The absence of key players was no excuse.
On Tuesday, Yongsan High School lost 53-63 to Bae Jae High School in the men’s high school quarterfinals of the 2024 Korea Junior High Basketball Weekend League Wangjung Wangjeon on Court A of the Youth Gymnasium in Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do.
Yongsan took the lead early in the game, but could not hold on to it. The team was missing key players such as captain Jang Hyuk-joon, sophomore Eddie Daniel, and injured players Baek Jimin and Kwak Gun-woo.
Sophomore guard Kim Min-jae (187 cm) led the team with 21 points, 안전놀이터 five rebounds and seven assists, but it wasn’t enough.
“It’s unfortunate that Yongsan Go was eliminated early, as they are not a team that can be excused for missing one player. I’m sorry for (Jang) Hyuk-joon and Daniel, who went to the national team, and (Baek) Jimin and (Kwak) Gun-woo, who were out due to injury,” he said after the tournament.
Due to the withdrawals and injuries, Kim Min-jae led the team during the tournament. There will be more days like this for him in 2025, when he will be a junior.
“In middle school, I felt comfortable playing basketball with Daniel. But in high school, as my coach emphasizes, I need to take more initiative and create chances for my teammates. It was a tournament where I realized that I need to be more diligent and improve my stamina, power, and speed.”
“You need to be mentally stronger,” said Lee Se-beom of Yongsan Go, who coaches Kim Min-jae. You will become a better player if you can overcome the strong pressure and stress of your opponent.”
Kim Min-jae also said, “I should have taken a step or two forward and overcome the strong pressure from my opponent. However, I showed weakness against my opponent and my play did not come out, which made me lose confidence and shrink.” “Coach Lee pointed this out to me and said that I could become a better player by overcoming it,” he said.
Coach Lee always emphasizes to his students to compete with their older brothers and seniors, not their peers. He told them that they need to have the strength to compete now because they will one day face them in college and the pros.
Kim Min-jae said, “When I play practice matches with my older brothers in college, I try to show that I’m doing my best without worrying too much about them. My teacher emphasizes that if I become a professional player through hard work, I should have the habit of winning from now on because they are the players I will meet in the future.”
After the tournament, Yongsanggo has two more tournaments left: the fall federation tournament and the national championships, where they will represent Seoul.
Kim Min-jae said, “It was a great tournament for me and the team. We will try to show a different side in the next competition,” said Kim.