Toru Hanagata

Year: 3rd Year Position: Center Jersey Number: #5

Hanagata is considered one of the top centers in the Kanagawa prefecture. He mixes strength and tactical skill in his playing, being able to easily avoid defensive play. When Fujima is not on the court, he takes the role of captain, being responsible for psyching up the team. For this, he is quite a trustworthy player for Shoyo. He is known for his fade-away shot, which is difficult to block. Hanagata is the only starter shown to wear glasses, though they are knocked off his face when Sakuragi commits his fourth foul, and Hanagata plays the rest of the match without them. Hanagata holds his own in the Shohoku match against Akagi, but when he is matched up with Sakuragi, he is totally outclassed in rebounding.

Being a top center, he is quite agile for his height. He takes on the cudgels of scoring for his team when Fujima is not on the court. He also knows how to use his teammates effectively. He and Nagano are knocked off by Sakuragi after the latter dunks on them, but despite the effort, Sakuragi still got his fifth foul. Nevertheless, he is cheered by the fans. Hanagata also missed a desperate three-point attempt against Shohoku, marking the final score, 62-60.