Veteran guard Masahiro Oguchi's leadership, defensive tenacity, scoring and passing skills helped the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix make a smooth transition from the JBL to the bj-league last season.
This season, he played a quiet but effective role as a defensive sparkplug and a dependable shooter.
Oguchi had a lifetime-high 35 points on Saturday — teammate William Knight said the cerebral leader revealed that fact to him, referring to scholastic, college and pro games — leading the club past the Niigata Albirex BB to reach the championship game. He made a jaw-dropping 10 of 14 3-point shots in the Eastern Conference final, establishing a league record for 3-pointers in a single game.