SNAP!
Charles Ackerman slammed his palm clean across the ball, sending it flying out of bounds with a ferocious block.
Victor Uozumi stumbled, his balance broken. He nearly collapsed outright before catching himself, frustration written across his face.
Am I… really nothing but height? he thought bitterly.
From the sideline, Cory Grant shook his head. So cruel. It was pitiful watching a rookie like Uozumi crumble so easily against Charles, who was desperate to prove himself.
On the Ryonan bench, Coach Tian folded his arms, expression taut.
Moments earlier, he had proudly bragged about Uozumi's potential in front of Coach Anderson. Now? That same "rough gem" was being manhandled by Shohoku's rookie center.
"I didn't expect… Shohoku to have another player besides Mitch Harris worth fearing," Tian muttered under his breath.
He quickly rationalized: It's fine. Uozumi's still raw. Give him a year and his talent will shine brighter than Ackerman's crude strength.
But the doubt lingered all the same.
Play resumed. Matsushita called for another pick-and-roll with Uozumi, but the big man's mind was elsewhere. Distracted and half-hearted, his screen was porous.
Ito slipped around easily, forcing Matsushita into an awkward pass out to captain Yusaku Ozawa.
Cory's eyes sharpened. Ozawa wasn't to be underestimated. Ryonan's leader had carried them to the Kanagawa quarterfinals, averaging 26.8 points per game—second only to the top scorer in the region. His athletic gifts weren't overwhelming, but his offensive variety earned him the nickname "The Kaleidoscope."
In an instant, Ozawa feinted right, crossing into his drive. Cory moved laterally to cut him off.
But the rhythm of Ozawa's dribble was hypnotic. His ball control locked Cory into reacting, and in that split second of imbalance, Ozawa blew by him.
Cory turned desperately to trail, but before he could close the gap, Ozawa pulled up—clean jumper.
Swish! Two more for Ryonan.
Cory grimaced. His reflexes were elite, but they were useless against a scorer with Ozawa's polish. Skill mechanics beyond 90… no chance to react.
Shohoku returned the ball. This time, when Nick Okamoto fed Charles Ackerman, Ryonan trapped. Toyo Inoue collapsed immediately with Uozumi, suffocating the big man inside.
Charles picked up, pivoting. With no room to shoot, he kicked it out to Ichiro Sato at the baseline.
Sato hesitated. His shot from mid-range wasn't the worst—but painfully slow. Toyo Inoue, quick on the recovery, rushed back to contest.
CLANG! Wide miss.
Uozumi sealed Charles perfectly, snagging the rebound with authority. But—Charles repositioned with stunning instinct, slipping behind Uozumi and snatching the board from his hands.
His timing was immaculate. Uozumi still lacked feel for rebounding angles.
Charles cradled the ball instantly, rising for another dunk—
But both Uozumi and Inoue collapsed on him. Swallowed in a two-man trap, Charles had to protect the ball.
"Charles!"
Cory's voice rang out. Red jersey flashing, he raced into space. Charles kicked it out fast.
Cory caught it—but Ozawa was already there, body-to-body.
Ozawa's eyes narrowed. This one's weak. His body's frail. Not a threat.
But then Cory swayed hard left—then right. A long cross step disguised—into a Eurostep.
Ozawa's eyes widened. He had misread. For the first time, his defense collapsed to the wrong side.
Like a knife through air, Cory sliced into the lane, scooped it up, and finished.
The bench exploded.
"Cory, well done!"
"Charles, great pass!"
The two slapped palms, then hustled back.
Moments later, Ryonan initiated again. Matsushita fed Ozawa near the wing, eyeing Cory.
Ozawa smiled lightly. "So that was the Eurostep, huh?"
Cory stayed low, cautious.
"Let me show you my move."
He stepped forward, smooth as silk. A feint, then a crossover. Cory bit slightly, just enough—Ozawa accelerated, leaving him behind.
Akagi rotated from inside help, planting in the lane.
Ozawa rose, twisting his body for contact. He faked hard left under the rim—Charles bit. In the blink of an eye, Ozawa spun opposite—rising into a gorgeous turnaround jumper.
Swish! Net snapped clean.
Ryonan's bench erupted.
Ozawa looked back, swinging his arm with force, his sharp gaze locking directly on Cory.
"Your move's not bad, rookie… but it's not enough."
Cory ignored him—because his system panel had just pinged alive in his vision.
[Learnable Skill Detected – Turnaround Jump Shot | Progress: 8%]