Japanese NT 2016 - 2020: Tokyo2020 Hayabusa Program

[CKR13]

Good read about the important issues facing Japan at home. 2016 is a pivotal year for Japanese basketball as the reformation of the unified B-League will launch and the domestic league will be instrumental in brandishing Japan's international competence.

Soon the euphoria of Japan's 2015 FIBA Asia run will wear off and everything is back on square one as we march on towards 2020.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2016/02/15/basketball/past-olympians-offer-hoop-advice/#.VsJS1fl96Uk

[judasmartel]

Good read about the important issues facing Japan at home. 2016 is a pivotal year for Japanese basketball as the reformation of the unified B-League will launch and the domestic league will be instrumental in brandishing Japan's international competence.

Soon the euphoria of Japan's 2015 FIBA Asia run will wear off and everything is back on square one as we march on towards 2020.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2.../#.VsJS1fl96Uk

For Japan to solidify their host ticket for the 2020 Olympics, they need to perform well in the Rio Olympic Qualifiers, the WC Qualifiers, FIBA Asia Champs, and other FIBA-sanctioned tournaments.

I guess some realistic expectations for Japan NT include:

- Play competitively against Latvia and the Czech Republic if not win against any of them (because Asian teams have very slim chance vs Euro teams)
- Qualify outright for the 2017 FIBA WC (Top 3 or Best 4th Placer in their group in the WC qualifiers)
- Place in the Top 4 of the two FIBA Asia Champs in 2017 (no bearing to WC qualification) and 2019 (more below)
- Place in the Top 4 of the FIBA Asia Cups from 2016 to 2020.

For the 2019 FIBA Asia Champs, assuming China makes it directly to the 2020 Olympics by being the best Asian team in the 2019 WC, and both China and Japan make it to the Top 4, the other 2 teams in the Top 4 will make it to the 2020 Olympic Qualifying Tournaments assuming they are not one of the Top 16 teams from the FIBA WC who didn't qualify directly to the Olympics.

Thoughts?

[CKR13]

For Japan to solidify their host ticket for the 2020 Olympics, they need to perform well in the Rio Olympic Qualifiers, the WC Qualifiers, FIBA Asia Champs, and other FIBA-sanctioned tournaments.

I guess some realistic expectations for Japan NT include:

- Play competitively against Latvia and the Czech Republic if not win against any of them (because Asian teams have very slim chance vs Euro teams)
- Qualify outright for the 2017 FIBA WC (Top 3 or Best 4th Placer in their group in the WC qualifiers)
- Place in the Top 4 of the two FIBA Asia Champs in 2017 (no bearing to WC qualification) and 2019 (more below)
- Place in the Top 4 of the FIBA Asia Cups from 2016 to 2020.

For the 2019 FIBA Asia Champs, assuming China makes it directly to the 2020 Olympics by being the best Asian team in the 2019 WC, and both China and Japan make it to the Top 4, the other 2 teams in the Top 4 will make it to the 2020 Olympic Qualifying Tournaments assuming they are not one of the Top 16 teams from the FIBA WC who didn't qualify directly to the Olympics.

Thoughts?

Ironically, when FIBA said "competence" on the court performance will look like a minor issue if compared to the domestic issue of where the olympic basketball will be played. Originally the organizers proposed the games will be played in Saitama, in the Saitama Super Arena where the FIBA World Championships in 2006 was held. Saitama is an hour worth of drive from Tokyo, it defeats the purpose of the essence of Tokyo Olympic basketball.

Ariake Coliseum and and Yoyogi may not scale with FIBA's standards. Meanwhile, the Tokyo Dome is not available.

[judasmartel]

Ironically, when FIBA said "competence" on the court performance will look like a minor issue if compared to the domestic issue of where the olympic basketball will be played. Originally the organizers proposed the games will be played in Saitama, in the Saitama Super Arena where the FIBA World Championships in 2006 was held. Saitama is an hour worth of drive from Tokyo, it defeats the purpose of the essence of Tokyo Olympic basketball.

Ariake Coliseum and and Yoyogi may not scale with FIBA's standards. Meanwhile, the Tokyo Dome is not available.

How do these arenas in Tokyo compare to say, Wukesong (China) or Mall of Asia (Philippines)?

[CKR13]

How do these arenas in Tokyo compare to say, Wukesong (China) or Mall of Asia (Philippines)?

