Thursday, August 29, 2002

Chen Hsin-an prepares for Kings training camp

Chen Hsin-an, the first Asian player outside of China to receive the invitation for the NBA pre-season training camp, started private practice under the guidance of Kings international scout Jack Mai yesterday (Aug. 28), two days after the Kings press conference which officially invites Chen to the camp.

Chen, suspended by CTBA for one year in NT play because dropping out the Taiwanese NT before the Asian Games, made it clear that playing in the NBA is his ultimate dream. Although the chance of making the team is slim, he still wants to give it a try and pave the way for other Taiwanese players.

The private practice includes various weights program, shooting program and focuses on the pick-and-roll, which the Kings use a lot in their half-court set. Practices will go on until Chen leave for USA on September 15 or 16.

"Participating in an NBA camp will be a good experience for Chen," Scotty Stirling, Director od Basketball Personnel of Sacramento Kings. "He'll get to work against some of the best players in the NBA and be exposed to great coaching. The way NBA camps are run will give him to a chance to pout his talent and skill on display. He'll also be exposed to the NBA game through the exhibition games we'll play."

It will not be the first time Chen played ball in the USA, haveing previously practiced with the NBD:'s Mobile Revelers for 10 days.

"He surprised a few players including myself," Dell Demps, assistant coach of Mobile Revelers said. "Chen made shots and was very explosive going to the basket. He definitely can play at the NCAA Division I level and a pro career with maturation."

Chen led Yulon Dinos to the 2002 and 2001 A-League titles, averaging 21 points and 8 rebounds in the 2002 Finals and 15.3 points in 2001. He was named the MVP in both years.

Along with Yao Ming, who was selected by Houston Rockets with the No. pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, Chen was named by Asian Basketball Confederation in 1998 as the most promising Asian junior players.

He averaged 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the senior year at Songshan High School. Chen went on to play for Bank of Taiwan in the Amateur League before joining Yulon in 2000.



Profile of Chen Hsin-an

* Born on July 1, 1980
* Ht/Wt: 6-5(195cm)/202lbs(93kg)
* International Achievements:
1998 Taiwan Junior NT
1999-2002 Taiwan NT
2001 East Asian Games in Osaka silver medal
2001 William Jones Cup champion

* Career
1998
- Led Songshan HS to the 5th place in the first year in HBL Division I, averaging 20.1p, 5.6rb in the regular season and 18.4p in Elite Eight games.
- Led Taiwan Junior NT to the 4th place in ABC Junior Championship, averaging 23p and 7rb.
- Participate in Japan's NIKE Camp.
- Named by ABC as the most promising Asian junior players, along with China's Yao Ming.

1999
- Join Bank of Taiwan of Amateur League(A-League) and finished 3rd place in A-League regular season.
- Selected to the national team at 18 years-old. Finished 4th place in ABC Championship in Fukuoka, Japan.
- Led BOT to President Cup champion. Named MVP.

2000
- Join Yulon Dinos and led the team to "Millennium Series" title. Named as the rookie of the year and MVP.

2001
- Led Yulon to a 3-1 win over BCC Mars in A-League Finals, averaging 15.3p. Named MVP.
- Led Taiwan NT to East Asian Games silver medal and Jones Cup champion.

2002
- Led TPEC(Taipei Physical Education College) to the 7th straight UBA(University Basketball Association) champion.
- Led Yulon to the second straight A-League title win a 3-1 series win over Jutai Tech, averaging 21p and 8.8rb. Named MVP.
- Practiced with NBDL's Mobile Revelers for 10 days in February.
- Invited by Sacramento Kings to the pre-season training camp, becoming the first player from Taiwan and first Asian player outside of China to be invited to NBA camps.

Preliminary Roster of Taiwan Junior NT

This is a 17-man preliminary roster. The final roster is yet to be decided.

