Dankook University won 76-71 against KU Southern University in the 2023 KUSF College Basketball U-League on Saturday at Dankook University Gymnasium. Dankook improved its U-League record to 6-4. It consolidated sole possession of fourth place.
Na Sung-ho (F, 188 cm) led the way offensively with 21 points, including five 3-pointers, 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal, and three blocked shots. Lee Kyung-do (185 cm, G) also showed his offensive prowess with 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals. Song Jae-hwan (187 cm, G) also had a good game with 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
But it was Song In-joon (193 cm, C) who was the new steeler for Dankook. He pushed Freddie (203 cm, 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,” he said.
“My weakness is my slow feet. I couldn’t keep up with the tempo of the college game. 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 best 스포츠토토 big men in the U-League. Freddie stands at 203 centimeters, more than 10 centimeters taller than Song. 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 practiced boxing out a lot. I was confident because I had worked hard on it. I was trying to get physical and wear him down,” he said, adding, “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 as a 21-year-old freshman. He will be a junior in 2023, but he 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 calm 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 wingspan of 207 centimeters. With my long arms, I can get unexpected rebounds and block shots. I will work on my weaknesses and utilize my strengths.”
“I hope I can show the same performance as today, but we don’t know what will happen in the future. I will prepare for any opponent step by step. I will do my best,” he concluded the interview.