South Korea 2012 National Team

[CKR13]

South Korea was drawn in group C for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament alongside European giant Russia and the Dominican Republic. Some quarters claim that the national federation will opt for a youth movement in the national team's composition due to the fact that several veteran members are currently unsure of their participation on this tournament. Due to the fact that from the span of 2009-2011 several marquee names like Yang Dong-Geun, Ha Seung-Jin, Oh Se-Keun have not seen any rest during the pre-season.

Current status of the 2011 FIBA Asia squad:


Kang Byung Hyun (KCC Egis) - Military commitments. Could be granted a leave.
Park Chan-Hee (Anyang KGC) - Willing to play.
Yang Dong Geun (Ulsan Mobis Phoebus) - Unsure of participation. Citing injuries and fatigue for three years.
Lee Jung Suk (Samsung Thunder) - Status unknown
Kim Yong-Hwan (Sonicboom KT) -Military commitments. Could be granted a leave.
Yang Hee-Jong (Anyang KGC) - Unsure
Moon Ta Jong (Incheon ET Land Elephants) - Status unknown
Cho Sung-Min (Sonicboom KT) - Status unknown
Kim Joo Sung (Wonju Dongbu Promy) - Retirement from the national team.
Ha Seung Jin (KCC Egis) - Unsure
Kim Jong-Kyu (Kyunghee University) - Willing to play.
Oh Sakeun (Anyang KGC) - Willing to play.


It would make sense if the national team would send a youth core as a spring board for the 2013 World Cup Qualifying tournament. If a youth core is indeed sent, expect names like Kim Sung-Hyun (Seoul SK Knights), Kim Seung-Won & Choi Jin-Soo (Goyang Orions), Bang DeoKwon (Busan KT), Kim Si-Rae (Ulsan Mobis Phoebus) to be included.

Not that they should aspire to get a win anyways. Common logic: South Korea to go winless.

EDIT:

Plans are being discussed, but nothing concrete until the 2011-2012 KBL comes to a close.

[rocketstar47]

If South Korea brings their team that they field
in the 2011 Asian Championships i think they have
the chance to beat DRP.

[CKR13]

Even without Al Horford and Edgar Sosa, I don't think South Korea would beat the Dominican Republic; even the 2011 Wuhan roster would fall considerably. DR's uptempo attack spearheaded by the likes of Garcia, Martinez, Pena, Flores and Guzman will break this team with an uptempo attack from Calipari's charge would exploit that team's weakness: transition defense.

John Calipari's DR squad twice beat a Kentucky Alumnus squad lead by Demarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo, John Wall, Jodie Meeks, Tayshaun Prince, Eric Bledsoe, Keith Bogans and Nazr Mohammed.

Chances are much less if the federation send a youth oriented national team.

[CKR13]

Jumpball hyping up the Olympic Qualifiers with a brief look at the Dominican Republic and Russia.

[CKR13]

I think South Korea should really go for a youth core and that will be a spring-board for next year's 2013 World Cup of Basketball Qualifiers. Aside from the actual test against Russia and Dominican Republic, the players could get acquainted and start to build chemistry as a core unit. Then for next year, add veterans to make a potent mix.

Guards

Park Chan-Hee (Anyang KGC)
Kim Sun-Hyung (Seoul SK Knights)
Kim Si-Rae (Ulsan Mobis Phoebus)
Lee Jung-Hyun (Anyang KGC)

Forwards

Ham Nu-Ri (Incheon ET Land Elephants)
Choi Jin-Soo (Goyang Orions)
Cho Bo-Kyong (Seoul SK Knights)
Oh Se-Keun (Anyang KGC)
Yoon Ho-Young (Wonju Dongbu Promy)

Centers

Kim Jong-Kyu (Kyung Hee University)
Kim Seung-Won (Goyang Orions)
Bang Deo-Kwon (Busan SonicBoom KT)

But the lineup is based on over-boarding with youth. Maybe the likes of Kim Yong-Hwan and Kang Byung-Hyun will be granted a leave for international representation. Kim would replace Yoon Ho-Young while Kang's inclusion could bolster the back-court that only has Lee Jung-Hyun as the legitimate shooting guard.

Veterans may come and reinforce the youth core, but their status is still yet unknown at the moment. We'll know after the KBL 2011-2012 Season is done.

[CKR13]

A pool will be named after the KBL 2012 Playoffs.

Let's check the status of the players of the teams that are no longer playing.

Jeonju KCC Egis

Ha Seung Jin - Willing to play but cites injuries as a concern.
Jon Tae-Pong - Willing to play in the Olympic qualifiers.
Kang Byung-Hyun - Doubtful as he is attending service in the military. Could be granted a leave for representation.

Incheon ET Land Elephants

Moon Tae-Jong - Willing to play in the Olympic Qualifiers.
Ham Nu-Ri - Willing to play for the national team, but chances are slim for his inclusion in the final twelve man roster.

