Sunday, June 28, 2009

Jones Cup Taiwan NTs rosters set

Chen Ching-hwan was injured in practice and out of the Jones Cup as the injury-plagued Taiwan NT will enter the 2009 Jones Cup with all the 12 injury-free players. The final roster for the Asian Championship is expected to change again once the injured players are back.

Pure Youth center/forward Chien Chia-hong was also out of the Jones Cup due to injury. Yulon center Lin Hwan-chao was added to the national second team.

2009 Jones Cup Taiwan NT roster:

Po., Name, Ht., Age
G Lee Hsueh-lin, Yulon, 175cm, 25
G Su Yi-chieh, Dacin, 181cm, 22
G Chou Shih-yuan, Yulon, 187cm, 26
G Yang Ching-min, TB, 188cm, 25
G Wu Yong-jen, Taiwan Mobile, 177cm, 26
F Chen Tse-wei, Dacin, 200cm, 24
F Tsai Wen-cheng, PY, 188cm, 24
F Lin Yi-hui, Dacin, 193cm, 23
F Yang Che-yi, Yulon, 193cm, 31
F Hsu Chih-chan, 194cm, 27
F Lee Fong-yong, Dacin, 197cm, 28
F Wu Chien-lung, Pure Youth, 193cm, 20

Head coach: Chung Kwang-suk
Assistants: Chou Jun-san, Hsu Ching-tse

2009 Jones Cup Taiwan 2nd NT (Team Kwanghua) roster:

Chang Tsung-hsien (Jet Chang), BYU-Hawaii, 190cm
Lo Yu-chun, Dacin, 185cm
Hong Chih-shan, Pure Youth, 176cm
Lin Chieh-min, Yulon, 185cm
Chen Yi-an, Dacin, 195cm
Chen Shun-hsiang, BOT, 188cm
Lin Ching-pang, Pure Youth, 190cm
Lu Cheng-ju, Yulon, 192cm
Hsu Wei-sheng, Taiwan Mobile, 198cm
Tsai Jun-min, Dacin, 197cm
Lin Hwan-chao, Yulon, 202cm
Yen Cheng-hong, Taiwan Mobile, 196cm

Head coach: Chiu Da-tsun
Assistants: Huang Wan-long, Hsu Chih-chao

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Jones Cup roster changes again

Taiwan NT decided to rest all the injured players in the 2009 William Jones Cup so the team can play in the Tianjin Asian Championship at its full strength.

Five players -- Tien Lei, Tseng Wen-ting, Wu Tai-hao, Ho Shou-cheng and Chen Shih-nian -- will sit out the Jones Cup to nurse their injuries. And that means Taiwan NT will be extremely thin inside in the Jones Cup, which will be played from July 18-26 in Sinjhuang, Taipei County.

Six replacements were added to the roster as Taiwan NT will enter the Jones Cup with 13 players. Yang Ching-min, Hsu Chih-chan, Chen Tse-wei, Wu Yong-jen, Wu Chien-lung and Lee Fong-yong were invited to the national team.

Chang Chih-feng and Lin Chih-chieh, who were expected to be back with the team after ankle injuries during the SBL Finals, were still a couple of weeks away from returning, CTBA said.

The women's competition will be played from July 12-16.

13-man Taiwan NT roster for the 2009 Jones Cup

Po., Name, Ht., Age
G Lee Hsueh-lin, Yulon, 175cm, 25
G Su Yi-chieh, Dacin, 181cm, 22
G Chou Shih-yuan, Yulon, 187cm, 26
G Chen Ching-hwan, KKL, 190cm, 23
G Yang Ching-min, TB, 188cm, 25
G Wu Yong-jen, Taiwan Mobile, 177cm, 26
F Chen Tse-wei, Dacin, 200cm, 24
F Tsai Wen-cheng, PY, 188cm, 24
F Lin Yi-hui, Dacin, 193cm, 23
F Yang Che-yi, Yulon, 193cm, 31
F Hsu Chih-chan, 194cm, 27
F Lee Fong-yong, Dacin, 197cm, 28
F Wu Chien-lung, Pure Youth, 193cm, 20

Head coach: Chung Kwang-suk
Assistants: Chou Jun-san, Hsu Ching-tse

The replacements players were somehow different from earlier media report. I will keep updating the roster.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Taiwan NT fixes roster

Six players were added to Taiwan NT roster for the upcoming 2009 William Jones Cup and the Asian Championship while the specter of losing two centers loomed ahead.

CTBA announced that Yulon center Wu Chih-wei, who won SBL's sixthman award this past season, was added to the NT roster along with Lee Chi-yi (Yulon), Hsu Chih-chan (BOT) and Yang Ching-min (TB).

Regular season and Finals MVP Chang Chih-feng (Dacin) and Taiwan Beer forward Lin Chih-chieh were also back from injuries.

