Cheongju KB Stars’ task has become more solid.
KB Stars took fourth place in the 2023 Woori Bank Park Shin-ja Cup held from August 26 to September 3. Unfortunately, they only lost two games in the final tournament, but played the four preliminary games perfectly.
One-two punches Park Ji-su (196cm, C) and Kang Yi-seul (180cm, F) took the center stage. In particular, Park Ji-soo completely shook off the pain from a year ago. The overwhelming height and instantaneous sense shined.
Park Ji-su and Kang I-seul were not the only ones seen. Starting or starting-level backup resources such as Heo Ye-eun (165 cm, G), Shim Seong-young (165 cm, G), Yeom Yun-ah (176 cm, G), Kim Ye-jin (174 cm, F), and Kim So-dam (185 cm, C) played their roles faithfully. I tried to create a synergy effect with Park Ji-soo and Kang Yi-seul.
Such movements were revealed in most Park Shin-ja Cup games. He also appeared in the semifinals against Toyota Antelopes. Although KB Stars lost 68-70 to Toyota, KB Stars coach Kim Wan-soo said, “We did our best. I played a game with no regrets. All players had a strong desire to win. I also prepared a lot for my opponent. “But I think we need to work harder,” he said, expressing some satisfaction with the performance.
He continued, “The defense we prepared during the off-season went well. I would like to give 150 points out of 100 for defense. It was bad luck to give up 3 points at the end. “I also learned a lot, and the players must have also gained good motivation,” he said, encouraging the entire team.
KB Stars is preparing at KB Champions Park in Cheonan after the Park Shin-ja Cup. Park Ji-soo and Kang I-seul missed out on participation in the Hangzhou Asian Games, but everyone except them is sweating hard. This is to get into the remaining seats.스포츠토토
Coach Kim Wan-soo also knows the passion of his players. So he is struggling with how to form the three members excluding Park Ji-su and Kang Yi-seul. Since we need to form multiple combinations, we are considering a variety of players. In fact, KB Stars’ backup resources are narrowing the gap with the starters.
Coach Kim Wan-su said, “During the Park Shin-ja Cup, (Yeom) Yoona did her part as a senior. Young players such as (Lee) Chae-eun, (Yang) Ji-soo, and (Lee) Yun-mi also showed potential. “He seems to have gained confidence that he will be able to do his part in the regular league,” he said, looking positively at the expanded range of available players.
After that, “Even if (Park) Jisoo and (Kang) Iseul are present, Yoona and (Kim) Yejin can enter together. This is because when two players enter, the defense changes drastically. Also, “Yoona can sometimes come in as number 4,” he said, thinking about various combinations with Yeom Yoon-ah and Kim Ye-jin.
Minjeong Kim (181cm, F), who suffered from neck and back injuries, is also preparing to return. Since the Park Shin-ja Cup, I have participated in some team training, and I am gradually improving my stamina for the game. If Kim Min-jung fully recovers, KB Stars’ tactical range could expand further.
Meanwhile, KB Stars was unable to use its strength in the 2022-2023 season. This is because serial injuries to key resources, including Park Ji-soo, have hindered the team. For that reason, the gaze toward KB Stars was cold.
So, KB Stars has been thinking about a lot of things since the end of the 2022-2023 season. The things I thought about the most were ‘combination’ and ‘backup power.’ The topic of concern has not changed even now. This is because there are less than two months left in the 2023-2024 season.