“D-4 against Korea and Japan.” The younger team, coach Ahn Jun-ho, emphasized defense and rebounding

The Korean men’s basketball team will hold two warm-up matches against the Korean team under the name 2024 Soft Bank Cup at Ariake Arena in Koto Ward, Tokyo, Japan on May 5 and 7. The Korean team will briefly join hands and leave for Tokyo, the land of the showdown, on May 3.

“Ra Gun-ah and the main members were absent, so she became much shorter,” coach Ahn Jun-ho said at the Sono Arena Auxiliary Gymnasium in Goyang on Sunday. “We are the shortest in an international competition. We need to take faster basketball. However, Japan also has various defense tactics such as full-court press. Although it is a short period of time, I think we need to prepare well.”

Coach Ahn Joon-ho and his coach Seo Dong-cheol attended the friendly match between Japan and Australia held in Sapporo, Japan on June 22 and 23. At the time, Japan had one draw and one loss against Australia in the FIBA rankings, demonstrating its formidable capabilities.

“Australia was not the best team. Japanese players Yuki Kawamura, Yuki Togashi, and Keisei Tomina were really good. And naturalized player Josh Hawkinson is an optimized player for Japanese basketball. Offense is an attack, but it also helps a lot in defense and rebounding. Japan has seemed to have a very good teamwork for a long time,” coach Ahn Jun-ho said.

Korea has made the roster for young players. Byun Jun-hyung, born in 1996, is the oldest player in the team. There is no naturalized player, Ra Gun-ah. Therefore, it is expected that Japan’s three-point shooting and rebound blocking will determine the outcome.

“The most important thing is speed. You have to play fast basketball. You have to stick to your basic skills such as defense and rebounding. Japan has called in the best team ahead of the Paris Olympics. Rui Hachimura, an NBA leaguer, is coming out, but if you can’t defend, you will have to suffer. I have emphasized to my players not to lose in mental competition such as determination and mental strength,” coach Ahn Jun-ho said. 동행복권파워볼

Although Korea is not an elite member, it is an opportunity for young players to gain experience. Ahn Jun-ho also expressed his willingness to watch the promising players for the long term.

“The members are the present and future of Korean basketball,” coach Ahn Jun-ho said. “They should be responsible for the Asian Games, the Basketball World Cup, and the Olympics. If Lee Hyun-joong and Yeo Jun-seok (Gonjaga University) come in here, they could be more powerful. I hope there will be something I can get by bumping into each other directly through this warm-up match.”