The addition boosted Taiwan roster from 12 to 18. However, CTBA also announced that Tien Lei and Ho Shou-cheng will miss the Jones Cup due to injuries. (Tien Lei: right knee stress facture, Ho: right knee tendonitis)

Wu Tai-hao and Tseng Wen-ting, who were still hampered by injuries, might sit out the Jones Cup too in order to prepare for the big event -- Asian Championship.

18-man Taiwan NT roster

Po., Name, Ht., Age
G Lee Hsueh-lin, Yulon, 175cm, 25
G Su Yi-chieh, Dacin, 181cm, 22
G Chou Shih-yuan, Yulon, 187cm, 26
G Chen Shih-nian, TB, 180cm, 25
G Chen Ching-hwan, KKL, 190cm, 23
G Yang Ching-min, TB, 188cm, 25
G Chang Chih-feng, Dacin, 183cm, 28
F Lin Chih-chieh, TB, 192cm, 27
F Tsai Wen-cheng, PY, 188cm, 24
F Ho Shou-cheng, TB, 196cm, 26
F Tien Lei, Dacin, 202cm, 26
F Lin Yi-hui, Dacin, 193cm, 23
F Yang Che-yi, Yulon, 193cm, 31
F Lee Chi-yi, Yulon, 198cm, 31
F Hsu Chih-chan, 194cm, 27
C Tseng Wen-ting, Yulon, 202cm, 25
C Wu Tai-hao, TB, 202cm, 24
C Wu Chih-wei, Yulon, 202cm, 33

Head coach: Chung Kwang-suk
Assistants: Chou Jun-san, Hsu Ching-tse

Pacers, Nuggets to play NBA's first-ever game in Taipei

nba to taiwan

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/06/19/nba.taipei/index.html
Pacers, Nuggets to play NBA's first-ever game in Taipei

By Official release
Posted Jun 19 2009 11:53AM

TAIPEI, June 19, 2009 -- The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced it will play its first-ever game in Taipei when the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers tip off at the Taipei Arena on October 8, 2009. The announcement took place today in Taipei with NBA Greater China CEO Tim Chen, Mayor of Taipei Hau Lung-bin, Minister of the Sports Affairs Council Tai Hsia Ling, and President of Chinese Taipei Basketball Association Wang Ren-Da. Taipei will become the seventh Asian city to host an NBA game, following Beijing, Guangzhou, Macao, Shanghai, Tokyo and Yokohama.

NBA Taiwan Game-1 "October 8th will be an historic day for the NBA and for the millions of basketball fans in Taiwan," said NBA Greater China CEO Tim Chen. "Taiwan fans are very passionate about the game and we are honored to be able to present a matchup of these two great teams for them."

The game at the Taipei Arena, capacity 12,874, will showcase two talented teams and some of the NBA's best players. The Nuggets made it to the Western Conference finals this season and are led by two-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony and the 2004 NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups. The Pacers are led by NBA All-Star Danny Granger who was the winner of the NBA's 2008-09 Most Improved Player award presented by Kia Motors and the fifth leading scorer in the league this season. The dance teams and mascots from both teams will be onsite to further provide an authentic NBA experience for fans.

As part of the league's commitment to social responsibility, NBA Cares will conduct community events in Taipei designed to positively impact the city and its youth. Since it began in 2005, NBA Cares has created 418 places where kids and families can live, learn or play in 20 countries across five continents.

"NBA fans in Taipei have been waiting a long time to see an NBA game in person and we are very excited to be hosting these two great teams in October," said Taipei Mayor, Mr. Hau Lung-bin. "Working together with the NBA, we plan to host an unforgettable event that will benefit our citizens and raise Taipei's profile as a premier destination for sporting events."

The game in Taipei is the fourth preseason game the NBA has announced that will be played outside the United States and Canada this October. NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS will feature the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz in London on Oct. 6 and the Jazz against the Euroleague's Real Madrid in Madrid on Oct. 8. NBA Mexico Game 2009 will feature the Phoenix Suns and the Philadelphia 76ers in Monterrey, Mexico on Oct. 18. To date, the NBA has staged a total of 93 games outside of the U.S. and Canada in 31 cities in 16 countries and territories.

The NBA, which opened its office in Taipei in 1997, continues to demonstrate its commitment to growing the game. During the 2008-09 season, three broadcast partners aired up to ten live games per week. In August 2008, former NBA Champions, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, Glen Rice and B.J. Armstrong teamed up with players from Taiwan's Super Basketball League to play two exhibition games as part of the NBA Legends Challenge. The league has organized dozens of other interactive fan events including NBA Madness, NBA Jam session and NBA 2-ball.

NBA Taiwan Game-2

NBA Taiwan Game-3

(Photos: Bros Sports Marketing)

FIBA Asia to crack down on nationality change?

