After several meetings by the national team selection committee, the Korean Basketball Association has announced the 24 player pool for the FIBA Asia tournament to be held in Changsha, China from September 23 to October 3, 2015. The player pool is as listed:
Guards Yang Dong-Geun (Ulsan Mobis Phoebus), Kim Sun-Hyung (Seoul SK Knights), Park Chan-Hee (Anyang KGC), Kang Byung-Hyun (Anyang KGC), Lee Jung-Hyun (Anyang KGC), Cho Sung-Min (Busan Sonicboom KT), Jeong Young-Sam (Incheon ET Land Elephant), Kim Tae-Sul (Jeonju KCC Egis)
Forwards Moon Tae-Young (Ulsan Mobis Phoebus), Yang Hee-Jong (Anyang KGC), Lee Seung-Hyun (Goyang Orions), Heo il-Young (Goyang Orions), Yoon Ho-Young (Wonju Dongbu Promy), Park Sang-Oh (Busan Sonicboom KT), Moon Seonggon (Korea University), Choi Joon-Young (Yonsei University)
Centers Oh Se-Keun (Anyang KGC), Ha Seung-Jin (Jeonju KCC Egis), Kim Jong-Kyu (Changwon LG Sakers), Kim Joo-Sung (Wonju Dongbu Promy), Kim Junil (Samsung Thunder), Kim Min-Soo (Seoul SK Knights), Jang Jae-Seok (Goyang Orions) Lee Jong-Hyun (Korea University)
Ulsan Mobis Phoebus head coach Yoo Jae-Hak who coached the team in the 2014 FIBA World Cup and lead Korea to the gold medal in last year’s 2014 Asian Games, will return for the third consecutive time in hopes of leading Korea into the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Leading the pool is Yang Dong-Geun, Yoo Jae-Hak’s trusted point guard who piloted the team to their third consecutive KBL championship. Kim Joo-Sung, despite publicly announcing his retirement was willing to forego for a chance in helping Korea make the Rio Olympics. “I had talked with coach Yoo (Jae-Hak) and he asked if I can still play, I told him that if I was healthy, I could play for Korea again,” said Kim in an interview with Chosun.
Moon Tae-Young will be taking over his older brother’s spot as Korea’s naturalized player spot after Moon Tae-Jong retired from the national team last year. “Jarod (Tae-Jong) asked me to take his spot and it is my dream in playing for the national team.”
Returning to the national team is Ha Seung-Jin who was considered for last year’s world cup and Asian games squad but his conditioning and lack of basketball activity did not qualify him. After playing in the 2014-2015 Korean Basketball League season, Ha Seung-Jin is ready to add size and depth for Korea’s front-court.
Korea University’s Lee Jong-Hyun, who declared for the NBA draft last month, headlines the youth players for the team. Lee alongside KU teammates Moon Seong-Gon and Yonsei’s Choi Joon-Young are reunited once again. All three were part of the 2013 South Korea team that played in the Manila hosted FIBA Asia.
The pool is a mixture of veterans rich in experience and the upcoming youth of the country as Korea will once again be facing huge challenges on their Olympic hopes. “It will be a very tough tournament for us,” said Yoo Jae-Hak. “One team will make it directly for the Olympics next year, but if we work hard together, we can achieve it.”
image courtesy of FIBA
Sakerland 