Every move of a veteran becomes the strength of the team
Seahorse Mikawa will face Utsunomiya Brex in the semifinals of the 101st Emperor’s Cup All-Japan Basketball Championship. They displayed an impregnable defense that limited their 3-point shooting success rate to 14.7%, resulting in a complete victory 71-53.
As the number of goals allowed (53 points) shows, there is no doubt that they won by defending. Head coach Ryan Richman summed it up by saying, “The defense was really great. It was really great to see the players’ hard work not just on one occasion, but on every possession.”
Everyone cited superior defense and rebounding as the reason for their victory, but it was Kosuke Ishii who played the leading role on offense. Ishii scored a game-high 15 points, including three 3-point shots. He also got involved in rebounding and grabbed three offensive rebounds. He also made a blocked shot and was at full speed on offense and defense. Ishii says. “I was very focused on defense and rebounding.As a result, I think my defensive hustle led to faster attacks and allowed me to be more open.”
Ishii won a total of four Emperor’s Cup championships during his time with the Chiba Jets and Sunrockers Shibuya. Many teammates agreed that Ishii’s presence led to this victory. Japanese ace Yudai Nishida looks back on the match like this.
“Ishii-san and Suda (Yutaro)-san gave us a winning mentality. One loose ball, one check, I think that kind of play was the key to our victory. Thanks to them embodying that, we were able to stay focused and play for 40 minutes today, and I think that was the result of this win.”
Head coach Richman revealed that with Utsunomiya’s offense centered around DJ Newbill and Shin Hiejima, it was important to decide who would take the 3-point shot. The two of them took a total of 11 3-point shots (3 successful), but most of them were tough shots, and moreover, they succeeded in forcing them to release the ball without allowing them to finish.
Makoto Nagano, who made a valuable steal from New Bill in the final stages, participated in offensive rebounds, and picked up all the loose balls, praised his teammates, saying, “It wasn’t a matter of strategy, but I think it was thanks to Mr. Ishii, Susan (Yutaro Suda), and Yudai’s wingers who defended well and hard.” He also said that the presence of veterans was particularly important.
“I think they are giving back the experience gained from winning the championship four times in the past to the current Seahorse Mikawa team.When we felt like we were going to fall apart, Mr. Susan and Mr. Ishii gave us back that experience, and they always told us in words, “This is where we are now, and if we don’t stand firm, we won’t be able to win.”I think that’s why we were all able to overcome this together.”
The voices of these veterans definitely supported the team. Leading scorer Davante Gardner said, “Veterans Ishii and Suda are always telling us, “Let’s play with confidence.” Incidentally, Nishida praised Gardner’s hard work, saying, “I think Davante played better defense than I expected today.”
Currently, Mikawa is not focusing on his own performance, but on the performance and influence of his teammates. Playing time during the regular season is by no means long, and Ishii’s rise to prominence has accelerated that, creating a great atmosphere.
As Ishii says, “Ever since the first match, no one has slacked off, and that’s becoming more and more of a strength for the team.I feel like we’re continuing to fight as a team.” Mikawa has truly come together and is aiming for the top spot since the 2016 tournament.
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