FIBA Asia Secretary-General Yeoh Choo Hock said there can only be one player on each team who changed his nationality in the upcoming Asian Championship, China's Sohu.com reported.

'The rule is clear. There can only be one player who changes his nationality to play for a new country. And we will carefully examine every player on the rosters to make sure the rule is properly implemented, ' Yeoh was quoted saying.

The report mentioned that there have been a number of Asian countries trying to recruit players to change their nationalities for the Asian Championship.

Personally, I do think some countries have gone too far with their extensive effort on looking for players to change nationalities and play for them in Asian competitions. Yes, it happened in Europe, the World Championship and the Olympics too. However, the trend obviously has more impact in Asia, where there is a huge competition level gap that you couldn't possibly change overnight.

Is buying and recruiting foreign players the best solution? I don't think so. Of course every country will tell you about the player's bloodline, ancestry and history. But my point is that the most important part of developing basketball is to train and nurture local players, not recruit oversea players with 25% bloodline, isn't it?

I'll be a happy man if FIBA Asia does what Yeoh said. From past experience, however, I don't expect that to happen any time soon.

(Due to some factual errors I made in the story, I took out some paragraphs and rephrased some.)

FIBA.com’s report on Asian C’ship draw

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/langid/1/newsid/30598/arti.html

FIBA Asia – Draw completed for 25th FIBA Asia Championship

TIANJIN (FIBA Asia Championship) - Defending champions Iran have been drawn along side wild card entrants Chinese Taipei, Kuwait and Middle Asia’s Uzbekistan in Group B for the preliminary round of the 25th FIBA Asia Championship to be held here from Aug 6-16, 2009

The draw ceremony was held at the host city on Wednesday.

Hosts China have opted to play in Group C for the preliminary round, which also comprises last edition’s semifinalists Kazakhstan, fellow Middle Asian nation India and Gulf champions Qatar.

Korea, who bagged the bronze medal at Tokushima two years ago, have been drawn in Group A.

Japan, who lost to Korea in the final of the East Asian qualifiers in Nagoya last week, along with South East Asia champions Philippines and Sri Lanka are the other teams in Group A.

Lebanon, runners-up to Iran at Tokushima, have been drawn in Group D which also comprises fellow WABA rivals Jordan.

Jordan, it may be recalled, were the first team – apart from hosts China – to book their berth in the championship by virtue of winning the 2008 FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup in Kuwait last year.

Indonesia, who finished runners-up to Philippines in SEABA and United Arab Emirates complete the line-up.

Chinese Taipei, who finished fourth behind Korea, Japan and China in the recently concluded East Asian qualifiers, were given a wild card entry into the championship following the withdrawal of Gulf representatives Bahrain.

The top three sides at the FIBA Asia Championship will advance to the 2010 FIBA World Championship to be played from 23 September to 3 October 2010 in Turkey.

The championship will be played under a new format.

Groupings for the Preliminary Round

Group A: Japan, Korea, Philippines, Sri Lanka.
Group B: Chinese Taipei, Iran, Kuwait, Uzbekistan.
Group C: China, India, Kazakhstan, Qatar.
Group D: Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, UAE.
The top three teams from each group will advance to the second round of the championship.

Eighth Final Round

Group E:  A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3
Group F: C1, C2, C3, D1, D2, D3

Each team will play the three (3) new teams in its own group (the final scores of all games played in the Preliminary Round are valid for this round).

The top four from each group will advance to the knockout quarterfinal stage.

S Mageshwaran
FIBA Asia

Asian Men’s Basketball Championship history

Asian Men’s Basketball Championship history
Year
Host
Champ
2nd
3rd
4th
1960 Manila Philippines Taiwan Japan Korea
1963 Taiwan Philippines Taiwan Korea Thailand
1965 Kuala Lumpur Japan Philippines Korea Thailand
1967 Seoul Philippines Korea Japan Indonesia
1969 Bangkok Korea Japan Philippines Taiwan
1971 Tokyo Japan Philippines Korea Taiwan
1973 Manila Philippines Korea Taiwan Japan
1975 Bangkok China Japan Korea India
1977 Kuala Lumpur China Korea Japan Malaysia
1979 Nagoya China Japan Korea Philippines
1981 Calcutta China Korea Japan Philippines
1983 Hong Kong China Japan Korea Kuwait
1985 Kuala Lumpur Philippines Korea China Malaysia
1987 Bangkok China Korea Japan Philippines
1989 Beijing China Korea Taiwan Japan
1991 Kobe China Korea Japan Taiwan
1993 Jakarta China DPR Korea Korea Iran
1995 Seoul China Korea Japan Taiwan
1997 Riyadh Korea Japan China Saudi Arabia
1999 Fukuoka China Korea Saudi Arabia Taiwan
2001 Shanghai China Lebanon Korea Syria
2003 Harbin China Korea Qatar Lebanon
2005 Doha China Lebanon Qatar Korea
2007 Tokushima Iran Lebanon Korea Kazakhstan
2009 Tianjin Iran China Jordan Lebanon

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Asian Championship draw announced

Asian Championship draw was announced today as Taiwan was bracketed in a relatively less competitive Group B along with Iran, Uzbekistan and Kuwait. That's sort of a good news. Look at Group A. South Korea, Japan and the Philippines...wow, ain't no fun at all. Host China was placed in Group C with Kazakhstan and Qatar. It's going to be a bloody war too.

