An Jun-ho, head coach of the South Korea men's basketball team, praised the changing "height battle."
The men's basketball team led by Coach An Jun-ho won 84-69 against Japan in the second evaluation match for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup held at Anyang Gymnasium on the afternoon of the 13th at 2:30 p.m.
With this victory, Korea followed up on the first match by defeating Japan once again, completing a two-game sweep. The team had also claimed a 91-77 victory in the first match held on the 11th, led by 'overseas forward' Lee Hyun-jung and Yeo Joon-seok. In the second match, Korea was poised for a resounding victory up to the third quarter, displaying a more dominant performance, but had to settle for a 15-point margin due to some lapses in concentration in the fourth quarter.
On this day, Korea fielded the same starting five as in the first match: Lee Hyun-jung, Ahn Young-jun, Lee Jung-hyun, Yeo Joon-seok, and Lee Seung-hyun. In contrast, Japan made some changes. Kaisei Tabuse, Ren Kanechika, Daichi Nakamura, Josh Hokinson, and Yuto Kawashima took to the court first. Compared to the first match, Yudai Nishida and Akira Jacobs replaced two positions.
From start to finish, Korea dominated the game. Early on, Lee Hyun-jung's outside shots and Yeo Joon-seok's drives troubled Japan's defense, and Lee Jung-hyun and Kang Sang-jae also added points, finishing the third quarter at 76-44. Although various players were used in the final quarter, allowing for some back-and-forth, it was a one-sided victory.
After the game, Coach An Jun-ho said, "Today's game plan was 'let's overcome the disadvantage in rebounding.' Setting everything else aside, we aimed to overcome the issues of smaller players. I instructed them to attack like a pack of starving wolves."
He continued, "When we go to the Asia Cup, we will face Australia, Qatar, and Lebanon. It's a group of death. We need to strengthen our advantages and improve our weaknesses through this real game experience. Our biggest weakness is rebounding. In the pre-game meeting, I told the players to choose whether they will die in the group of death or live to become legends."
On a positive note, he pointed out rebounding. Though Korea ultimately lost the rebounding battle 40-42, they showed a stronger performance up to the third quarter. Coach An Jun-ho emphasized, "Today, our three-point shooting was under 50%. However, we maintained an advantage in rebounding up to the third quarter. That point is quite encouraging," and he added, "We will maximize our strengths and work to improve our weaknesses in the remaining two games against Qatar."
He also noted, "The strong pressure defense in the first and second quarters stood out. While they are hungry wolves, I instructed them to move wisely. Based on the one team Korea spirit, the players performed excellently. We will improve on points identified in the video. I am very grateful for the fighting spirit and passion shown by the players today."
He did not forget to praise Lee Hyun-jung and Yeo Joon-seok. Coach An Jun-ho expressed, "I am very grateful to Lee Hyun-jung and Yeo Joon-seok. Although they have just joined, they are making tremendous efforts to blend into the team. Instead of a chemical bond, they are forming a physical bond. It's very encouraging."
Lastly, Coach An Jun-ho stated, "Lee Jung-hyun, Yang Joon-seok, and Jeong Seong-woo will mainly be the ball handlers. Jeong-hyun is versatile both as a ball handler and in scoring. Until the game, his shooting balance was off, but he is perfecting it through play. Additionally, the players are trying to put aside personal desires and play selflessly for the team. Thanks to that, we are more cohesive than ever."
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