Name Position DOB Ht. Wt. School

Chang Yi-wen PG 1984.4.13 183 78 Tsaishin HS
Chen Shi-nian PG 1984.4.28 180 74 Chian-shu HS
Lin Kuan-lun SG 1984.1.23 185 78 Nan-shan HS
Yang Ching-min SF 1984.1.22 187 78 Nan-shan HS
Lee Yi-pin SF 1984.11.11 184 80 Chian-shu HS
Lin Chih-tsung SG 1984.1.26 185 70 Chian-shu HS
Hu Ching-suen SF 1984.12.11 185 88 Gao-yuan HS
Wang Chuan-chien PF 1985.12.30 193 91 Gao-yuan HS
Hsu Shih-ching PF 1984.11.1 192 89 Nan-shan HS
Wu Jun-hsiung C 1984.8.26 197 90 Chian-shu HS
Yen Chen-hung C/PF 1986.2.5 195 79 San-min HS
Huang Chi-feng PF 1984.3.12 192 85 Shin-jong HS
Chen Shi-jay SG 1984.9.24 173 70 Tsaishin HS
Tso Tsung-kai SF/SG 1986.9.15 188 72 Tsaishin HS
Tsun Wen-din C 1984.7.6 204 90 Tsaishin HS*
Wu Dai-hao C/PF 1985.2.7 202 98 Tsaishin HS*
Lee Chi-ming PG/SG 1984.1.31 175 70 Pin-tung HS*

Head Coach: Hsu Jin-tse (Tsaishin HS)

(*- Also a Senior National Team member)

Wednesday, August 28, 2002

Taiwan NT concludes Philippines Tour 1-4

Taiwan NT lost to Blu Sun Power of PBL(Philippines Basketball League), 72-79, and concluded its Philippines tour with a 1-4 record. Taiwan was 1-2 in three days vs. various local teams after losing two straight to the Philippines NT.

With only 12 hours' rest after the last game, which they lost to Spring Oil 72-76, Taiwan NT was sluggish from the start. Chiu Chi-yi led the Taiwanese with 18 points, but he alone can't save Taiwan from its 10-point deficit in the third quarter.

Taiwan lost to Spring Oil, which features Filipino stars like Romel Adducul, Jeffrey Flowers and Bobby Parks, 72-76 last night. Trailing by 10 points in the intermission, Taiwan pull back to 72-74 with 2 seconds left and had the final possession. But the inbound pass was stolen and they blew the chance to tie the game.

On August 26, Taiwan had its only win in the trip when they beat Philippines Young Men NT 100-72. Wu Dai-hao had 29 points to pace the Taiwanese, with 15 points came in the final quarter. Chou Shi-yuan had 17 points while center Wu Chih-wei had 15. Chen Chih-chung had 10.

Taiwan NT will go back to Taiwan tomorrow(Aug. 29) and keep on their preparation for the Asian Games.

Tuesday, August 27, 2002

Taiwan NT 100-72 Philippines Young Men NT

TAGUIG, Metro Manila – The visiting Chinese-Taipei Men’s NT scored their first win in their goodwill tour of the Philippines yesterday evening (August 27). The Taiwanese blasted the Philippine Young Men’s NT, 100-72, at the C. P. Tinga Memorial Hall, once the home court of the MBA’s Socsargen Taguig Marlins.

The game was close for the first three periods as no side had clear control of the game. However fatigue and foul trouble got the better of the Filipinos, causing the Taiwanese to breakaway in the final quarter. The Taiwanese hardly missed the services of ace player Tien Lei, who caught the flu and sat out the contest. The Filipinos were outscored in the final period, 30-16.

Head coach Johny M. Tam explained that three of his key players had to shuttle from downtown Manila immediately after they finished their game in the local collegiate league. He was referring to Ranidel de Ocampo, Ervin Sotto and Al Vergara who saw action for Saint Francis of Assisi against the National College of Business and Arts. A fourth player, Allan Buen, played in the game before the Philippines-Taiwan tussle as he joined his schoolmates at the Philippine College of Criminology (PCCr) against the Taguig Selection.

Center Wu Dai Hao led the Taiwanese with 29 points, 15 coming in the final period. Other players in double figures were Chou Sih Yun with 17, Wu Chi Wei with 15 and Chen Chih Chun with 10 markers. Cebuana Lhuillier Gem Jean Marc Pingris led the Filipinos with 19 points. De Ocampo bucked exhaustion and knocked in 15 points, the same output as guest player Ryan Bernardo, who last played for the Professional Davao Eagles in MBA 2001.

