Shinichi Maki

Shinichi Maki is reputed to be the best player in the whole prefecture of Kanagawa. Captain of Kainan High, he exerts great leadership over his team, being quite a field leader whose orders are followed to the letter by his teammates. Though not as strict in personality regularly, he can be as strict as Akagi, but mostly only towards Kiyota. Sakuragi calls him, "Old Man" because he looks older than he really is; Maki responds by pointing out that Akagi looks even older. Kenji Fujima is considered his primary rival.

Maki plays mostly as a point guard, although he has the all-round skills to play in virtually any other position. Extremely muscular and strong, he likes to use his physical attributes to drive into the lane to score while drawing fouls. His scoring ability is incredibly difficult to stop and in one game four players from Shohoku were needed to completely shut him down. When teams double or triple-team him, he can then pass the ball to open teammates on the perimeter, such as Soichiro Jin, for open three-point shots. Maki uses his height and power to create mismatches against other point guards, which his team usually capitalizes on effectively.