"As I thought… compared to the three-point shot, this monster's inside game is the real threat!"
Kaijo coach Takeuchi Genta furrowed his brows.
So far, Akashi Asuka has demonstrated overwhelming strength in multiple areas, three-point shooting, defense, and more. Each of these posed a serious threat to Kaijo.
But for Takeuchi Genta, the aspect of Akashi that caused the most unease was undoubtedly rebounding.
Since the start of the summer tournament,
opponents had occasionally found ways to bypass Akashi's defense or contest his three-point shots.
But when it came to rebounds, even in the battle against Rakuzan, facing one Generation of Miracles player and three of the Uncrowned Kings, Akashi never lost a rebound that should have been his.
The only player who could contend with him in this regard was probably Yukihara Atsushi from Yosen.
Even then, the few rebounds Yukihara managed to snatch from Akashi were only possible with the help of his teammates, Okamura Kenichi and Liu Wei, both towering over two meters tall.
The importance of rebounds in a game was indisputable.
Aside from the Generation of Miracles most ordinary players barely maintain a shooting percentage of 50–60%.
This means nearly half of all shots missed, and whoever secures those missed rebounds can potentially create at least half again as many offensive opportunities for their team.
Just like Seiho now.
Akashi snatched the rebound and immediately made a long pass to Omuro Yoshikasu, who dashed toward the opposite court.
Kaijo's other players couldn't keep up with Omuro, except for one.
Seeing Kise Ryouta suddenly appear in front of him, Omuro's forehead broke out in cold sweat.
"You monsters… aren't you going a bit too far?"
Even after long-term exposure to Akashi's "monster" level, Omuro couldn't help but feel the urge to curse when facing Kise one-on-one.
Against an opponent like Kise, Omuro had no room for error. He launched his shot with full power.
Using his skils to manipulate his steps and create distance, he attempted a stepback, but it was meaningless against Kise.
SLAP!
The ball was swatted away effortlessly.
Before Omuro could even react, the deflected ball was grabbed by another hand and fired from beyond the three-point line.
SWISH!
Three points.
31:20.
"What?!"
Kise's expression changed, and he quickly looked up.
He saw Akashi Asuka had somehow appeared behind them, conveniently grabbing the rebound.
Their eyes met.
Akashi gave Kise a slight smile.
"Feeling too proud, Kise? Don't forget, while you may be containing me, the reverse is also true."
·····
"Strange… even though Akashi is contained, why is Kaijo still at a disadvantage?"
Takao Kazunari watched the shifting battlefield, growing confused.
On the surface,
Seiho's formation hadn't changed much since the first quarter. Akashi still wasn't doing much on defense, and the other players continued man-to-man coverage as before.
Yet the results were entirely different.
Even though Kaijo had possession at the start of the second quarter, their first two attacks were crushed. They scored nothing, while Seiho executed two consecutive counterattacks, extending the lead into double digits.
"No… Seiho's formation has changed, but it's not directly related to Akashi,"
Midorima Shintarou shook his head.
"Kaijo's 'dual point guard strategy' ultimately avoids direct confrontation with Akashi, instead seeking breakthroughs against the other four Seiho players."
"There's nothing wrong with this tactic… except that it requires Kaijo to first beat the other four players before scoring," Midorima continued.
"So what's the issue? Didn't Kaijo already score several points?" Takao exclaimed.
"It's different…"
"Previously, Kaijo only broke through Seiho's defensive line, not the players themselves," Midorima explained.
"Seiho's defensive formation centers on Akashi, with the other four supporting, creating a complete team defense. In the first quarter, when Kaijo bypassed Akashi, natural gaps appeared behind him."
"Now, Seiho has reverted to their original full-court man-to-man strategy. Though lacking coordinated teamwork, individual players' abilities are fully utilized."
"In other words,"
"Seiho of before was like Jou Rin, focused on team play; now, they resemble Ryo, emphasizing individual prowess."
"Though the formation seems unchanged, the team's style has shifted from coordinated basketball to individualistic performance."
Seiho hadn't used pure full-court man-to-man in a long time.
While it appears tight defensively, this strategy focuses purely on point-to-point defense, leaving gaps elsewhere in the interior.
In contrast, Akashi-centered team-oriented man-to-man may be slightly less agile, but Akashi can cover the entire three-point area, effectively defending the whole perimeter.
Most importantly team-oriented man-to-man is far less physically taxing than traditional full-court man-to-man.
Even with Seiho's stamina, consecutive full-court pressure throughout a Nationals would eventually exhaust the players.
If the opponent wasn't Kaijo, if it weren't already the semifinals, or if Seiho's players weren't still fresh, Coach Matsumoto Yukinori probably wouldn't have chosen this approach to break the deadlock.