With the appointment of Korean basketball legend Hur Jae as the long term head coach of the South Korean national men’s basketball team, the Korean Basketball Association has unveiled the 24 man player pool in preparation for this year’s FIBA Asia Challenge Cup, known formerly as the FIBA Asia Cup.
The player pool consists of veterans and incoming professional players from the collegiate rank:
Yang Dong-Geun (Ulsan Mobis Phoebus)
Kim Sun-Hyung (Seoul SK Knights)
Byeon Gi-Hoon (Seoul SK Knights)
Park Chan-Hee (ET Land)
Kim Tae-Sol (Samsung)
Cho Sung-Min (Busan KT)
Lee Jae-Do (Busan KT)
Lee Jung-Hyun (Anyang KGC)
Hur Hweeung (Wonju Dongbu Promy)
Yang Hee-Jong (Anyang KGC)
Moon Seonggon (Anyang KGC)
Han Hee-Won (Anyang KGC)
Moon Tae-Young (Samsung)
Lee Seung-Hyun (Goyang Orions)
Choi Jin-Soo (Goyang Orions)
Heo iL-Young (Goyang Orions)
Choi Joon-Young (Yonsei University)
Kang Sang-Jae (Korea University)
Oh Se-Keun (Anyang KGC)
Kim Jong-Kyu (Changwon LG Sakers)
Ha Seung-Jin (KCC Egis)
Kim Junil (Samsung)
Lee Jong-Hyun (Korea University)
Choi Buk-Young (Seoul SK)
Long time skipper Yang Dong-Geun returns to the national team despite news from last year that he may have retired from the national team. Yang is joined by veteran playmakers Kim Tae-Sol and Park Chan-Hee.
Oh Se-Keun and Kim Sun-Hyung, who were dropped from the national team last year due to involvement in match fixing activities during their collegiate days, return to not only earn their redemption, but also make a case for what could have been, had they played in the 2015 FIBA Asia tournament last year.
Lee Jong-Hyun, the consensus 2016 Korean Basketball League first overall pick in this year’s draft, headlines the incoming rookies out of the collegiate ranks in teammate Kang Sang-Jae and rival Choi Joon-Young from Yonsei University.
Lee Seung-Hyun, the budding star in last year’s Olympic qualifying campaign marks the near changing of the guard for Korea in which rising stars Han Hee-Won (KGC), Kim Junil (Samsung) and Hur Hwee-Ung (Wonju), son of Hur Jae are all eager to carry Korea as its mainstays.
Last year, Korea finished in the 2015 FIBA Asia tournament, thereby missing the chance to play in this year’s three Olympic qualifying tournaments.
Putting the disappointing results behind, Korean basketball is poised to start anew. The appointment of Hur Jae on a three year contract that runs until the qualifiers leading to the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China, is culmination of both public and private wish that Korea appoints a full time national coach.
Hur Jae, a legend in Korea and in FIBA Asia lore, has played in two Olympic tournaments and seems to be the right man for the job in bringing back Korean basketball to glory after the success of the 2014 FIBA World Cup participation and the 2014 Asian Games gold medal conquest right in the heart of Incheon. Coach Hur, who spent almost a decade as Jeonju KCC Egis head coach before stepping down in 2014, has won several titles with the club with his emphasis on discipline and hardwork.
Back at the helm a third time after leading the national team in 2009 and 2011, Hur has a vision of a long term national team pool that will see changes in the years leading to next year’s 2017 FIBA Asia format change to home and away games and the 2019 World Cup in China.
Hur’s mission is to form the best national team for the new FIBA format with the players sourced from the KBL, college and high school leagues across Korea. With the reformation of the Korean Basketball Association this year that supports a hybrid structure of leadership that oversees the KBL, KUBL and HS basketball, Coach Hur will be able to train and field the best team possible. The KBL is also willing to make changes to its schedule in accommodating the new qualification format. Last year, the KBL started early with many of its stars from its club playing in FIBA Asia.
image courtesy of FIBA
Sakerland 