As Lee Seung-Hyun was being awarded the Most Valuable Player for the Choi Kangjeon Pro-Am basketball challenge, the young man could barely hold his excitement. The MVP was recognition for his Goyang Orions team in beating his alumni Korea University for the right to hoist the championship and he had a cash prize to boot. He was smiling because he was notified hours earlier that his name is included named in the senior national team that will compete in the 37th William Jones Cup tournament in Taiwan by the end of the month.
Lee Seung-Hyun is among the twelve names handpicked by head coach Kim Dong-Kwang as South Korea is closer in naming its squad for the 2015 FIBA Asia Tournament held next month in Changsha, China and the tournament champion will play in next year’s 2016 Rio Olympics.
Seung-Hyun joins a team that blends veteran talent and upcoming young stars:
Yang Dong-Geun (Ulsan Mobis Phoebus)
Kim Tae-Sol (Jeonju KCC Egis)
Kim Sun-Hyung (Seoul SK Knights)
Park Chan-Hee (Anyang KGC)
Cho Sung-Min (Busan Sonicboom KT)
Lee Jung-Hyun (Anyang KGC)
Yoon Ho-Young (Wonju Dongbu Promy)
Moon Tae-Young (Samsung Thunder)
Lee Seung-Hyun (Goyang Orions)
Ha Seung-Jin (Jeonju KCC Egis)
Kim Jong-Kyu (Changwon LG Sakers)
Lee Jong-Hyun (Korea University)
Cut from the sixteen man training roster were Yonsei’s Choi Jun-Young, Korea University’s Kang Sangjae and Moon Seonggon, Han Hee-Won of Kyung-Hee.
While many of the members named to the squad have several Jones Cup tournaments participation under their belt, Lee Seung-Hyun and KGC’s Lee Jung-Hyun will be playing in their first. Moon Tae-Young, the younger brother of Incheon Asian games medalist Moon Tae-Jong; played in last year’s William Jones Cup with Ulsan Mobis Phoebus, the eventual champions of the tournament as the nation team then was away in preparation for the FIBA World Cup and Incheon Asian Games. This tournament will also mark the return of Ha Seung-Jin to the national team as his previous participation was back in 2011.
According to head coach Kim Dong-Kwang, the Jones Cup team is not the final team that will participate in next month’s Asian qualifiers for Rio. However, it serves as a strong foothold for inclusion and the Jones Cup will be the final trial for the men in uniform for South Korea.
Aside from South Korea, the other teams for the 37th William Jones Cup are Iran, the Philippines, Japan, Chinese Taipei Team A, Chinese Taipei Team B, Wellington Saints of New Zealand, Russian Pro Selection Team and the United States that features a touring squad of athletes.
For Lee Seung-Hyun, he is willing to trade the Choi Kangjeon MVP plum for a selection in the national team as quoted by Naver Sports. “I am thankful for the opportunity for winning the championship (Choi Kangjeon) and being named MVP but I am willing to trade it (MVP) for participation with the national team. It has been my dream ever since and I have worked hard for it every day.”
image courtesy of newsis
Sakerland 