Group A: South Korea, Japan, Philippines, Sri Lanka
Group B: Iran, Taiwan, Kuwait, Uzbekistan
Group C: Kazakhstan, Qatar, India, China
Group D: Lebanon, Jordan, Indonesia, UAE

Ten men's teams in 2009 William Jones Cup tournament

Ten teams from nine countries, including two teams from host Taiwan, will play in the 2009 William Jones Cup men's basketball tournament, which will tip off on July 18.

Participating teams will be: Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Philippines, Kazakhstan, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Taiwan NT and Taiwan 2nd NT (a.k.a Team Kwanghwa).

I believe most of these team will be national teams but I'm not sure just yet. The CTBA hasn't released official information about the tournament. Maybe South Korea will send university all-star team as usual and the South African and Philippine teams will be club teams.

Taiwan to replace Bahrain in Asian Championship

FIBA Asia has notified CTBA that Taiwan will replace Bahrain in the 2009 Asian Men's Championship due to Bahrain's withdraw, CTBA said Tuesday.

Sixteen teams in the Asian Championship, which will be played in Tianjin, China from August 6-16, will be: Iran, Lebanon, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Jordan, Qatar, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, India, Kuwait, UAE, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and China.

The draw is scheduled to be held today.

According to FIBA Asia, 16 seeds in the Asian Championship will be top five teams in the previous Stankovic Cup, top two teams in five subzone championships and the host country.

However, FIBA Asia did not clarify the above seeding procedure to all member countries, which is partially why only five countries entered the 2008 Stankovic Cup in Kuwait.

If all member countries had known the Stankovic Cup would be a part of the Asian Championship qualifying process, I believe more countries would have played in the tournament.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Source: Taiwan still going to Asian Championship

Taiwan Men's NT is still highly possible to participate in the 2009 Asian Men's Basketball Championship in Tianjin, China, a CTBA official said Monday.

Either the tournament will try to expand the 16-team field or some teams are expected to withdraw before the competition takes place, paving the way for Taiwan to make a trip to Tianjin.

FIBA Asia secretary-general Yeoh Choo Hock said Taiwan, which finished 4th-place in the East Asia Basketball Championship, is definitely going to the Asian Championship, the official said.

All five Asian teams (Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Jordan, India and Qatar) that participated in the 2008 FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup in Kuwait had been granted seeds in the Asian Championship as -- if my memory is correct -- FIBA Asia had stated that the biennial Stankovic Cup will be used as a qualifier for the Asian Championship, which was also held every two years.

According to FIBA Asia, the top six teams in Stankovic Cup will receive at-large bids for the Asia Championship. The other seeds will be granted to top two teams in each of the five subzones and the host country.

Taiwan did not enter the tournament last year and the CTBA was later blasted for the mistake because finishing in top six in the Stankovic Cup is obviously easier than winning a seed through the East Asian qualifier.

Word was that FIBA Asia had failed to express clearly to member associations about the seeding opportunities before the 2008 Stankovic Cup and CTBA had complained to FIBA about this, forcing FIBA to pressure FIBA Asia into changing the seeding format.

Rumor also said that India might pull out of the Asian Championship for unknown reasons.

Taiwan finished for 4th-place in the EABC and was out of the Asian Championship for the first time since 1985.

The 2009 Asia Championship will be played in Tianjin, China from August 6-16.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

South Korea wins EABC; Taiwan drops another one

South Korea beat Japan 68-58 in the East Asia Basketball Championship title game Sunday and Taiwan lost to Chinese second national team 107-90, finishing a disappointing fourth in the Asian Championship qualifier.

The final game was pretty much meaningless for Taiwan, who was out of the Asian Men's Championship for the first time in more than 24 years. South Korea and Japan won a pair of Asian Championship seeds granted to the East Asia Sub-zone.

Taiwan trailed from start to finish. Facing taller Chinese players, it was outrebounded again 40-27 and had no chance of winning. China's second national team led by nine in the end of the first quarter and 10 at the half.

Tien Lei led Taiwan with 21 points and five rebounds. Tseng Wen-ting followed with 15 and Wu Tai-hao had 11. Lee Hsueh-lin and Ho Shou-cheng scored 10 each.

Taiwan NT was only 10-for-19 from the free-throw line.

The next international competition for Taiwan will be the East Asian Games in Macao in the end of the year. Taiwan will enter EAG as the defending champion.

