In the Winter Cup final at Tokyo's National Gymnasium, Fukuka Ohori HS defeated Higashiyama Kyoto 97-71 to claim back-to-back national titles and a second crown this season alongside the U18 Top League. Captain Katsumata Kizuna led from the front, matching Kyoto’s foreign student in the paint, and credited the victory to embracing the hard, often unglamorous parts of the game, a mindset inspired by Dennis Rodman's pregame analyses. He wears a headband as a trademark, began basketball at age four, and hopes to study at university and turn pro after graduation.