Taoka Moichi didn't say a word. He just stared silently at Alex—not bad. Actually, better than expected. This kid wasn't just some clueless rookie.
But raw ability alone wasn't going to impress Taoka."Got anything else up your sleeve that'll surprise me?" he muttered.
After winning the jump ball, Alex sprinted straight to his spot beneath the basket.
In his mind, winning the tip-off wasn't a big deal.Sure, Makoto Masaru had decent hops—but that only meant something against average players.
Alex shared the same physical traits as Ryota Kise, one of the "Generation of Miracles." Kise wasn't just known for his uncanny ability to copy techniques; he was a versatile powerhouse, with top-tier skills across the board. Especially in terms of vertical leap—on par with Kagami, who was famous for his jumping.
So if Alex couldn't beat a junior high benchwarmer in a jump ball, he wouldn't deserve to be called a miracle.
Thanks to Alex's tip-off, the red team got the first possession.
But as Alex positioned himself under the hoop to support the offense, he noticed his teammates were struggling.
The ball handler on the perimeter was short and had shaky control. It looked like he was going to cough up the ball at any moment.
Desperate, the guard passed it across the court to Aida Hikoichi.But Hikoichi wasn't faring any better.
He was being smothered by another of Taoka's recruits—a player named Kazuki Kishino—who was glued to him with suffocating defense. Hikoichi wanted to feed the ball inside to Alex, but Kishino's pressure left him no passing lanes.
Worse yet, Hikoichi's own fundamentals were weak.
He nearly lost the ball while dribbling, clumsily bouncing it off his foot.
Luckily, he reacted just in time and scrambled to regain control—barely avoiding a turnover.
On the sidelines, the older Ryonan players shook their heads in disapproval.
"These rookies are hopeless," one muttered.
"They can't even dribble."
"What a disappointment... We were hoping for another Sendoh-level talent."
Just when Hikoichi was falling into despair, a voice called out:
"Pass it to me!"
Hikoichi looked up—it was Alex, rushing over to help. He'd seen enough to know the perimeter guys weren't initiating anything, so he came to take charge.
To Hikoichi, it was like seeing a lifeline. He immediately passed the ball over—too hastily. The short distance didn't help his accuracy. His wild pass nearly sailed out of bounds.
Fortunately, Alex reacted in a flash and extended his arm to snag the ball.
But before Alex could settle in for an attack, Kazuki Kishino had already switched over and was guarding him tightly.
Clearly, he wasn't going to make things easy.
Before the game began, Makoto had told Kishino that the new recruits had terrible fundamentals. "This match is just for us to put on a show," he'd said.
And judging by the play so far, it seemed he was right.
Kishino didn't take Alex seriously. So what if he could jump? That didn't mean he was good in other areas.
He stared at Alex with a faint sneer.
Alex simply smiled.
Big mistake.
He began to dribble—steady, controlled, gradually increasing tempo—while studying Kishino's movements.
From the sidelines, the older Ryonan players began to notice.
"Huh, this guy's ball control is pretty solid."
"Yeah, at least he's not tripping over himself like the others."
"Let's hope he can actually deliver. Otherwise, this batch is hopeless."
And then—Alex moved.
He feinted left, then instantly exploded right, switching direction with a lightning-quick crossover that left Kishino frozen.
Smooth. Fast. Seamless.
Kishino blinked.
"Wait... what just happened?"
"I got broken like that?"
On the bench, Taoka's eyes widened, startled by the sharpness of Alex's move.
"Well, well," he said quietly. "He really is full of surprises."
A great body, explosive hops—and now, that slick dribble and smooth first step?
This kid might just be the real deal.
"Nice! That was a clean break!"
"Yeah, he reminds me a little of Sendoh with that move!"
The veterans on the bench started to nod in approval.
But in the crowd, Sendoh himself wore a strange expression.
He narrowed his eyes, watching Alex closely.
There was something oddly familiar about that last move.It felt… like the exact same one he'd just used.
Back on the court, Alex wasn't done.
After blowing past Kishino, he accelerated toward the basket with full momentum.
He rose for a dunk—
—but then, a flash of blue streaked across the paint.
Masaru, the guy who'd lost the jump ball earlier, had recovered fast and was leaping to block the shot.
Still stinging from that earlier embarrassment, Masaru wasn't about to get shown up again.
He stretched out to swat the ball—
—but Alex, mid-air, suddenly pulled the ball back with both hands, twisting under the basket at an impossible angle.
Then, with a jaw-dropping reverse layup, he finished with a backhanded slam off the glass.
The ball snapped through the net—and bounced squarely off Kishino's head.
"Oops," Alex said with a grin."Sorry. I haven't played in a while... I'm a little rusty."