After Yuuto sank the and-one free throw, Cicero Memorial's head coach was shouting from the sideline.
Yuuto's scoring average had now reached 33.2 points per game—extraordinary numbers by any standard.
This was a true prodigy.
Barring any surprises, in another two years, even NCAA powerhouses would be fighting over this Asian guard.
Treating Covanord like last year's team would be a fatal mistake.
The double-teams came as expected.
But Yuuto quickly demonstrated another facet of his talent.
In Japan, he'd been the primary ball-handler. Even though Coach Young wanted him to become a lethal finisher and play more efficiently to conserve energy, Yuuto's playmaking abilities hadn't deteriorated.
The moment he encountered a double-team, he kicked the ball out to an open teammate.
But Cicero Memorial was ruthless—they completely ignored the open players, determined to lock down Yuuto.
Their primary goal was stopping this arrogant Asian, keeping him under 30 points.
As for Covanord's other players? They were betting those guys couldn't hit shots.
"These cowards won't let you go one-on-one. They don't have the guts to face you." Walker felt the sting of being disrespected.
He was a four-star recruit, after all. Being left wide open like this was embarrassing.
But the problem was this guy had spent another night out, and his first two attempts had both clanked off the rim. His face burned with shame.
He didn't even dare look at Coach Young's expression—it was surely murderous.
"Relax. I'll destroy them."
Yuuto didn't transform into a life coach to comfort Walker.
Walker was a typical Black American—he didn't respond to lectures.
If anything, trying to stop him from going out would make him think you'd betrayed their friendship.
In short: whatever he did, you were supposed to support him unconditionally. Just like him supporting you.
Sometimes Yuuto genuinely couldn't understand what went on in these guys' heads.
Throughout the first half, nearly every time Yuuto touched the ball, he was immediately swarmed by two or even three defenders.
He was pushed, grabbed, and hounded by countless arms. The relentless coverage limited him to just 11 points by halftime.
But simultaneously, his accurate passing out of double-teams had given him 10 assists—a half-time double-digit total.
American high school games, like NCAA games, were played in two halves rather than four quarters.
At halftime, Covanord led 38-35.
Cicero Memorial's strategy was working fairly well.
Choking Yuuto meant controlling Covanord's heart.
The only reason Covanord stayed ahead was their other players' solid shooting performances.
"Keep doubling him. No matter what. Covanord's other players can't close out games." The Cicero Memorial coach demanded continued double-teams.
By halftime, he'd figured it out—Covanord's only real improvement this year was acquiring this Asian guard. Everyone else was the same as last season. Easy pickings.
Sure enough.
The second half opened with Covanord going ice cold, and their opponents used fast breaks to quickly erase the deficit.
Cicero Memorial planned to ride this momentum to a decisive victory. But Yuuto had other ideas.
Wilson looked strong as an ox, but his straight-line speed was also impressive. His goal was clear: get to the frontcourt and throw it down.
But the instant he left his feet, the ball was suddenly swatted away by an outside force.
Wilson's eyes went wide as he saw Yuuto's face—so calm it made him sick.
"What the f—?!"
He cursed under his breath.
Yuuto grabbed the ball and fired a full-court pass. Walker received it and threw down a two-handed slam, roaring as he landed, releasing all his frustration.
"Hmph!"
Coach Young watched, then sat back down and straightened his suit jacket.
He'd discovered something about this troublemaker on his team: in the second half, he came alive even more.
Not just on offense—defense too.
That mysterious ability to improve meant every game made Yuuto at least somewhat stronger.
In the first half, Cicero Memorial had scored plenty on fast breaks. But in the second half, their very first transition attempt was read perfectly by Yuuto.
This meant their damn troublemaker had already adapted to tonight's opponent.
Sure enough.
On the next possession, Wilson and a teammate tried to trap Yuuto again.
But this time Yuuto didn't pass. His handles were so fast they were nearly invisible—a quick crossover and he'd already blown past Wilson and his help defender.
"What the hell was that?!"
Wilson nearly cried out that this was Eastern witchcraft.
What had he seen?
A red point appeared before his eyes, then the Asian burst forward...
He'd seen it all clearly, but his body refused to obey.
BOOM!
Yuuto drove straight to the rim and scored.
"Demon Eyes?"
Cicero Memorial's head coach thought of someone.
Someone who'd suddenly left college, abandoned a promising future to play for some street ball club—a once-golden prodigy named Nash Gold Jr.
He possessed a similar visual gift, able to freeze defenders in their tracks.
Wilson also thought of Nash. After all, the guy had been a five-star national recruit who'd participated in the Nike Elite League.
The media had praised him highly, projecting him as a likely NBA player.
"Don't just stand there." Yuuto walked past the stunned Wilson. "You still have a chance."
I know I still have a chance—did you need to tell me?
It was just a question of how much of a chance.
Wilson realized he was actually afraid of this trash-talking Asian.
Looking into Yuuto's eyes made him uncomfortable.
On the next possession, Wilson called for a screen with less confidence, then used his teammate's pick to get past Yuuto.
The next second, a chill ran through his body. The defender who should have been screened off had somehow appeared in front of him again.
Yuuto seized the moment of confusion and his quick hands poked the ball free.
Covanord's point guard dove for the loose ball.
Yuuto exploded toward the frontcourt, signaling for the pass.
Wilson chased furiously.
So what if Yuuto was like Nash? They'd only been ranked about 20 spots apart.
A significant gap, sure, but not insurmountable.
But this possession showed Wilson exactly why he wasn't a five-star recruit.
At full sprint, he couldn't catch up to Yuuto while Yuuto was dribbling.
In front of everyone, Yuuto charged to the basket first. In mid-air, he half-spun and slammed it home with a reverse two-handed dunk.
The talent gap between them was like code hardwired at the deepest level.
"Want to know how to become a five-star recruit?"
Yuuto landed and continued to taunt the man who shared his name with Marvel's Deadpool.
"Just get the most points, most rebounds, most assists, most steals, and most blocks in every game. Then all those scouts will come running after you."
He paused, then added, "Just like me."
...
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