"Incredible… too strong!"
After witnessing Kise Ryouta's Mimicry and Shintaro Midorima's Full-Court Threes, Aida Riko was once again confronted with an utterly unreasonable basketball skill, Akashi Asuka's Rebounding.
But this time, the opponent felt different from before. Kise's mimicry and Midorima's shooting displayed sheer talent, an overwhelming advantage that defied logic.
Akashi's rebounding, however, impressed her for more than just natural ability.
Strength.
Technique.
Experience.
All three of Akashi's attributes far surpassed those of Seirin's players.
Especially the last two, she had never before seen such solid, high-level post techniques in a player over two meters tall.
Riko had studied countless high school and college games on video. Almost all players over two meters had noticeable flaws in basic skills.
First, in high school or college, a player that tall already enjoys a huge height advantage and doesn't need extensive fundamental practice.
Second, the taller the player, the harder it is to train basic skills effectively.
This isn't about effort, it's about limitations of physique.
For example, taller players' dribbling is more easily stolen, not due to poor technique, but because the ball travels farther between the floor and hand, giving defenders more time to intercept.
Akashi's post skills were unprecedented. Without extremely rigorous training, it would be nearly impossible to develop such techniques.
Indeed, Akashi's training was three times more intense than normal, systematically honed to reach a level comparable to nationwide elite centers like Iwamura.
Still, he wasn't at a miracle level, true "Generation of Miracles" caliber post skills didn't exist yet, even for players like Aomine.
In pure technique, Akashi wouldn't outclass slightly better-than-average centers.
Yet, compared to raw talent, Akashi was a master of balanced skill: a player with solid fundamentals, reasonable talent, and no glaring weaknesses.
This is what made him so dangerous.
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"Even Mitobe cannot match his strength, skill, experience, or physique. Kagami might compete in jump height if he unleashes the same explosive leap he used against Midorima, but that alone isn't enough…"
Aida Riko frowned, thinking deeply.
Rebounding seems simple but is extremely complex, it's not just about who jumps higher, but who touches the ball first.
Kagami's physique and jump could challenge Akashi's height, but his post technique and experience were far inferior. After all, he was a power forward, not a center.
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"And then there's Kuroko. This game is unlike the others, Seiho is paying him extreme attention."
Riko glanced at Kuroko. Though it appeared Seiho hadn't actively targeted him in the first two quarters, in reality, ignoring him altogether meant they were treating him with maximum respect.
Because of this, Riko couldn't shake a sense of foreboding. She had no idea how Seiho would counter Kuroko's abilities.
The only comfort: Seirin's players had already mostly deciphered the "Phantom Step" technique used by Seiho.
If all went well, by the latter half of the third quarter, they might fully exploit its weaknesses and launch a counterattack.
"I hope there's still time…"
Riko silently prayed. Then she noticed Kuroko fidgeting, looking uneasy. Curiously, she asked, "Kuroko, what's wrong?"
He paused. "Nothing… it's just… this is the first time I've been taken so seriously by the opponent. My feelings… are complicated."
The ten-minute halftime ended swiftly. The second half began.
Unexpectedly, the first player to make an impact was Kagami Taiga. Up until now, Seiho had effectively contained him.
Previously, one-on-one with Tsugawa, Kagami struggled under tight defense, picked up fouls, and was nearly benched by Aida Riko before halftime.
Now, carrying three fouls, Kagami still played cautiously, but suddenly, he erupted.
Tsugawa couldn't react in time and was driven past by Kagami's breakthrough.
In the paint, facing Akashi, Kagami soared for a dunk. His leap shocked everyone.
"Whoa!"
"So high!"
"Can a high schooler really jump this high? He's a monster!"
Seiho's players gaped. Kagami had unleashed his super jump, a natural talent showcased explosively. His hand, from elbow upward, extended beyond the rim.
Even Akashi couldn't match this height, but it didn't matter.
Despite Kagami's incredible jump, Akashi only stepped back half a pace, positioned himself under the basket, jumped, and swatted the ball away effortlessly.
BANG!
Kagami's scoring chance vanished, along with the smiles of Seirin's other players.
"Too naive!"
Landing, Akashi glanced at Kagami, whose eyes had gone blank, shaking his head gently.
At this stage, Kagami was still too immature. His game was crude; besides dunks, he had few scoring methods. His talent hadn't fully awakened.
Akashi had prepared for such bursts, anticipating even a fully unleashed zone-like eruption.
Yet Kagami's current explosion still fell short, he wasn't a threat to Akashi's dominance.
With Akashi's combination of talent and strategic control, Kagami might challenge a sharpshooter like Midorima, but against Akashi or Aomine, victory was impossible.
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