Next on Chinese-Taipei’s agenda is a date with Spring Cooking Oil, reinforced by MBA stalwarts Romel Adducul and Jeffrey Flowers plus American import Bobby Parks. The game will be held on Tuesday (August 27) also at the Tinga Hall at 5:30PM. Admission is free.

Sunday, August 25, 2002

Taiwan falls to Philippines again

Taiwan NT once again bowed to the Philippines, 56-82, in their second warmup games on Aug. 22. Taiwan has lost two games with a combined - and unbelievable - 62 points.

Taulava's 15 points and 14 rebounds topped the Filipinos. Yang Yu-min and Wu Dai-hao each scored 10 points for Taiwan NT. Taiwan NT will continue their warmup games with a date with Philippines Young Men NT on Aug.26.

Sacramento-bound Chen Hsin-an suspended

Citing Chen Hsin-an leaving Taiwan NT at an unappropriate time, the CTBA (Chinese Taipei Basketball Association) handed down its sanction on Chen. Chen Hsin-an receives a suspension from the national team for the year of 2003, plus three games in the A-League play.

Chen Hsin-an, the most dominant player in Taiwanese basketball, decided to accept the invitation from Sacramento Kings and leave Taiwan NT on the eve of their training tour to Philippines on August 18. His decision draws mixed reactions from fans and authorities.

Although Chen is only invited to Sacramento for the PRE-SEASON TRAINING CAMP, most fans encourage him to chase his dream of playing in the NBA. CTBA people had another thought. They think Chen's untimely departure affects the NT's preparation for the Asian Games and sanction has to be imposed.

Banned for one year from the national team, Chen will not be able to play for Taiwan NT in 2003 ABC Championship and the Jones Cup. Compared to that, the three-game suspension in league play is nothing.

An issue worths furthur notice is whether Chen Hsin-an will play for Yulon, once he's cut from the Kings training camp. Chen's decision reportedly infuriates NT head coach Chien Yi-fei and Lee Yun-kwang, who both serve the same position in Yulon, Chen's A-League team. Rumor say Yulon will probably cut Chen once he's back in Taiwan. However, observers think Yulon will keep Chen no matter what happens, since Chen Hsin-an is the No.1 hoop star in Taiwan.

Chian-shu HS wins Strait Cup HS Tourney

Led by talented PG Chen Shi-nian, Chian-shu HS beat Tsaishin HS 85-83 in the title game of the 1st REEBOK Strait Cup High School Tournament. Chen Shi-nian(182cm) was named tournament MVP, most popular player and also led the tourney in assists.

*Tourney Score
Title game: Chian-shu 85-83 Tsaishin (Halftime 42-48)
3rd place game: Dong-guan Sports HS 80-38 Beijing 25th HS

Preliminaries:
Aug.24 - Dong-guan 68-36 Beijing 25th, Chian-shu 62-59 Tsaishin
Aug.23 - Chian-shu 122-48 Beijing 25th, Tsaishin 45-41 Dong-guan
Aug.22 - Chian-shu 65-35 Dong-guan, Tsaishin 96-55 Beijing 25th

*Award
MVP: Chen Shi-nian(182cm, Chian-shu HS)
Most popular player: Chen Shi-nian
Scoring leader: Chen Shi-jay(173cm, Tsaishin HS)
Rebounding leader: Ger Shuai(198cm, Beijing 25th HS)
Assists leader: Chen Shi-nian
Steals leader: Chen Shi-jay
Blocks leader: Chen Ju-jong(196cm, Dong-guan HS)

Wednesday, August 21, 2002

KG to visit Taiwan in 4-day tour

Minnesota Timberwolve Kevin Garnett will visit Taiwan from Aug. 21-24 in a four-day tour, along with Detroit Pistons' Chauncey Billups(formerly with Minnesota).

