“I think the atmosphere on the bus going to the away game in Ulsan will be good.”
Yang Hong-seok (26, Suwon KT), who achieved six consecutive victories, smiled brightly. On the 6th, Suwon KT defeated Anyang KGC, who ranked first in the league, 85-83. KT, which has recently forgotten its defeat, is in front of its eyes with a 6th place in the league and a win rate of 50%. It is a 180 degree change from the beginning of the season, when it was mired in losing streak and toured at the bottom. 안전놀이터
On this day, Yang Hong-seok played 40 minutes full-time and led the team to victory with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Yang Hong-seok, who entered the interview room with a bright expression after the game, said, “The atmosphere in the locker room is so good. The period of being in 10th place was so long, everyone is excited about winning 6 in a row. If you lose a game and go on a long-distance expedition, the atmosphere inside the bus is unimaginably heavy. This time, I think I can go to the Ulsan expedition in a more friendly atmosphere.”
The driving force behind KT’s belated rise is clear. It is a virtuous cycle of performance of domestic players due to the replacement of foreign players. In particular, Jarrod Jones (33) is a reliable scoring resource for KT with an average score of 19.3 points. With not only the bottom of the net but also the outside ability, domestic players such as Ha Yoon-ki and Yang Hong-seok can develop attacks more comfortably from the inside.
Yang Hong-seok said, “The new foreign players are more veteran than the previous players, and their BQ (basketball intelligence) is better. He doesn’t just score himself and knows how to use his teammates. Jones is in a similar position to me, but he is good at basketball simply enough to learn from watching from the side.”
Hee-Won Han (30), who was responsible for 18 points, also contributed to KT’s victory that day. Han Hee-won, who has been used as a backup resource and focused on defense, is active in both offense and defense this season and is reborn as KT’s ace. Han Hee-won, who scored 16 points in the match against Goyang Carrot on the 1st, scored double digits in two consecutive matches.
After the match, Han Hee-won said, “The winning streak is also a winning streak, but it feels good to win the first place team. It’s been too long since he scored in double digits in his two consecutive games. He doesn’t even remember playing that many games. I am happy just running these days.”
Although the start was a bit late, KT’s confidence is at its peak. Yang Hong-seok said, “I feel good these days and my body is good. Don’t be intimidated by making one mistake. In the 1st quarter, it didn’t go well because I tried to rush it, so I threw it calmly in the 2nd quarter, and it went well because the feeling of the shot was good. His teammates screened and passed well,” he said.
KT coach Seo Dong-cheol said, “I feel that the players have a taste for playing. The offense is good and I keep winning, so the defense seems to be strong. The players are showing their concentration well until the end. “It’s a situation where everything fits well,” he said. Each game is important. I will calmly prepare for the next game without being vigilant.”