Slam Dunk:Starting with perfect copy

In the Shohoku locker room, tensions were high. Sakuragi made a scene over the No. 10 jersey and insisted on being a starter,

determined to prove himself after Kenichi Uesugi's remarks the day before. However, with his lack of experience, Coach Anzai firmly denied his request. Under the threat of Akagi's fist, Sakuragi reluctantly accepted his role as a substitute.

When both teams arrived on the court, the Ryonan players noticed Shohoku's red-haired player for the first time.

"Look, there's a red-haired guy on Shohoku's team!"

"Yeah! How did we miss that? He looks scary!"

Sakuragi overheard and, still upset about not being a starter, shot back, "What are you staring at? Don't you have a yellow-haired guy on your team?"

The Ryonan players glanced at Kenichi Uesugi, leaving him speechless.

After warm-ups, the starting lineups were announced. Ryonan's starting five included Yuzumi at center, Ikegami at power forward, Sendoh at small forward, Koshino at shooting guard, and Uekusa as point guard. With Kenichi Uesugi benched, Sendoh returned to his familiar forward position.

Shohoku's lineup featured Akagi as center, Kakuta at power forward, Rukawa at small forward, Shiozaki at shooting guard, and Yasuda at point guard.

Ryonan players expressed surprise at Rukawa starting for Shohoku.

"Wow! That first-year, Kaede Rukawa, is starting!"

"Yeah! I heard he's really good!"

"What's the big deal? We have Kenichi Uesugi too!"

Sakuragi noticed Kenichi sitting on the bench and shouted mockingly, "Ha! You're just a substitute like me! Pretending to be tough yesterday—what a joke!"

Kenichi ignored him, feeling frustrated that Taoka Moichi was keeping him on the bench to maintain Ryonan's strategic advantage.

On the court, Akagi, preparing for the jump ball, noticed Kenichi's absence from the starting lineup. "If he can't even start, how strong can he be? Rukawa is definitely the more promising first-year in Kanagawa!"

The referee's whistle blew, and Yuzumi and Akagi leapt for the jump ball. Yuzumi reached it first, tipping it to Uekusa.

"Nice one, Captain Yuzumi!" Ryonan's substitutes cheered loudly.

Shohoku's Ayako frowned from the bench. "Senior Akagi lost the jump ball. He completely dominated Yuzumi last year!"

Coach Anzai remained calm. "Yuzumi has worked hard this year. Let's see how much he's improved."

Ryonan began their attack, with Uekusa quickly passing to Sendoh. Without Kenichi on the court, Sendoh took the lead offensively, driving past Shohoku's defense and dunking with authority despite Rukawa's attempt to block.

The Ryonan bench erupted in cheers as Sendoh scored the first points of the game. Taoka Moichi nodded in approval, satisfied with Sendoh's immediate impact.

Shohoku's next possession followed their usual strategy. Yasuda brought the ball up the court and passed to Akagi in the post. Akagi squared off against Yuzumi, but the Ryonan captain held his ground.

"You're weaker than last year, Akagi," Yuzumi taunted.

"Humph! You'll see how strong I am!" Akagi retorted, battling fiercely for position.

Despite his efforts, Yuzumi matched Akagi's strength, forcing him to rely on a pivot move to create space. Even then, Yuzumi remained unfazed, blocking Akagi's shot with authority.

"Wow! What a block by Captain Yuzumi!"

"Captain Yuzumi is amazing! He's completely shutting down Akagi!"

Ryonan's bench erupted again in celebration, while Shohoku's side grew silent. Ayako's face showed concern. "Yuzumi's progress this year is incredible. This is going to be tough for us."

As the game continued, it became clear that Ryonan's improvements posed a serious challenge for Shohoku.