In his first trip to Taiwan, KG will attend the "NBA Block Party" presented by HannStar and NBA Asia/Taiwan on Aug.23. Following Vince Carter, KG and Billups are the second wave of NBA players visiting Taiwan this summer.

Taiwan NT blasted by Philippines in first warmup game

Without the service of Chen Hsin-an, who decided to drop out of NT to attend the Sacramento Kings pre-season training camp, Taiwan NT was like a collection of lost souls tonight at Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City. Taiwan was blasted by Phillipines NT, 95-59, in the first of two warmup games.

Tien Lei scored nine points in the first quarter to power Taiwan to a 21-20 lead, the last time they were in front. Trailing 21-22 in the end of the first quarter, Taiwan NT went into a nightmarish slump, managing to score 5 and 9 points respectively in the second and third quarter.

In the end of third, Philippines has jumped to an unbelievable 72-35 lead. Tien Lei had 16 of Taiwan's 35 points. The last 12 minutes became meaningless garbage time, with more than 10,000 hometown fans cheering for the host.

Paul Taulava led the Philippines with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Eric Menk had 15 points and Danny Ildefonso 12 points. Taiwan was led by Tien Lei's 18 points and Chou Hong-yu's 13.

Taiwan NT will face Philippines again on Aug.22, in Ynares Center, Antipolo City. After the two-game series with Philippines NT, they will play four additional games with local teams before heading back to Taiwan on Aug.30.

Monday, August 19, 2002

Chen Hsin-an chase the NBA dream

Chen Hsin-an, viewed as the best Taiwanese player, surprisingly dropped out of the NT just before the team's departure to Philippines, for the six-game preparation tour of the upcoming Asian Games. Chen is expected to join the Sacramento Kings' pre-season training camp and chase for his long time dream of playing in the NBA.

CTBA and NT coaching staff have been aware of the fact that Chen received the invitation from the Kings - with the help of Kings' international scout Jack Mai. Both parties have been also gone back and forth with Chen about his final decision in the past month. Of course, CTBA and NT coaches want Chen to play in the Asian Games first before thinking about the NBA.

Shecked and disappointed by Chen's decision, CTBA will probably hand down the sanction on Chen. Maybe it's a one-year ban on A-League, or one-year ban on playing for the NT. The final decision will be made in the CTBA meetings next week.

Along with Yao Ming, Chen Hsin-an was named by Asian Basketball Confederation in 1998 as the most promising Asian junior players. Chen received the invitation from NIKE HOOP SUMMIT, NIKE All-American Camp and the recruiting letter from U.S. college. But he was not able to go because of his A-League team Yulon's insistance and various reason.

Until early this year, Chen finally set his foot on U.S. soil when he went to practice with NBDL's Mobile Revellers for 10 days.

Without Chen, the best offensive player on the team to break down opponents' defense, Taiwan NT's future in the Asian Games is even dimmer. In ;ast year's ABC Championship, Taiwan NT finished for the seventh place - the worst ranking in Asian tournaments for the last 10 years.

Taiwan HS All-Stars wins Inter-HS Tournament

Led by C Wu Jun-hsiung and PG Chen Shih-nian, Taiwan HS All-Stars overcame a doube-digit deficit in the first quarter to beat Korea's Whimoon, 64-59, and win the 2002 International High School Invitational Tournament. 203cm C Sosuke Takeuchi had 28 points and 17 rebounds as Japan's Rakunan beat Tsaishin HS for the third-place.

The battle for these youngsters doesn't end right here. Many of them are expected to be selected to the junior national teams and meet again in December's ABC Junior Championship in Kuwait.

