Thank you very much for your continued support of the Kings.
Kings U18 played all four games of the “B.LEAGUE U18 INTERNATIONAL CUP 2024” held at the National Yoyogi Stadium Second Gymnasium from February 10th (Saturday) to February 12th (Monday) and finished in 6th place. I finished this tournament.
The first match was against China’s Guangdong Hongyuan U18, and in the early stages the team’s defense, which they had practiced a lot in preparation for this tournament, blocked the attack of Guangdong Hongyuan U18, but they were gradually pushed aside by Guangdong Hongyuan U18’s play that took advantage of their height. , and lost 85-100.
In the second round, they faced Levanga Hokkaido U18, who have won three consecutive titles in the U18 Championship and U18 Elite 8 League, and struggled against Hokkaido U18’s spirited defense from beginning to end. Despite #0 Haruki Sudo’s drive and #1 Gibo Junya’s 3-point shot, they tried to counterattack, but ended up losing 44-87.
On the 11th (Sunday), the second day of the tournament, they played against Nagoya D U18. In the first half, they scored points through quick passing, and it was a back-and-forth battle where neither team gave in. However, mistakes continued in the second half, and they lost 67-83. have become.
On the final day, the 12th (Monday), they once again challenged China’s Guangdong Hongyuan U18 in the 5th place deciding match, and struggled against their opponent’s attacks from inside, which took advantage of their height. Despite #25 Sota Uehara’s sharp drive and #87 Kei Higa’s 3-point shot, they tried to gain momentum, but unfortunately lost the game 58-81.
We will deliver comments from Tsubasa Yonamine, U18 head coach, after the tournament, and third-year players #0 Haruki Sudo, #1 Junya Gibo, and #87 Kei Higa, who made this tournament the culmination of their time with the Kings U18. .
The third-year members, who have been building the foundation of the youth team as initial members since the inauguration of the Kings U18 in 2021, will move on to their next path. Please look forward to their success in their new fields.
We also appreciate your continued support for the Kings U18.
▽Comments from Tsubasa Yonamine U18 head coach
This tournament was the last game for the third-year students, and they prepared with the hope that they would play basketball without regrets. Although the result was not what we wanted, the third-year students created the culture of the Kings U18 and embodied it until the end. We had three themes for this tournament: hard work, tenacity, and believing in your teammates, and everyone accomplished them perfectly. I realized the importance of believing in what we have been doing and continuing to do so, and I am proud to lead this team.
We believe that the third-year students will make great strides in the next step, so please continue to support them and the Kings U18.
▽#0 Haruki Sudo comment
We worked hard to win the championship, but we were unable to achieve any results, which left us feeling frustrated. I’m proud to have been able to play basketball with head coach Yonamine, and being able to lay the foundation for the Kings U18 team has given me confidence, so I have no regrets. I plan to play at university in the future, but I would like to put into practice what I have been working on with the Kings U18s. I also want our juniors to do their best and aim for the championship that we were unable to achieve. Thanks to everyone involved in Kings U18, we were able to stand on the court until the end. Thank you to everyone. Thank you very much for the past three years.
▽#1 Comment from Junya Gibo
In the International Cup, we worked hard with the goal of winning, but we struggled against the height of the opponent and were unable to fully demonstrate our strengths, which is very frustrating. We would like to overcome this challenge and grow in the next stage.
After three years with the Kings U18, I had the valuable experience of working out with top players, something that can only be experienced on a youth team. I would like to thank everyone who has supported me up until now, and I am really glad that I chose the youth team.
▽#87 Kei Higa comment
This tournament was my last tournament. We had a series of tough matches from the first day, but I feel that we were able to do our best and deliver something to the people who supported us. I think it was really good that we were able to show what Kings U18 is like.
Looking back over the past three years, I wasn’t able to participate in tournaments when I was a freshman, and I wasn’t able to play basketball as much as I wanted due to the coronavirus, but after that, I was able to practice as a full-fledged team, and I was able to belong to the youth team. It was a really good three years. Since we were not able to achieve our goal of winning the championship, we will leave it to our juniors. Thank you for your continued support for the Kings U18.
Match results
・February 10th (Saturday) First match: Kings U18 85-100 Guangdong Hongyuan U18 (China) ◯
・February 10th (Sat) 2nd round: Kings U18 44-87 Levanga Hokkaido U18 ◯
・February 11th (Sunday) Quarterfinals: Kings U18 67-83 Nagoya D U18 ◯
・February 12th (Monday) 5th place deciding match: Kings U18 58-81 Guangdong Hongyuan U18 (China) ◯
2024-02-13 04:04:18
#Kings #U18 #B.LEAGUE #U18 #INTERNATIONAL #CUP #results #report
