Yonsei won 75-59 against Kyung Hee University in the 2023 KUSF University Basketball U-League at Sunseung Hall on Kyung Hee University’s international campus on Monday. Kim was an unsung hero with 17 points and three assists.
“We had a lot of injuries, so I got to play the 1 and (Lee) Min-seo got to play the 2. It was the first time I played like this this season, and I tried to do what the coach wanted me to do, and I tried to be aggressive, so I tried to play fast breaks and shoot confidently when I had a chance to shoot,” Kim said after the win.
Yonsei suffered its first loss of the season against KU. It was a loss in a traditional rivalry, so it must have felt different than a normal loss. How did the players recover from the loss?
Kim Do-wan said, “After losing a tough game against Korea University, the whole atmosphere was down. Everyone from the 안전놀이터 coach to Ki-sang told us that we had to work hard for the rest of the game. I think we tried to raise our spirits. The fact that the coach encouraged us even when we made mistakes and told us to be confident was a big help.”
After the game, Coach Yoon Ho-jin said, “After we lost to Korea University, I called Min-seo and Dowan to a meeting. We talked about this and that, and I put Dowan-i in charge of leading guard. He said, “I’m thinking positively about Dowan-i because he played well that day.” Kim Dowan performed like licorice.
“The coach told me that our offense, or set offense, is too much, and we need more fast breaks, so I think I tried to take a lot of fast breaks with Min-seo. On the court, the guards talked to each other a lot and played confidently.”
Yonsei was missing Lee Ju-young and Lee Chae-hyung due to injuries, and Yoo Yoo-sang was injured and unavailable for the rest of the game. The already thin front line became even thinner. That’s why Kim’s shoulders are even heavier.
“(Yoo) Ki-sang tells me a lot of good things about the players who can’t play due to injury, including my brother. They tell me a lot more than just what the coach ordered. So I have to keep thinking about it when I play and play well for the rest of the games,” he said.