EABC: South Korea game photos

SN03_005

Taiwan lost to South Korea.

SN03_002

Tseng Wen-ting.

SN03_001

Wu Tai-hao and Oh Sekeun collided.

SN03_003

Yang Che-yi scored team-high 21.

SN03_004

Japan’s Takehiko Orimo.

(Photos: Apple Daily)

Kudos to my friend Bob Pierce

(Source: Japan Times)

Pierce looking to build on successful first season with Lakestars

By ED ODEVEN

Staff writer

The Japan Times will be featuring periodic interviews with individuals in the bj-league — Japan's first professional basketball circuit — which wrapped up its fourth season in May. Head coach Bob Pierce of the Shiga Lakestars is the subject of this week's profile. Pierce guided the team to a 19-33 record as a first-year expansion team.

 

1on1CoachBob Making a point: Shiga Lakestars coach Bob Pierce says his team gained valuable experience as an expansion team in the 2008-09 season. SHIGA LAKESTARS/BJ-LEAGUE

Age: 48

Hometown: Portland, Ore.

College: Biola University

Previous job: Cleveland Cavaliers scout (Asian region, 2005-07)

Fast facts: He has served as an assistant coach on the Japan national team and has been an assistant and head coach for the Hitachi Sunrockers of the JBL.

Looking back on the Lakestars' first season, what are your general thoughts on the team's performance? What went better than you expected? What didn't go as well as you'd hoped? And what happened basically the way you had thought it would?

During the regular season we beat every team at least once, so that was a sign that we could play and win against a variety of styles. But too often we played to the level of the competition.

We could play well and beat the best team (two wins against the Ryukyu Golden Kings), but kept losing to the worst team (five losses to Oita).

We didn't have a true go-to guy. Usually it was (forward) Ryan Rourke, but at times it was (center) Ray Schafer or (swingman) Bobby Nash. That often made winning close games much tougher.

I thought we had enough shooters, but we shot poorly from the 3-point line (30.1 percent) all season and from the free-throw line (62.5) as well.

And we need our Japanese players to score more. (Forward) Yosuke Machida had some good games, but never became the consistent scorer that we needed him to be.

So improving in those two areas will be a big key in the off season. But we had good team chemistry, great guys on and off the court, and I don't think I've ever enjoyed coaching a team as much.

Usually at the end of a long season there are some players you just can't stand anymore, but I looked forward to every practice, game and road trip with these guys.

Looking ahead to the upcoming draft and offseason moves, what do you feel are the team's biggest needs to address in terms of player personnel?

I think we need a power forward who is an elite rebounder, we need to add a really quick point guard, and then we need to find maybe one or two guys who are really good shooters/scorers as well as really good athletes.

Can you tell us what the team and individual players will be doing in the offseason to better prepare for the 2009-10 season? Will some of them compete for summer teams? If so, which teams?

I know Yosuke Machida and (point guard) Shinya Ogawa are going to spend a week in Hawaii, training and playing games at the University of Hawaii with Bobby Nash.

(Evessa) coach (Kensaku) Tennichi is inviting players to spend a week playing games in Osaka at the end of June, and we are encouraging all of our players to go if they are in Shiga at that time.

How would you rate the local coverage of the Lakestars on Shiga Prefecture TV stations, radio stations, Web sites, newspapers, etc.? What did you especially like and/or dislike in Year One coverage of the team?

I thought the coverage was pretty good. Eight to 10 of our Sunday home games were shown live on TV. The local TV station always showed game results and highlights on their broadcasts.

There were about four papers that would rotate and come in to interview me or players for stories about once a week.

I thought many of the individual features on players were really well done. But I disliked always being asked how I spent my private time or where I went in Shiga.

As a coach, how do you feel you changed by guiding a team in its inaugural year? Did it take a different approach than what you had faced in previous jobs?

The length of the season was the main challenge. There was the challenge of keeping enough things the same so that players would be relaxed, comfortable and confident in what they were doing.

But over the weeks and months I also had to keep presenting new drills, options on plays, etc. to keep things fresh and the players motivated.

Also, playing conference team eight times meant that we often needed different strategies to play the same team. I know we practiced five very different game plans to use against Rizing Fukuoka last season.

College coaches often say the best thing about freshman is they become sophomores. I'm glad we won't be the new guys next year. Not having a history, a record of success to fall back on or derive strength from, is hard on a new team.

Earlier in the season, you commented on your dislike of the one-and-one free-throw rule in the bj-league. What other rule(s) or game policy(ies) do you feel the league ought to consider changing?

I don't really have too many complaints about the rules. The one-and-one rule rewards the defense too much for fouling, so I would like to see that changed.

I do like that the 3-point line will be extended, but that will make practices tougher as no gyms we use will have the new 3-point line.

