With the selections of Tsun Wen-din, Wu Dai-hao and Lee Chih-ming, three 18-year-old players who played on senior level, Taiwan Junior NT will look for the top three finish in the upcoming ABC Junior Championship , which will be held in Kuwait in Dec.16-26.
Tsun Wen-din(204cm), Wu Dai-hao(202cm) and Lee Chih-ming(177cm) are part of the youngest Senior NT in Taiwanese basketball history. The 2002 edition Taiwan NT features only one player above 27 years-old and received mixed results -- mostly disappointing -- during this past year.
These three players, who often looked lost on the court in the Asian Games in Busan, will find much easier competition in Kuwait. They are joined by Chen Shih-nian, who at 18 is already considered the best point guard prospect in the nation. With Chen Shih-nian handling the point, the explosive Lee Chih-ming can be moved to the shooting guard spot, his position in high school, and takes advantage of his quickness and perimeter shooting.
Tsun and Wu, already have two years of international experience under their belt, will be the most formidable frontline in Taiwan Junior history. Tsun plays the game with smart and mobility and will provide his teammtes with reliable interior defense. Wu, only a high school senior, will also change opponents' shots with his 7-1 wingspan and be able to play on the wing to show his awesome athletic ability.
The most influential factor for this team will be their outside shooting, which looks suspect sometimes. They should have no problem breezing past the preliminary round, which they will face Kuwait, India and Hong Kong in Group C. The teams expected to make it to the semifinals are still traditional Asian powers - China, South Korea and maybe Japan or Qatar.
The other brackets are: Group A - South Korea, Iran, Lebanon, Mongolia ; Group B - China, Qatar, Malaysia, Srilanka ; Group D - Japan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Bahrain.