During the Inter-High Championships, Shohoku confronts Tsukubu, one of this year’s dark horses. The matchup is further complicated by personal histories: Anzai faces his former student, now the Tsukubu coach, while Akagi and Kogure encounter Godai, their former classmate and Tsukubu’s captain. Meanwhile, Sakuragi is annoyed by Nango, Tsukubu’s center, who competes for Haruko’s attention.