The Legend Coach: Slam Dunk

As the Shinkansen sped toward Fukuoka, Kudo and the Shoyo team reviewed the latest issue of Basketball Weekly. The magazine not only detailed the grouping format for this year's 59 participating teams but also provided evaluations of each team. The assessments in Basketball Weekly were generally fair. For instance, Shohoku, the dark horse of the original story, was dismissed as an inexperienced rookie in their first Nationals appearance—a reasonable judgment at the time, though no one expected them to defeat the reigning champions, Sanno Industries (the King of the Mountain).

In the magazine, Shoyo was rated B, which was a strong evaluation considering they hadn't competed in the Nationals for two years. Teams were ranked as follows:

A: Top-eight level and above.

B: Top 16 to 32 teams.

C: Teams that typically exit in the first or second round, or first-time participants.

Hainan, unsurprisingly, was rated A, as was Tsuneisei, a team Shoyo was familiar with. Above them, Sanno Industries and Hakata Shogyo University were rated AA. Kudo realized that the current King of the Mountain wasn't as dominant as in the plot year, when they had won three consecutive championships without a single loss. Instead, the high school basketball landscape was now a two-horse race between Sanno Industries and Hakata Shogyo, both of whom had only lost to each other in recent years.

The tournament was divided into four brackets:

First Quarter: Sanno Industries.

Second Quarter: Shoyo's bracket, featuring Kyoto's Roan High School, one of last year's top four teams.

Third Quarter: Hainan.

Fourth Quarter: Hakata Shogyo.

Shoyo's first opponent was Kakuzuru High School from Kagawa Prefecture, rated C by Basketball Weekly. If Shoyo performed well, they would face Akizuki High School from Tokyo in the Round of 16, followed by Roan in the quarterfinals, and potentially Sanno Industries in the semifinals. The finals would depend on which team emerged from the bottom half of the bracket.

"It looks like the only tough match before the Elite Eight will be against Akizuki," Sugiyama remarked after reading the magazine.

"That's true, but you've already faced Hainan and Tsuneisei, so you have a sense of what A-ranked teams are like. Instead of focusing on Akizuki, you should aim higher—our goal is the quarterfinals this time!" Kudo declared.

"Do you doubt your abilities?" Kudo asked rhetorically.

"No, we're confident!!!" Captain Nakamura led the team in responding.

Encounters on the Shinkansen

"What kind of team are they, looking down on Akizuki and aiming to compete with Roan for the quarterfinals?" Players from Toyotama and Daiei, two teams from Osaka who had just boarded the train, whispered among themselves.

"I don't know. Judging by their uniforms, they're from some team called Shoyo."

"Shoyo? Never heard of them. Must be a new team. They're pretty arrogant. Even our Toyotama, the kings of Osaka, aren't that cocky," a Toyotama player said dismissively.

"Actually, Basketball Weekly rated Shoyo as B this year. They're from Kanagawa Prefecture. The magazine says they defeated Musashi, one of last year's top eight, and only lost to Hainan. It also mentions they have one of the nation's top centers, Sugiyama Shota," another Toyotama player explained, holding a copy of the magazine.

"Really? I wonder if Shoyo is that strong or if Hainan has declined."

Hearing the Osaka players' comments, the Shoyo team grew angry. "They're looking down on us?"

Kudo, however, stopped them from responding. "Stay calm. We're on the Shinkansen—we need to maintain our image."

Instead, Kudo approached the Toyotama team. Among them was Coach Kitano, a close friend and former rival of Coach Anzai. As a junior, Kudo felt it was only right to greet him.

"Shoyo's coach is coming over."

"What's he doing here? Is he looking for a fight?"

"He's so young."

"I think I recognize him. He's a former national team player—Shinichi Kudo. He was a star in university!"

"Really? That's impressive."

A Meeting of Coaches

Ignoring the whispers, Kudo approached Coach Kitano and greeted him respectfully. "Hello, Mr. Kitano. I'm Shinichi Kudo, the coach of the Shoyo Basketball Team. Coach Anzai asked me to say hello to you."

"Ah, Kudo-kun! How is Anzai doing? We haven't seen each other in years. I heard he resigned from Fukasawa University last year. How is he now?" Kitano asked eagerly.

"Coach Anzai is doing well. He's currently coaching at Shohoku High School," Kudo replied.

"Is that so? I thought he retired after leaving the university. I didn't expect him to coach at a high school. I hope we get the chance to face each other again someday!" Kitano said excitedly. The two had been both friends and rivals, and Kitano relished the idea of competing against Anzai once more.

"Actually, Coach Anzai has a heart condition, so he doesn't manage the team as actively as before. Shohoku is just a prefectural high school, and he's more or less retired there," Kudo explained, fabricating a reason to temper Kitano's enthusiasm.

"Is that so? I know Anzai—he wouldn't coach at a high school just to retire. He's not one to sit idle. Mark my words, he'll lead Shohoku to the Nationals someday. I'll be waiting for him!" Kitano said confidently.

Kudo was taken aback. It seemed Kitano knew Anzai better than he had thought. Should he explain that Anzai's decision was influenced by the tragedy involving Ryuji Tanizawa? Or that Kitano himself might face challenges at Toyotama? (Kudo mistakenly believed Kitano had been fired, not realizing he had resigned voluntarily.)

After exchanging contact information, Kudo returned to the Shoyo team.

Arrival in Fukuoka

After a five-hour journey, the Shinkansen arrived at its destination: Fukuoka City on the island of Kyushu. Waiting for Shoyo and the other teams was the opening ceremony of the Summer Nationals.