Only the Tokyo Dome could compete in prestige with the mentioned arena in China and the Philippines

[CKR13]

Good feature about Rui Hachimura

http://www.nba.co.jp/nba/yoko-miyaji-column-63-rui-hachimura-interview/co2b758zlrbt19xhh8glgrs2s

[CKR13]

From the Universiade team under the 2020 program, three tall players were in attendance to join the 45 man player pool:

Kota Yamamoto 204cm
Kai Morishita 205cm
Natsuki Noguchi 202cm

[CKR13]

29 player Japan NT named:

http://www.trendingpod.com/entertainment/sports/fibaoqt-japan-names-player-pool-for-fiba-olympic-qualifying-tournament/

Yuta Tabuse – Link Tochigi Brex
Atsuya Ota – Hamamatsu Phoenix
Takumi Ishizaki – Mitsubishi Diamond Dolphins
Kosuke Takeuchi – Hiroshima Dragonflies
Joji Takeuchi – Hitachi SunRockerz
Kenta Hirose – Hitachi SunRockerz
Keijuro Matsui – Toyota Alvark
Fumio Nishimura – Chiba Jets
Gaku Arao – Chiba Jets
Faye Papemour – Niigata Albirex
Takatoshi Furukawa – Link Tochigi Brex
Ryumo Ono – Chiba Jets
Hironori Watanabe – Link Tochigi Brex
Ryoma Hashimoto – Aisin SeaHorses
Ryusei Shinoyama – Toshiba Brave Thunder
Kosuke Kanamaru – Aisin SeaHorses
Naoto Tsuji – Toshiba Brave Thunder
Yuki Mitsuhara – Hitachi SunRockerz
Shigehiro Taguchi – Akita Northern Happinets
Makoto Hiejima – Aisin SeaHorses
Naoya Kumagae – Link Tochigi Brex
Yuya Nagayoshi – Toshiba Brave Thunder
Daiki Tanaka – Toyota Alvark
Tenketsu Harimoto – Toyota Alvark
Kosuke Hashimoto – Link Tochigi Brex
Yuki Togashi – Chiba Jets
Yuta Watanabe – George Washington University
Yudai Baba – Tsukuba University
Rui Hachimura – Mesei Highschool

[CKR13]

Rui Hachimura is also a member of the U18 FIBA Asia player pool. Either Japan tries to accelerate his growth my allocating him into the seniors pool and thereby skipping the U18 tournament or have Hachimura lead the U18 NT after several practice sessions with the senior team.

Also, Japan will have a friendly against France in Rouen, June 28.

[CKR13]

Japan U18 AST roster.

http://www.basketball-bund.de/ligen-ergebnisse/albert-schweitzer-turnier/ast-2016-teams/ast-2016-japan

Team is composed of mainly the 2014 U16, which is now the U18 Japan. Avi Schafer has a good feel of the game at 203cm yet needs to work on his agility and finishing in the post. Kota Yamamoto is looking like another version of Gen Hiraiwa.

[CKR13]

Next year when the B-League launches, I am hoping names such as Masaya Karimata, Tatsuya Suzuki, Masashi Joho, Tatsu Itaruya and Takehiko Shimura gets called up with the regular NBL ones.

[CKR13]

NT press conference

[Federoy]

Interesting article from the FIBA website about Japan's "up-tempo" strategy they plan to employ in Belgrade.

http://www.fiba.com/oqt/serbia/2016/...to-go-up-tempo

Kudos to Japan for thinking outside the box, but in order to win at up-tempo basketball they have to be in excellent physical shape, they're outside shooting collectively as to be Curryesque, and they have to somehow minimize turnovers. Even at that, it's going to be a tough task going up against Latvia, Czech Rep. and then potentially Serbia on the other side of the pool.

[CKR13]

Rui Hachimura spoke to the press about his formal entry into the Gonzaga program. Hachimura said that he will depart late this month for the United States in order to acclimate and improve his English.

His OQT partcipation is unclear at the moment.

[CKR13]

Final training camp for Japan begins 6/8 - 6/12 before flying to China to participate in the Atlas Challenge Cup. Aisin and Toshiba players may opt to rest so Japan could be without Kanamaru, Hashimoto, Hiejima and Tsuji for the Atlas tournament.