My selection for the All-Tournament Team is:
F: Yang Chin-min(187cm, 78kg), HS All-Stars, Taiwan
F: Kim Sun-ki(190cm, 78kg), Whimoon, Korea
C: Kosuke Takeuchi(203cm, 89kg), Rakunan, Japan
G: Chen Shih-nian(180cm, 74kg), HS All-Stars, Taiwan
G: Shin Jae-rok(192cm, 78kg), Whimoon, Korea

**GAME SUMMARY
Day 4 - Playoffs
Final: Taiwan HS All-Stars 64-59 Whimoon(Half 28-28)
All-Stars - Wu Jun-hsiung 18p, Chen Shih-nain 15p+4a+5s, Yang Chin-min 12p+7rb+4a+3s
Whimoon - Shin Jae-rok 20p, Kim Jin-su 12p+5rb, Kim Jae-hwan 6p+13rb, Park Sun-hun 10p

3rd-place: Rakunan 79-69 Tsaishin(Half 36-23)
Rakunan - Kosuke Takeuchi 28p+17rb+2blk, Akio Fukao 19p+10rb+4a, Joji Takeuchi 11p+12rb, Kohei Namoto 10p+4a
Tsaishin - Chen Shi-jay 23p, Chen Hao-tze 16p

Day 3 - 8/17
Taiwan HS All-Stars 79-64 Tsaishin
All-Stars - Yang Chin-min 15p, Huang Chi-feng 15p, Chen Shih-nian 5p+7a
Tsaishin - Chen Shi-jay 14p+7rb, CHen Hao-tze 11p

Whimoon 83-78 Rakunan
Whimoon - Kim Jin-su 20p, Shin Jae-rok 19p+6a, Kim Sun-ki 18p+5rb
Rakunan - Kosuke Takeuchi 29p+13rb+3blk, Joji Takeuchi 21p+9rb

Day 2 - 8/16
Tsaishin 63-62 Rakunan
Tsaishin - Chen Shi-jay 21p+6rb
Rakunan - Kosuke Takeuchi 20p+14rb+5blk, Tatsuhiro Yokoo 16p+5a, Akio Fukao 13p

Taiwan HS All-Stars 82-77 Whimoon
All-Stars - Lin Kuan-lun 21p, Chen Shih-nian 17p+7a+7s, Huang Chi-feng 14p
Whimoon - Kim Sun-ki 27p+6s, Shin Jae-rok 24p, LeeWon-ku 16p

==
Women's competition:
Tamshui upset Taiwan HS All-Stars 70-67 to win the women's title. Japan All-Stars edged Eunkwang of Korea for the third-place.

Friday, August 16, 2002

HS Tourney Day 1: Whimoon, Taiwan All-Star win

Taiwan HS All-Stars' full-court press and balanced attack overcame Rakunan's "Twin Tower" as Taiwan HS All-Stars beat Rakunan 83-59 in the opening game of the 2002 International HS Invitational Tournament. Whimoon HS of Korea edged Tsaishin 81-76 in the other matchup.

Taiwan HS All-Stars use the full-court press for the entire 40 minutes to force Rakunan into 36 turnovers. Leading by one in the half and 10 in the end of the third quarter, All-Stars pulled the game out of reach in the last 10 minutes. Most of their points came from fastbreak layups off the steals. Chang Yi-wen, Lee Yi-pin, Wu Jun-hsiung and Hsu Shih-ching each scored 11 points.

Rakunan was led by twin brothers Kosuke(203cm) and Joji(201cm) Takeuchi. They were able to hang on with Taiwan HS All-Stars in the first 25 minutes. But too many turnovers hurt them down the stretch.

Whimoon HS led for most of the game. With forward Kim Sun-ki, who had 23 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in the game, breaking down the defense and scoring in traffic again and again, Whimoon overcame Tsaishin's furious rally in the closing minutes for the first win. PG Shin Jae-rok also knocked down many timely baskets to keep Whimoon in front.

Using their height advantage, Whimoon benefited from the free-throw line, shooting 13 for 27. Tsaishin was hurt by its poor shooting percentage, shooting only 26 for 64 from the two-point range and 32 for 90 in the game.

**Note
Rakunan is the semifinalist in 2002 Japan's High School Tournament, which just finished on August 7. Whimoon HS is Korea's national champion this year. Tsaishin HS also won the title in Taiwan's HBL this year, but they are without the service of two bigmen - Tsun Wen-din and Wu Dai-hao. Tsun and Wu are both with Taiwan NT, who's preparing for the upcoming Asian Games.

