"How's it going? How strong is Luo An?" Early that morning, Kudo brought the Shoyo team to watch Luo An's game. Since this was already the third round, only 16 teams remained, and there were only eight games scheduled for the day. The schedule wasn't as tight as in the previous two days, with just two games in each of the four basketball halls. Luo An played first at 10:00 AM, while Shoyo's game was set for 12:00 PM, so they didn't need to warm up during Luo An's halftime.
"Luo An's strength is impressive. They're on par with Hainan, and they're definitely a strong rival," Nakamura said.
"That's right. Luo An's players are solid in every position, especially their captain, the center. He's 199 cm tall, weighs 90 kg, and is even stronger than Hainan's Okabe. He's the tactical core of Luo An," Kudo explained. "So, Sugiyama, our game tomorrow depends on you."
Sugiyama watched the center dominating on the court and said, "I'm not going to lose to him."
"Just stay confident. Luo An finished fourth in last year's winter tournament and lost to Hainan, but this year's Hainan is even stronger. Luo An didn't add any strong newcomers this year, so Sugiyama, you should believe in yourself. You're not worse than him," Kudo encouraged. After all, if Shoyo wanted to beat Luo An and advance to the quarterfinals, Sugiyama's performance would be crucial. As for Shoyo's opponent today, Hokuto Shisho, they were completely ignored by Kudo.
"I understand," Sugiyama replied.
The match ended with a score of 85:64, and Luo An unsurprisingly advanced to the Elite Eight.
"Alright, it's our turn on the court," Nakamura said to his teammates.
"Yes, Captain!!!"
After warming up, the match began. The outcome was never in doubt. Although Hokuto Shisho was a local team and had a large crowd cheering for them, their efforts couldn't bridge the gap in strength. Saionji's fast breaks and sharp passes, Ikeda's accurate three-pointers, Nakamura's mid-range shots and drives, and Sugiyama's dominant offense, combined with Oshima's efforts, formed a no-fly zone for Hokuto Shisho. With each game, the five players grew more cohesive, becoming a nightmare for their opponents. Hokuto Shisho wasn't as strong as Akizuki, Shoyo's previous opponent, so the game was entirely under Shoyo's control.
Perhaps inspired by Luo An's performance earlier, Sugiyama played even more aggressively, showcasing his full range of skills. This made the Hokuto Shisho players' experience even more miserable.
"Captain, that center from Shoyo seems to be showing off for you," one of Luo An's players remarked.
"I can see that," Luo An's captain said expressionlessly. "The strength he's displaying right now puts him among the top three centers in high school basketball."
"Captain, no matter how strong he is, he's no match for you," Luo An's players said confidently. They had full faith in their captain, who was already considered the number one center in the country and one of the top five players in last year's winter tournament.
"There's no need to keep watching this game. Hokuto Shisho can't turn things around. Shoyo is sure to win," Luo An's coach said as the first half ended with a score of 68:25. "Let's go back and analyze Shoyo's team. Tomorrow will be a tough battle."
"Yes, Coach."
At the start of the second half, Kudo let Sugiyama and the other starters play for just five more minutes before substituting them. The consecutive days of matches were a test for the newcomers to the national competition. Fortunately, the intensity of these games hadn't been too high, and Kudo's timely rotations had prevented any physical crises. However, tomorrow's match against Luo An would be a true challenge, so resting the starters early was essential. Additionally, giving the substitutes more playing time in the national league would help improve their skills and prepare them for next year.
The game ended with a score of 121:74, as Shoyo advanced to the fourth round and entered the Elite Eight, making history for the Shoyo basketball team!
"We did it! We're in the Elite Eight! We're a national Elite Eight team!!!" The Shoyo players celebrated on the court, while the spectators gave them a warm round of applause.
Kudo smiled as he watched his team celebrate. This was a moment for them to enjoy. After all, with this victory, Shoyo had officially become a national powerhouse. It would take time for them to establish themselves as a traditional powerhouse, but this was a significant step forward. At the same time, Kudo received another system reward: 400 SD points. "Does winning on a stage like the Nationals increase the reward by 100 SD points each time?" Kudo wondered silently.
Kanagawa basketball's high standards were once again recognized nationwide. For two consecutive years, two teams from Kanagawa had reached the Elite Eight, including Hainan, a perennial top-four team. With Shoyo's current performance, the Elite Eight might not be their limit. Their chances against Luo An were promising. Additionally, last year's Wuriho basketball team had also secured a top-eight spot, further solidifying Kanagawa's reputation as a fiercely competitive region.
After learning that both Shoyo and Hainan had made it to the Elite Eight, the Kanagawa organizing committee began taking action. The excellent performance of Kanagawa teams over the past two years justified increased subsidies and benefits. The committee heads also saw this as an opportunity to boost their political achievements. They even considered lobbying for more tournament spots for Kanagawa, though this was unlikely, as the tournament quotas had remained unchanged for decades. Unless the tournament underwent a major reform—something that had only happened once since its inception in 1974—the current structure would remain. Still, they hoped to use this momentum to secure greater benefits.
By the end of the day, all basketball games had concluded, and the Elite Eight teams were determined:
King of the Hill Industrial Basketball Team
Hakata Shogyo University Affiliated Basketball Team
Hainan University Affiliated Basketball Team
Luo An Basketball Team
Shoyo Basketball Team
Fengyu Basketball Team
Changcheng Basketball Team
Aiwa College Basketball Team
The eight teams would compete the next day in two gymnasiums to determine the Final Four. The matchups were as follows:
King of the Hill vs. Chang Cheng
Hakata Shogyo vs. Feng Yu
Luo An vs. Shoyo
Hainan vs. Aiwa
That evening at the hotel, Kudo played tapes of Luo An's qualifying matches for Sugiyama and the others, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of Luo An's main players and devising strategies.
Meanwhile, the other seven teams were also analyzing their opponents, all fighting for a spot in the Final Four. After all, they had come this far, and every team wanted to go further.