“We were confident because we prepared hard”
Dankook University won the 2023 KUSF University Basketball U-League game against KU South 76-71 at Dankook University Gymnasium on the 26th. Dankook’s record in the U-League is 6-4. It consolidated sole possession of fourth place.
Na Sung-ho (F, 188cm) led the way offensively with 21 points, including five three-pointers, 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal and three blocked shots. Lee Kyung-do (185cm, G) also showed his defensive prowess with 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals. Song Jae-hwan (187cm, G) also performed well with 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.
But it was Song In-joon (193cm, C) who was the new steeler for Dankook. He pushed Freddie (203cm, C), the best big man in college, out of the paint.
Song’s stat line for the game was 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots in 24 minutes and 17 seconds. However, Song’s performance was not fully captured on the stat sheet. He provided the impetus for Dankook to overcome a huge deficit.
As Song said after the game, “Dankook’s players worked really hard to prepare. They stayed up late to practice shooting and prepared thoroughly to defend the paint zone. I’m very happy that it worked out as we prepared.”
“My weakness is my slow feet. I couldn’t keep up with the tempo of the college league. That’s why I didn’t get much playing time. KU’s big men are strong and tall, but their speed is a bit slower, so I was able to play a lot of minutes today. I did a good job,” he added.
Song’s opponent was Freddie, one of the top big men in the U-League. Freddie stands at 203cm, more than 10cm taller than Song In-joon. Despite this, he was able to stop Freddie’s drive-in with a crucial block in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter.
“Freddie is very active on offensive rebounds. He has really good strength. We practised boxing out a lot. I was confident because I had worked hard on it, and I was trying to get physical and wear him down,” said Henderson, who added, “I wasn’t expecting him to block shots. However, I was able to rely on my long wingspan and jumping ability to block it.”
Song entered Dankook University as a 21-year-old메이저사이트. He will move up to third year in 2023, but hasn’t had much playing time in the college league. “I had the mindset of helping the team no matter what. I played a lot of opposite roles. I tried to keep my mind in check and do my best in team training,” he explained.
“I’m an undersized big man. I have to be quick on my feet. I’m working on my speed. Nevertheless, I have a 207cm wingspan. With my long arms, I can get unexpected rebounds and block shots. I will work on my weaknesses and use my strengths to my advantage.”
“I hope I can perform like I did today, but you never know what’s going to happen. I will prepare for any opponent step by step. I will do my best,” he concluded.