Chapter Twenty-Two: He's Got the Goods!
That afternoon after the practice game with Shohoku, once training ended, the entire Ryonan basketball team flooded into Uogane Sushi in a boisterous procession, immediately filling the corner tables with energetic atmosphere.
This sushi shop belonged to Uozumi Jun's father. Though not some luxurious high-end establishment, it had become a neighborhood favorite thanks to fresh, quality seafood ingredients and a proprietary sushi sauce recipe.
The interior featured warm yellow decor. Aside from posters declaring "Target: National Tournament" on the walls, the place gave off that distinctly Japanese "izakaya" vibe found everywhere across the country.
The air filled with food aromas and cheerful teenage banter as everyone raised their drinks, celebrating today's practice game victory.
"CHEERS! Celebrating Ryonan's crushing victory over Shohoku!"
"YEAH!"
"And celebrating Uozumi-senpai defeating Shohoku's Akagi Takenori!" Aida Hikoichi added excitedly.
"YEAH!"
However, unlike his teammates' lively cheering, Uozumi lowered his glass and shook his head with a serious expression.
"No. I didn't defeat Akagi." His booming voice silenced the players. "Hikoichi, give them my stats compared to Akagi's from the practice game."
Under everyone's gaze, Aida pulled out his notebook.
"Uozumi-senpai had 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks. Akagi-senpai had 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block."
From the numbers, both performed comparably.
Uozumi spoke gravely. "Though I hate to admit it, offensively I'm nowhere near as good as Akagi."
"Uozumi, you—"
Ikegami Ryoji started to speak but Uozumi cut him off.
"Coach Taoka mentioned this during the film review. You don't need to comfort me."
"With stronger teammates, my performance merely matched Akagi's. That's not victory."
"Since Ryonan's goal this year is dominating nationals, as captain, my perspective can't be limited to just Kanagawa."
Uozumi rarely had opportunities to express his thoughts this candidly to his teammates. For a moment, the frivolous celebration took on a more contemplative tone.
"Ha ha, this kid's finally acting like a proper captain." In the shop's back room, Uozumi's father drank shochu with Coach Taoka.
"Uozumi's very responsible," Coach Taoka praised. "From that first-year who struggled completing basic drills to becoming Ryonan's pillar now—I've witnessed all his effort."
"That's thanks to your excellent coaching, Coach Taoka. Jun still has much room to grow." Though Uozumi Ushio said this, the smile never left his face.
"I heard you and Uozumi have an agreement that he needs to inherit the family sushi shop when he turns eighteen?" Coach Taoka asked.
Uozumi Ushio's laughter stalled. After a pause, he said, "That's the current thinking. That's really why you came today, isn't it, Coach?"
"Ha ha..." Coach Taoka laughed awkwardly, preparing to speak.
"I don't plan to obstruct Jun's dreams," Uozumi Ushio refilled Coach Taoka's shochu before continuing. "My whole life has been about food, but he has another passion. That's something I'm incredibly proud of."
"Then this agreement you mentioned?"
"That depends on basketball's weight in his heart and his determination, doesn't it?" Uozumi Ushio said. "This path definitely won't be easier than running a sushi shop. The decision of which road to take is ultimately his own."
Coach Taoka felt deeply moved but said nothing more.
"Drink, drink!"
"Ha ha, Coach Taoka, please..."
Back at the long table, after Uozumi candidly expressed his thoughts, teammates chimed in with various opinions.
"So Uozumi-senpai, have you carefully analyzed yourself and figured out how to improve?" Yagami's calm voice cut through, the question hitting the mark.
"Well..." Uozumi hesitated. "I haven't thought about it."
Just as I thought, Yagami realized. Ryonan's players relied too heavily on Coach Taoka. Combined with their already heavy practice regimen—where players genuinely improved—they naturally didn't overthink problems.
However, different players paired with different training focuses produced vastly different growth efficiency. For ordinary players without exceptional talent, after building fundamentals, the most critical step was finding one "weapon" they could master.
"Sorato, since you're asking, you must have some ideas?" Sendoh looked at Yagami with interest.
"Of course." Yagami ignored the others' strange looks and directly asked Uozumi, "Uozumi-senpai, any thoughts on going zero-for-four from the free throw line today?"
"Well..." Uozumi's face reddened further. "I'll practice shooting more like Coach requires!"
"Uozumi-senpai, it's practice free throws, not shooting." Yagami emphasized. "Your shooting touch is poor, right? Even spending massive time won't produce significant shooting improvement."
"But free throws are essential. If opponents realize your free throws are terrible and intentionally foul you during crucial Ryonan possessions—"
"You miss both, and they get possession back."
"!!!" Uozumi suddenly grasped Yagami's meaning. In that situation, he'd become Ryonan's biggest liability!
"I understand. I'll strengthen free throw practice going forward."
Yagami nodded. In fact, this was the famous "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy from his previous life's NBA—targeting weak free throw shooters to limit team scoring efficiency while gaining offensive possessions.
Ryonan's other players stared at Yagami in shock. Wait, this kid actually has substance!
Originally, several players had prepared to intervene when Yagami addressed an upperclassman in that tone, but his advice proved genuinely simple, understandable, and effective.
"Second question: Uozumi-senpai, comparing your stats with Akagi-senpai's, which aspect should you prioritize improving?"
Hearing this, Uozumi instinctively thought of offense.
He'd always believed he lagged significantly behind Akagi offensively. His scoring methods were limited—aside from catch-and-finish dunks or awkward putbacks near the rim, he lacked reliable scoring techniques.
Despite investing tremendous time researching improvements, he'd struggled to break through this ceiling. And after Yagami's earlier point, Uozumi realized his shooting touch couldn't surpass Akagi's short-term.
So...
"Defense?" Uozumi asked with slight uncertainty, since his defense was already excellent.
"Precisely—further enhance defensive dominance while minimizing unnecessary fouls." Yagami said. "When you make Ryonan's paint a 'no-fly zone,' our defensive system will undergo qualitative transformation."
"As for offense," Yagami paused, tone resolute, "that can be our next step."
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