Changwon LG Sakers

Moon Tae-Young - Undecided. Wants to take a summer to think about his path at this point in his career.
Byun Hyun-Soo - Willing to join the national pool.
Ki Seung-Ho - Attending service in the military. Could be granted leave for representation.

Goyang Orions

Choi Jin-Soo - Willing to play and re-join the national pool.
Lee Dong-Jun - Willing to play.
Kim Seung-Won - Rookie, willing to join the national pool.

Seoul SK Knights

Kim Min-Soo - Willing to play in the Olympic Qualifiers.
Kim Sun-Hyung - Willing to join the pool.
Cho Bo-Kyong - Willing to join the pool.

Samsung Thunder

Lee Seung-Jun - Status unknown. He said that he felt surprised that he was not considered for the final twelve in the fiba asia tournament.

Kim Seung-Hyun - Status unknown. Though several officials expressed optimism of his inclusion in the national team due to his playmaking.

Lee Jung-Suk - Willing to play.

[CKR13]

With the ouster of Busan Sonicboom KT and Ulsan Mobis Phoebus from the KBL playoffs, more players could be considered this early for the pool as late April is the eyed date for start of training camp for the player pool.

Busan Sonicboom KT

Cho Sung-Min - Willing to play for the National Team.
Park Sang-Oh - Willing to be added to the pool.
Kim Hyun-Min - Willing to be a part of the pool.
Bang Deo Kwon - Willing to be a part of the pool.

Ulsan Mobis Phoebus

Yang Dong-Geun - Unsure, cites injuries and health.
Ham Ji-Hoon - Willing to play for the national team.
Kim Si-Rae - Rookie, willing to join the pool.
Ryu Jong-Hyun - Willing to be a part of the pool.
Kim Dong-Woo - Willing to play for the national pool.

[CKR13]

With Anyang KGC's Park Chan-Hee opting to serve the military, he can't miss the initial boot-camp set this offseason and could be out for the pool in consideration. The likes of Kim Si-Rae, Kim Sung-Hyun and even Kim Seung-Hyun could replace Park in the pool.

Same goes for Incheon's Ham Nu-Ri and Wonju's Yoon Ho-Young. Losses at the players in the pool who could play the wing. Since 2009, I advocated the inclusion of Yoon for the Asian games and future FIBA competitions in Asia. Instead, the likes of Kim Sung-Chul and Lee Kyu-Sup were tapped.

[CKR13]

Wonju Dongbu Promy's head coach Kang Dong-Hee said in an interview with KoreaDaily that the national team can emulate the defensive tactics employed by the Russian National Team in the Olympic qualifying tournament. Kang said that the Russians have the best defense in the world and Korea can benefit from learning the trapping and shifting zones that Russia employs.

Kang said that Kim Joo-Sung on his younger days was quite similar to Andrei Kirilenko.

[CKR13]

Anyang KGC's head coach Sang Beom-Lee is said to be the front-runner to coach the national team. Sang's name has been circulating in the press and editorials.

[CKR13]

If Sang Beom-Lee is indeed the coach then the chances of Anyang KGC's core players making it to the pool has just increased. Choosing Anyang KGC's core jives well with the notion of using the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Venezuela as a springboard to the 2013 FIBA Asia World Cup of Basketball Qualifying Tournament with the usage of younger players for the composition of the national team. It was suggested last year by quarters within the federation and some coaches in the highschool and collegiate league.

Anyang KGC has a good youth core that has recently won the KBL championships. You have Oh Se-Keun, Yang Hee-Jong, Lee Jung-Hyun, Kim Tae-Sol and Park Chan-Hee.

#41 Oh Se-Keun - The KBL's hottest property right now. Almost a lock with the team.

#11 Yang Hee-Jong - Played in the 2011 FIBA Asia tournament.

#3 Lee Jung-Hyun - Was a part of the 2011 national team pool. Could not make the crack. A budding star as a two guard.

#1 Kim Tae-Sol - This was a great season for Kim and he has been a part of the national pool since 2006, but in 2011, his name did not appeared.

#10 Park Chan-Hee - Played in the 2011 FIBA Asia tournament. A good all around guard. Could miss the pool due to pre-military commitments like health check-ups and recruitment based initiation.

[CKR13]

Lee Sang-Beom will coach the national team.

[rocketstar47]

Lee Sang-Beom will coach the national team.

Does Hur Jae resigned as South Korea NT coach?

[CKR13]

Does Hur Jae resigned as South Korea NT coach?

The story became clear now. Hur Jae would have coached the national team in the London Olympics had they won the FIBA Asia 2011 Olympic Qualifying tournament.

Hur Jae left a bad impression with several KBA officials due to his temper flaring during the interviews in Wu Han. Also, Hur criticized the lack of budget allocated for the national team last year and insinuated that he would have had a better result had there been foreign trips for training.

[CKR13]

National team head coach Lee Sang-Beom will name a player pool consisting of thirty players. The said list of players will be revealed next week.