Year: 3rd Year
Birthday: 22nd May
Height: 184 cm (6 ft ½ in)
Weight: 70 kg (154 lb)
Shoe brand: Asics
Jersey number: 14
Position: Shooting Guard, SG
Before joining Shohoku, Mitsui Hisashi was an MVP at Takeishi Junior High. Despite offers from more prestigious high schools like Ryonan, he chose Shohoku because of Coach Anzai, who had inspired him to win the Junior High tournament with his encouragement during the final moments of a crucial match. However, his basketball career was interrupted by a left knee injury sustained during a training session. An early and imprudent return to the court exacerbated the injury, leading to a break from basketball lasting over a year.
Though he eventually recovered, Mitsui felt bitter about being sidelined and quit basketball to become the leader of a gang. His gang clashed with Miyagi, resulting in a severe beating for Mitsui before Miyagi himself was defeated.
Mitsui later tried to sabotage the basketball team by inciting them into a fight with his gang, which would have resulted in their disqualification from competition. However, Sakuragi's own gang—Yohei, Takamiya, Ookusu, and Noma—took the blame for the fight. Seeing Coach Anzai again filled Mitsui with remorse, prompting him to rejoin the team and vow never to fight again.
Mitsui is renowned on the team for his three-point shooting, though his skills extend beyond that. During a practice match, he effectively shut down Sakuragi, who was playing center. His defensive prowess also neutralized Fukuda’s scoring abilities. His three-pointers were instrumental in Shohoku's comebacks when they were trailing by 12 points against Shoyo and by 20 points against Sannoh in the National Championships. His main weakness, however, is his lack of stamina due to his long absence from basketball. Consequently, in the latter stages of games, he has not always been as reliable—he missed a potential game-winning shot against Kainan and collapsed on-court during the game against Ryonan.
(Source: hoopiedia)
