Oh Se-Keun to miss time with national team due to injury

Anyang KGC’s star Oh Se-Keun will be sidelined for at least a month in order to rehabilitate a swollen left ankle. This means that the 28 year old 200cm forward will miss four weeks’ worth of training with the national team.

The news came when the national team convened for training camp under Kim Dong-Kwang.

According to reports, Se-Keun’s left ankle has swelling within the ligaments that had bloated the left ankle. It is the same foot that had ligament surgery that made Se-Keun miss the 2012-2013 KBL season.

Unlikely as it may seem, Oh’s rebounding contributes to his ankle’s continuous bouts with injuries as the former Kyung-Hee star has the habit of landing in one foot after securing a rebound. Imagine an ankle that is left to bear all 240 pounds of bulk in every KBL or national team game.

Kim Dong-Kwang acknowledged the possibility that he may call up another bigman if Oh’s ankle will not heal on time. Next month, South Korea will participate in the William Jones Cup annually held in Taiwan where the mentor stated that he will take twelve players.

The national team has historical struggles within the Asian cage wars without the presence of Oh, a 200cm bruiser that gives the team a rebounding presence no matter how big the opposition is. His wide shoulders, weight and low-center of gravity makes him a tough object to move during boxout situations.

Last year, Oh Se-Keun returned to the national team in their 2014 FIBA World Cup campaign and helped the national team claim gold in the Incheon Asian games. With Oh-Sekeun missing time, Korea is left with Ha Seung-Jin, Lee Seung-Hyun, Kim Jong-Kyu and Lee Jong-Hyun in its big man depth.

image courtesy of FIBA

South Korea names 16 players in the preliminary pool for FIBA Asia 2015

With days before training camp, South Korea’s national team head coach Kim Dong-Kwang named the 16 man preliminary player pool that will attend training camp. From the 24 man player pool, Kwang named the sixteen players. The players consist of the following:

 

Yang Dong-Geun (Ulsan Mobis Phoebus)

Kim Sun-Hyung (Seoul SK Knights)

Park Chan-Hee (Anyang KGC)

Kim Tae-Sol (Jeonju KCC Egis)

Cho Sung-Min (Busan Sonicboom KT)

Yang Hee-Jong (Anyang KGC)

Yoon Ho-Young (Wonju Dongbu Promy)

Moon Tae-Young (Samsung Thunder)

Han Hee-Won (Kyung-Hee University)

Moon Seonggon (Korea University)

Lee Seung-Hyun (Goyang Orions)

Choi Jun-Young (Yonsei University)

Oh Se-Keun (Anyang KGC)

Kim Jong-Kyu (Changwon LG Sakers)

Ha Seung-Jin (Jeonju KCC Egis)

Lee Jong-Hyun (Korea University)

 

The player pool is lead by veteran point guard Yang Dong-Geun, who piloted the national team last year in the 2014 FIBA World Cup and to the gold medal in the Incheon Asian Games. The veteran Kim Joo-Sung although considered, was cut from the national team, but will still be attending the training camp to help mentor the youth.

The preliminary training squad is a mixture of veterans such as the sharpshooting Cho Sung-Min and the workhorse, Oh Se-Keun. Ha Seung-Jin, the 7’2 center makes his return after undergoing a nasal surgery as he has been attending to his conditioning in the off-season.

Korea’s youth is bannered by Lee Jong-Hyun. Lee declared for the 2015 NBA Draft but went undrafted. After failing to secure an NBA Summer League spot, Lee vowed to try again next year and will focus in the upcoming FIBA Asia joust. Lee’s teammate in Korea University, Moon Seonggon is also selected despite missing the Gwangju Universiade due to injury. Choi Jun-Young of Yonsei University is also included. In 2013, both Seonggon and Jun-Young were part of the national team that finished third in Manila FIBA Asia. Han Hee-Won, dubbed as “Kim Min-Goo 2.0” was named after impressing head coach Kim Dong-Kwang in the Universiade game against Montenegro and Sweden. Lee Seung-Hyun is hoping to finally make the twelve man team after being cut in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Moon Tae-Young is the naturalized player of South Korea, taking over from brother Moon Tae-Jong, who helped South Korea win gold in the Asian Games last year through his torrid shooting. “I’ve been dreaming to finally make the national team for a long time and this is a chance to help the country make the Olympics,” said Tae-Young in an interview with naver sports.

A couple of test matches are lined for the national team against teams from the Korean Basketball League, including a participation in the William Jones Cup by end of August.

The Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament will be held in Changsha, China from September 23- October 3, 2015. The top finisher will book a ticket to the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympic Basketball Tournament. Despite the odds stacked once more for South Korea, there is much optimism heading into training camp as everyone is healthy after last year’s nagging injuries plagued the team.

image courtesy of KBL.or.kr