I wish the league would limit the number of foreign players per team to four (with the current on-the-court-three rule).

Teams with five imports have more fouls to give, so the games get rougher. My biggest complaint is that the league doesn't really monitor salaries, player signings, etc.

The Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix probably violated the league salary cap by a huge margin, but no one in the league seemed to know exactly what they were spending, all the extras and bonuses they were supposedly giving, etc. At least they couldn't buy a championship their first season.

What is your favorite basketball movie of all time? Why?

It's not the best basketball movie, that probably would be "Hoosiers," but my favorite is the 1977 movie "One on One" starring Robbie Benson.

1) I liked that it showed some of the cheating and corruption in college basketball.

2) It is a typical American underdog, fight-against-the-odds story.

3) My Dad took me to see it.

No one in my family was really into sports. I developed a love for basketball because of my neighbors and then because I went to basketball camp.

But my Dad knew I loved basketball, so he took me to see it, so that movie still has a very special meaning for me.

Has there been an article or book on basketball that has been quite influential in your development as a coach?

Dean Smith's "Basketball, Multiple Offense and Defense" taught me about the thought process, a systematic approach to try to cover all situations and to teach them clearly.

Every coach should own and read this book. I used his "freelance passing game" when I coached my first team of 9- and 10-year-olds. It's still one of the best ways to teach and learn the game.

I use very different offenses and defenses now, but still within the framework that Coach Smith set up.

"Foul" by David Wolff, the Connie Hawkins story. My favorite book of all time. I read it over and over. I just loved the whole world of basketball culture, good and bad.

And reading how Connie really grew and matured when he went overseas with the Globetrotters may be what steered me towards international basketball.

If you could add any player in the world to be LeBron James' right-hand man in Cleveland, his supplement superstar as Peter Vecsey has said, who would you pick? (Assume the role of GM in this case).

LeBron needs a big man who can run the pick-and-roll with him, pop out and hit shots, and also be a presence inside. I would love to see him with Tim Duncan or Chris Bosh.

Sadly that might happen in 2010 in New York, not in Cleveland.

Or he needs a versatile scorer on the opposite wing, someone like Kevin Durant, so whichever one you focus on, the other one beats you.

What occurrence in the bj-league over the past season was most stunning to you? Most impressive? Most predictable? (I'm thinking of games, statistics and individual or team efforts — examples of things that really caught your eye.)

When I talk to other coaches, they are all stunned that we couldn't beat Oita. I was rather stunned when Toyama had a fire sale and let Babacar (Camara) and (Rodney) Webb go.

Most impressive performance was Jeff Newton's 50-point game in the semifinals.

Unbelievable!

Most predictable?

That the Hamamatsu Phoenix would go over the salary cap and try to "buy" a championship.

Humboldt State wins 2009 Kainan International Basketball Invitational

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(Kainan Univ. vs. Univ. of Tokyo, photo source: Kainan Univ.)

Humboldt State University (Cali.) beat Bonds University from Australia 102-94 and won the 2009 Kainan International Basketball Invitational.

National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) beat University of Tokyo from Japan to win the third place.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

No Asian Championship trip for Taiwan

Taiwan lost to South Korea 86-71 Saturday in the East Asia Basketball Championship semifinal and Japan beat China 68-63 as Taiwan failed to win Asian Championship seeds and was out of the biennial event for the first time in history.

Japan and South Korea won the East Asia Zone seeds in the 2009 Asian Men's Basketball Championship, which will be played in Tianjin, China. China already secured the seed as the host country.

Japan will meet South Korea Sunday for the title and Taiwan playing China in the consolation game. No one cares about the results though.

South Korea took the lead after an intense first quarter and gradually increased the lead. Despite shorter in heights (only two players above 6-7), Koreans outrebounded Taiwan 37-22 with an astonishing 16-3 advantage on offensive boards.

Kim Min-soo and Oh Sekeun, the only South Korea players above 200cm, tallied 32 points and 21 rebounds and outplayed the entire Taiwan frontline.

Wu Tai-hao had 18 points and four rebounds in 28 minutes but was ejected in the final period after two technical fouls for excessive elbow-swinging and pushing. The ill-tempered 24-year-old forward/center is expected to receive an one-game suspension in FIBA events.

Team captain Yang Che-yi scored team-high 21 points and Tien Lei had a modest 12 points.

Starting center Tseng Wen-ting played poorly, scoring only 4 points on 1-of-8 shooting and grabbed only one rebound in 16 minutes. Quoting University of Maryland head coach Gary Williams, my little daughter would have been hit in the head by a basketball more than once if she ran around on the court for 16 minutes...

Anyway, this has to be the lowest point of Taiwanese basketball, barring the turmoil of local professional basketball development. The result showed South Korean head coach Chung Kwang-suk is not a savior nor a magician. He could not turn Taiwanese basketball around in 10 days.

