Inside Shohoku Basketball Gym, the practice match between the first-year freshmen and the upperclassmen officially got underway.
The upperclassmen's starting lineup was led by team captain Takenori Akagi, who guarded the paint with an intimidating presence. He was partnered with the experienced Kiminobu Kogure, two rotating second-year starters, and a substitute guard.
On the freshman side, Kaede Rukawa and Shin Saionji undoubtedly claimed the main roles, alongside a few other new players filling the remaining positions. Meanwhile, Hanamichi Sakuragi sat on the bench, waiting with reluctant frustration for his chance to play.
Standing on the sidelines, Coach Anzai still wore a gentle smile, while Ayako stood nearby with the scoreboard in hand, ready to record the match statistics.
"Well then, let the game begin." Coach Anzai lightly clapped his hands to signal the official start of the match.
Akagi stood at the center circle, contesting the tip-off against the freshman center.
The basketball was tossed high into the air. Relying on his height advantage, Akagi got to the ball first and tapped it back to the upperclassmen's guard.
The freshmen quickly fell back to defense, and the match officially entered real-game mode.
The upperclassmen clearly held the upper hand; their passing was smoother, and their offensive rhythm was well-organized. Takenori Akagi's deterrent force in the paint was immense, Kiminobu Kogure stabilized the team's tempo with his experience, and the rotating second-year starters also showed impressive strength.
By contrast, the freshman team had just been put together, lacking chemistry among the players and appearing somewhat chaotic.
The upperclassmen struck first, relying on Akagi's powerful inside play to score the opening two points.
On the freshman possession, Kaede Rukawa drove with the ball. With blistering speed, he easily shook off his defender, pulled up for a jump shot, and the ball swished through the net!
"Hmph, Rukawa is as strong as ever," Kogure remarked with a sigh.
Yet just as the upperclassmen launched their counterattack, a subtle shift occurred on the court.
Shin Saionji, standing at the core of the defensive formation, suddenly narrowed his gaze.
He activated the Demon King's Eye, instantly capturing the upperclassmen's tactical intentions.
They intended to use Akagi's screen to let an outside player cut through, but in Shin Saionji's field of vision, this tactic was anticipated as clearly as slow motion.
Just as the upperclassmen's guard made his first move, trying to dart around Akagi's screen, Shin Saionji had already cut off his path in advance!
"Wh—what?!"
The upperclassmen's guard widened his eyes in shock. He had barely even started moving, yet Shin Saionji seemed to have predicted his position all along, blocking his attacking route a step ahead!
"This guy..." Kogure frowned from the sidelines. "How can his reaction be this fast?"
The upperclassmen's offensive rhythm was completely disrupted. Forced to adjust, they put up a hurried, desperate shot—the ball bounced off the rim!
Takenori Akagi tried to grab the rebound down in the paint, but Shin Saionji had accurately judged where the ball would land. He sprinted swiftly to the basket and snatched the rebound directly!
"Hey! That's Akagi's rebound!" Hanamichi Sakuragi couldn't help crying out from the bench.
Securing the rebound, Shin Saionji instantly launched a fast break. His dribbling was exceptionally steady; the ball seemed glued to his hands without the slightest hesitation!
Facing the upperclassmen's defender, he suddenly accelerated, using a subtle change of pace to easily breeze past his opponent!
"What?" The upperclassmen's guard lost his balance, stumbling backward in a panic.
Shin Saionji wasted no time, immediately dishing the ball to the streaking Kaede Rukawa!
Rukawa caught the ball, leaped, and slammed it home with a powerful dunk!
Ayako jolted sharply on the sidelines, murmuring in amazement, "This Shin Saionji... his passing is too precise!"
The upperclassmen mounted a fresh attack, but they quickly discovered that Shin Saionji's defense was on a completely different level from an ordinary freshman.
It was as if he could anticipate every player's movement in advance, intercepting every single one of the upperclassmen's passes a step early!
"Is this guy... a monster?" Sweat beaded on the upperclassmen's guard's forehead as he had no idea how to crack Shin Saionji's defense.
"Calm down! Pass to Akagi!" Kogure quickly adjusted the strategy.
Yet right as Akagi caught the ball, Shin Saionji suddenly darted into the paint. Moving with incredible speed, he materialized before Akagi like a ghost and swiped down swiftly, executing a clean steal!
"He actually stole the ball from Akagi?!" The players on the sidelines stared in utter bewilderment.
Without a moment's hesitation, Shin Saionji launched a counterattack right off the steal.
He dribble-penetrated past half-court, and faced with two upperclassmen defenders, he suddenly changed direction and burst into full acceleration!
"That speed—"
Ayako widened her eyes. She had never seen a point guard maintain such pinpoint control while dribbling at high speed!
The upperclassmen's defenders couldn't react in time before Shin Saionji drove straight into the paint and finished with a deft, easy layup!
Inside Shohoku Basketball Gym, a heavy silence fell.
"This guy..." Akagi frowned, a rare look of shock surfacing in his eyes. "His basketball IQ is even higher than I expected."
Kiminobu Kogure pushed up his glasses, looking at the figure on the court with a complicated expression.
"His ball-handling, passing, defense, and pace control are nothing like an ordinary freshman... No, he doesn't look like an ordinary high schooler at all."
Kaede Rukawa watched Shin Saionji from the court, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"Interesting."
Looking down at the scoreboard in her hands, Ayako couldn't help marveling, "This Shin Saionji... might be even more suited than Kaede Rukawa to be Shohoku's core."
Hanamichi Sakuragi on the sidelines could no longer sit still. He clenched his fists, locking a fierce gaze onto Shin Saionji.
"This guy... is amazing!"
Shin Saionji paid no mind to everyone's shock. He merely stretched his wrist lightly, a faint smile curving the corner of his mouth.
"This is only the beginning."
The match continued, and Shin Saionji's dominance was only just beginning to unfold!