughout, locking him down completely, the first quarter point differential would likely be far larger.
"So how do we break through?"
Coach Taoka's gaze swept across Ryonan's players as a bold idea materialized before him.
"Hikoichi, come here!"
"Sub in Hikoichi, Coach."
"Hmm?" Coach Taoka looked at Yagami Sorato, who'd just spoken. This kid had actually reached the same conclusion!
Ryonan currently had two shooters available. One was second-year Koshino Hiroaki—his shooting was steady, but his off-ball movement wasn't sharp enough. Against Yosen's defensive caliber, finding open looks would be extremely difficult.
The other was first-year Aida Hikoichi. Originally he wasn't considered part of Ryonan's rotation at all, but this kid's shooting talent and off-ball movement ability were genuinely remarkable. Though his shooting consistency might not match Koshino's, his off-ball skills were worth testing in this practice game!
"Huh? M-me?" Aida Hikoichi showed fear. "My stomach hurts a little."
Yagami Sorato and Coach Taoka stared at him silently.
"You really want me to play?"
Aida glanced at those six-foot-plus towers on Yosen's bench, then at his own five-foot-five frame. Wouldn't he get knocked unconscious out there?
"Coach? Sorato?"
"Hikoichi, if Coach and Yagami are saying this, the team needs your help." Uozumi Jun, sitting at the far end with his head down, spoke up. "I'll fight like hell for rebounds."
"Uozumi-senpai!" Aida shouted emotionally, his eyes gradually growing resolute. "I-I'll stake my life on it too!"
"Next is Fukuda-senpai." Yagami naturally took the tactical board from Coach Taoka's hands. "Ikegami-senpai, rest for one quarter. In the second quarter, we're going all-out attacking the paint!"
"Since Murasakibara can defend two-on-one in the paint, then three of us will charge in—me, Sendoh-senpai, and Fukuda-senpai."
"Hikoichi, find opportunities on the perimeter. Our outside shooting was very effective in the first quarter. Yosen will definitely key on you. How you disrupt their defensive alignment depends on your off-ball movement."
"Got it! Yes! Understood!" The players nodded one after another.
Yagami's instructions were clear, his objectives specific. Most crucially, over this past month of training, the players had personally witnessed his focus and that extraordinary effort surpassing normal people.
"One final point, Uozumi-senpai." Yagami looked at Uozumi Jun, smiling with infectious confidence. "You're the only one in Ryonan's interior who can match up with Murasakibara. And judging from how he camped under Yosen's basket at the start, that brat's stamina definitely can't compare to yours, senpai."
Uozumi raised his head, meeting Yagami's gaze. "I understand."
"At minimum, I absolutely won't collapse on the court before he does!"
"Then," Yagami extended his hand first. All the players immediately understood, quickly gathering in a circle and stacking their palms layer upon layer. "Ryonan—!"
"VICTORY!!!"
The timeout ending buzzer sounded at precisely that moment.
The players, carrying renewed fighting spirit and clear tactical deployment, turned toward the court, preparing to meet the next round of fierce battle.
Yagami handed the tactical board back to Coach Taoka.
Coach Taoka received the board like obtaining precious treasure, his eyes growing extremely complicated as he regarded Yagami.
"This kid..." He watched Yagami's retreating figure walking toward the sideline, murmuring to himself. "Who's really Ryonan's coach?"
patreon.com/Twilightsky588 - 40 advanced chapters