Ten years ago, Taiwan finished 4th in the Asian Men's Championship in Fukuoka, the last time it did so. Ten years later, Taiwan doesn't even have the right to play in the tournament. If basketball people in Taiwan don't find this fact humiliating, unacceptable and hard to swallow, I don't know what would make them feel that way.

I know I've said this a thousand times, but it's time for a total reform and checkup. It's time to bring in more imports to upgrade the competition level. It's time for Wang Jen-da -- or his kid brother Wang Jen-cheng, or his son Wang Tsai-hsiang -- to quit manipulating and abusing Taiwanese basketball and let someone else manage the CTBA.

It's time to admit that we suck and try to do the best we can do to make this sport a national favorite again.

EABC: Mongolia game photos

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Chou Shih-yuan.

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Su Yi-chieh had 10 stitches below his right eye

but still played in the game.

SN05_007

Tien Lei.

(Photos: Apple Daily)

Taiwan cruises past Mongolia by 40

Last-minute replacement Chou Shih-yuan scored 14 points off the bench to help Taiwan cruise past Mongolia 99-59 in the East Asia Basketball Championship Friday. Taiwan advanced to EABC semifinal where it will face South Korea tomorrow for a seed in the Asian Championship.

Taiwan finished 1-1 in the preliminary round and ranked second in Group B behind Japan (2-0), who will meet China in the semi.

With the score tied at 28 all in the middle of the second quarter, Taiwan ignited a 20-7 run to break open the game, leading 48-35 at the half.

Another 13-4 run in the third quarter boosted Taiwan's lead to 20 points.

Chou Shih-yuan, who replaced injured Yang Yu-min at the last minute and did not play in the opening game vs. Japan, knocked down three 3-pointers and scored much-needed 14 points.

Tien Lei turned in team-high 16 points and 9 rebounds after a disappointing opener. Tseng Wen-ting added 13 points, 7 boards and 5 assists.

Taiwan is scheduled to play South Korea at 1 p.m. Saturday on less than 24 hours' rest. It will be a big challenge for the players, said assistant Chou Jun-san.

Chou also said that it's possible for Taiwan to beat South Korea, who beat Hong Kong 92-71 today, because this year's South Korea team does not enjoy much height advantage and is not as strong as in the past. If Taiwan NT does a good job boxing out, plays good helping defense and controls the tempo, it is capable of winning this game.

Chou observed that South Korea's perimeter shooting is not as good but plays solid defense, which is why it is always in the game and kept its opponents in check even if it's trailing.

Group results:
Group A
South Korea 2-0
China 1-1
Hong Kong 0-2

Group B
Japan 2-0
Taiwan 1-1
Mongolia 0-2

Semifinals:
Taiwan vs. South Korea
China vs. Japan

Thursday, June 11, 2009

EABC: Japan game photos

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Tseng Wen-ting was held to 7 points.

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Su Yi-chieh took a vicious elbow from Japanese and suffered a cut below his right eye.

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Su Yi-chieh.

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Ho Shou-cheng

(Photos: Apple Daily)

Taiwan lost to Japan in EABC opener

Taiwan couldn't hold the five-point halftime lead and lost to Japan 78-66 in the opener, which is also the most important game, in the East Asia Basketball Championship in Nagoya, Japan Wednesday night.

After a 34-29 first half, everything went wrong for Taiwan NT as host Japan pulled off a 27-10 third quarter and led by as many as 22 points in the comeback win.

Tien Lei, who always performed well facing Japan, scored only two points and pulled down 8 rebound. He missed all six shots. Taiwan was led by Chen Shih-nian's 16 points. Center Wu Tai-hao added 10 points.

Japan outrebounded Taiwan 41-30. Center Joji Takeuchi led the team with 15 points. 39-year-old veteran Takehiko Orimo acored 12 points while Daiji Yamada had 11.

After the Japan loss, Taiwan's chance of winning one of two Asian Championship seeds will be slim. Taiwan is scheduled to meet Mongolia in a must-win game Thursday. If Taiwan beats Mongolia, it will advance to the semifinal where it expects to meet either China or South Korea.

**EABC groups:

Group A: China, South Korea, Hong Kong
Group B: Japan, Taiwan, Mongolia

Top two teams in each group advance to the semifinal. Top two teams in the tournament win the seeds for Asian Championship. If AC host China finished in the top two, the third-place team will be granted the seed.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Report: free agents bidding war imminent

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Bidding wars over SBL free agents and other big-name player is imminent, local newspaper Liberty Times reported Wednesday. An unnamed team has offered Taiwan Beer center Wu Tai-hao a contract that would pay him NT$120,000 per month plus a signing bonus of NT$10 million(US$305,200), the report said.

According to (a funny) SBL regulation, a SBL player can receive a maximum monthly salary of NT$120,000(US$3,662).