**Game Summary

Men:
Whimoon 81-76 Tsaishin(Half 46-36)
Whimoon - Kim Sun-ki 23p+7rb+5a, Shin Jae-rok 15p+6rb+5a, Kim Jin-su 12p, Kim Jae-hwan 10p+12rb
Tsaishin - Chen Hao-tze 25p, Chen Shi-jay 13p+6rb, Jian Jia-hong 7p+11rb

HS All-Stars 83-59 Rakunan(Half 37-36)
HS All-Stars - Chang Yi-wen 11p+4a+4s, Lee Yi-pin 11p, Hsu Shih-ching 11p, Wu Jun-hsiung 11p, Chen Shi-nian 8p+5a+8s
Rakunan - Kosuke Takeuchi 16p+9rb, Joji Takeuchi 10p+8rb, Kohei Namoto 9p

Women:
Tamshui 69-52 Eunkwang
HS All-Stars 70-68 Japan All-Stars

Thursday, August 15, 2002

2002 International HS Invitational Tournament Schedule

Preliminary Round
8/15
1400 Men: Whimoon(Kor)-Tsaishin(Tai)
1530 Women: Eunkwang(Kor)-Tamshui(Tai)
1700 Men: HS All-Stars(Tai)-Rakunan(Jap)
1830 Women: HS All-Stars(Tai)-All-Stars(Jap)

8/16
1400 Men: Whimoon(Kor)-HS All-Stars(Tai)
1530 Women: All-Stars(Jap)-Tamshui(Tai)
1700 Men: Rakunan(Jap)-Tsaishin(Tai)
1830 Women: Eunkwang(Kor)-HS All-Stars(Tai)

8/17
1400 Men: Rakunan(Jap)-Whimoon(Kor)
1530 Women: All-Stars(Jap)-Eunkwang(Kor)
1700 Men: Tsaishin(Tai)-HS All-Stars(Tai)
1830 Women: Tamshui(Tai)-HS All-Stars(Tai)

Playoffs
8/18
1000 Women: #3-#4
1130 Men: #3-#4
1400 Women: #1-#2
1530 Men: #1-#2

Friday, August 09, 2002

HS tournaments highlight August

High school basketball will be the highlight of the summer for Taiwanese fans. Teams from China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan will battle in two mini-tournaments and give the fans the glimpse of the basketball future.

*International High School Basketball Tournament
Date: Aug. 15-18
Venue: Taipei County Gymnasium, Panchiao
Teams:
Men's - Rakunan HS(Japan), Whimoon HS(S. Korea), Tsaishin HS(Taiwan), HS All-Stars(Taiwan)
Women's - All-Stars(Japan), Eunkwang HS(S. Korea), HS All-Stars(Taiwan), Tamshui Business HS(Taiwan)

Note:
#Rosters of Men and Women's HS All-Stars are the preliminary roster for the upcoming Men's and Women's ABC Junior Championship

#Rakunan HS made it to the final four in Japan HS Tournament in both 2001 and 2002. Whimoon HS is one of the traditional powerhouses in Korean HS basketball. Tsaishin HS is the two-time defending champ in Taiwan's HBL.


*1st REEBOK Strait Cup HS Tournament
Date: Aug. 22-25
Venue: Taipei Physical Education College Gymnasium
Teams: Tsaishin HS(Taiwan), Chian-shu HS(Taiwan), Dong-guan Sports HS(China), Beijing 25th HS(China)

Tuesday, August 06, 2002

Shawn Finney conducts clinic in Taiwan

Tulane Univ. head coach Shawn Finney will conduct a 4-day coaching clinic in Taipei and, under CTBA's arrangement, instruct Taiwan NT briefly.

Invited by NIKE Taiwan, 40-year-old Finney will hold a 30-man coaching clinic from Aug. 7-10, running every morning. From Aug. 6-10, Finney will take a look at Taiwan NT, whose poor play in the Jones Cup concerns the CTBA and basketball people, in their night practice sessions.

Finney took over as the head coach of Tulane Univ. on July 19, 2000, after coaching as an assistant under Tubby Smith at Yulsa, Georgia and Kentucky.