Conquer Yokohama BC’s Seiya Ando in Game 2
Nagasaki Veruca won consecutive games against Yokohama B Corsairs on January 3rd and 4th, the first match of 2026. They returned from the first half of the regular season with a record of 27 wins and 3 losses, ranking first overall in B1.
In Game 1, they overwhelmed Yokohama BC with baskets that showed their full potential from the start, winning easily 100-85. However, in Game 2, Damian Inglis and Seiya Ando scored points from the beginning, and they started the first quarter trailing 25-30. In particular, Ando was robbed of 12 points in this quarter alone.
“He’s a great player and I have a lot of respect for him. He’s extremely versatile. He can play on-ball and off-ball, he’s sharp with his cuts and movement. He can shoot off the dribble, he can catch and shoot, he can finish in the paint. All you can do against a player like this is just keep fighting, and sometimes that’s not enough.”
Nagasaki head coach Maudie Maor praised Ando with these words and criticized the matchup between Yudai Baba and Wataru Kumagai, who he described as “a nightmare for any team’s guard.” In Game 1, Baba was mainly in charge of the matchup, but in Game 2, Kumagai had more time to defend, helped by the fact that he was fouled from the beginning.
Just when I thought he was putting pressure on me at close range with contact, he quickly moved away. Kumagai protected Ando by repeating such movements. Working together with Baba, who surpasses Ando in size and agility, they prevented Baba from scoring after the first quarter, contributing to a 91-78 win in the game that was competitive until the middle of the fourth quarter.
Kumagai revealed what he was conscious of when protecting Ando as follows.
“Ando is a player who is good at rejects (moves that go in the opposite direction of the screen) and getting fouls, so I was conscious of not putting too much pressure on him.I was watching the game from the bench and thought that the referee would be strict about how to use his hands, so I kept that in mind.However, when the pick-and-roll came If I don’t put too much pressure on my shot, it will get caught on the screen, so when I heard (my teammate) say “screen,” I tried to close my distance as much as possible to avoid getting rejected.
Yokohama BC not only had Ando, but also fellow guard Kiefer Ravena, had high scoring ability, and there were times when they used both of them at the same time. Kumagai said that he was focusing on limiting the two players to watch out for, saying, “There are many players who can score points,” but he was efficient and scored nine points on 3/5 field goals (including 2/3 3-point shots), and was awarded the MVP for the first time since his transfer.
“Kou is growing with each match.”
The 29-year-old Kumagai, who played for the Seahorse Mikawa, Shinshu Brave Warriors, and Akita Northern Happinets, is a point guard with a high basketball IQ. Since joining Nagasaki this season, he is leveraging his intelligence to open the door to new plays. That means dominating the game without the ball.
In this match against Yokohama BC, there were many situations where Stanley Johnson or Jarrell Brantley carried the ball and Kumagai ran to the corner. When asked about Kumagai’s movements, which are different from the typical point guard image of “carrying the ball to the opponent’s side and controlling the game from the top position,” Head Coach Maor first explained the team concept.
“Our team is built to be positionless. The guy running the offense doesn’t necessarily have to be a point guard by definition. Our goal is to play as fast as possible, and to do that we need multiple players. You have to be a ball carrier, and when you’re not carrying the ball, you have to do your part, sprinting to the corner. That versatility is a big part of why our offense works, and it’s good for everyone.”
He then proceeded to talk about Kumagai’s role. “I feel like Kou has really grown in this role. He’s primarily a point guard. He organizes the floor, he runs the team. But the ball is not a microphone. He doesn’t necessarily have to have the ball in his hands to make his voice heard to the team. He needs to stay aggressive, direct traffic, and keep us under control, and that’s his strength. He’s a player with a very high basketball IQ, and I think he’s improving every game, but he still has a lot of room to grow.”