Rumor said Taiwan Mobile is the team that made offer to Wu Tai-hao. However, Wu and TM head coach Cheng Chih-lung both denied the rumor.

Dacin point guard Su Yi-chieh, KKL forward Chen Ching-hwan and KKL forward Cheng Jen-wei were among most sought-after free agents. All of them are expected to re-sign with current teams though.

Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor (KKL) made the first off-season move by releasing five players. Lin Kwan-lun, Shan Wei-fan, Shin Jin-jan, Wu Chia-long and Lee Wei-min were released.

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Final Taiwan NT roster for East Asia Basketball Championship

Po., Name, Ht., Age
G Lee Hsueh-lin, Yulon, 175cm, 25
G Su Yi-chieh, Dacin, 181cm, 22
G Chou Shih-yuan, Yulon, 187cm, 26
G Chen Shih-nian, TB, 180cm, 25
G Chen Ching-hwan, KKL, 190cm, 23
F Tsai Wen-cheng, PY, 188cm, 24
F Ho Shou-cheng, TB, 196cm, 26
F Tien Lei, Dacin, 202cm, 26
F Lin Yi-hui, Dacin, 193cm, 23
F Yang Che-yi, Yulon, 193cm, 31
C Tseng Wen-ting, Yulon, 202cm, 25
C Wu Tai-hao, TB, 202cm, 24

Head coach: Chung Kwang-suk
Assistants: Chou Jun-san, Hsu Ching-tse

EABC opener crucial for Taiwan NT

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Everyone knows it. Taiwan NT going to Tianjin or not will virtually be decided after the first game versus the host Japan in the East Asia Basketball Championship, which opens June 10 in Nagoya, Japan as the qualifying tournament for the 2009 Asian Championship in August.

SN03_003 This is the first time that Taiwan NT has to pass through qualifiers before reaching the Asian men's basketball elite competition. CTBA's decision to skip the Stankovic Cup last year in West Asia was obviously a big mistake since top six teams in the tourney were granted seeds in Tianjin, China. And there were only five teams in the tournament.

Anyway, Taiwan NT needs to be in top two -- or top three if Asian Championship host China finishes in the top two -- in this short six-team tournament to get one of two seeds. South Korea is the hands-on favorite. While China sends its second national team, Japan, like always, will be Taiwan's roadblock to Tianjin.

Facing Japan, Taiwan's chance to win is, like always, 50-50 depending on which team brings its best game to the court. They are familiar with each other, having facing up numerous times in Asian competitions throughout the years.

Things are not looking particularly good for Taiwan, which will be in Japan without five key players -- Chen Hsin-an, Lin Chih-chieh, Chang Chih-feng, Yang Ching-min and Yang Yu-min -- who are all battle-tested veterans with above-average skills.

Most players on the team are playing through pains, Taiwan coaching staff said. Center Wu Tai-hao is still suffering from his waist and back injury.

C986095A Worst yet, they only have 10 days of training camp going into the EABC after a grueling seven-game SBL Finals. Japan, on the other hand, has been preparing for the game for seven weeks.

Injury and fatigue, assistant coach Chou Jun-san said, have been the team's biggest problems so far.

In addition, they had to spend some time to get used to the game ball. Molten basketball, not Spalding, are used in FIBA competitions.

The stakes are high. If Taiwan NT fails to win the seed, this will be the first time for as long as I can remember that Taiwan is not able to play in the Asian Championship. And it will be another serious blow to Taiwanese basketball which has already been in a slump.

Taiwan NT arrived in Nagoya last Sunday.

 

(Photos: Apple Daily)

Japan NT roster for East Asia Basketball Championship

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Japan will be Taiwan NT's main opponent in the East Asian qualifier. We know it, and they know it. Here's the Japan NT roster:

4 岡田 優介(OKADA, Yusuke) SG 185 78 1984/09/17(24)
5 山田 大治(YAMADA, Daiji) PF 200 105 1981/06/08(28)
6 桜井 良太(SAKURAI, Ryota) G 194 75 1983/03/13(26)
7 五十嵐 圭(IGARASHI, Kei) G 180 68 1980/05/07(29)
8 柏木 真介(KASHIWAGI, Sh insuke) G 183 80 1981/12/22(27)
9 折茂 武彦(ORIMO, Takehiko) SG 190 77 1970/05/14(39)
10 竹内 公輔(TAKEUCHI, Kosuke) PF 205 98 1985/01/29(24)
11 網野 友雄(AMINO, Tomoo) SF 196 87 1980/09/25(28)
12 竹田 謙(TAKEDA, Ken) SF 188 80 1978/10/05(30)
13 石崎 巧(ISHIZAKI, Takumi) G 188 85 1984/07/06(24)
14 伊藤 俊亮(ITO, Shunsuke) C 204 110 1979/06/27(29)
15 竹内 譲次(TAKEUCHI, Joji) SF 205 98 1985/01/29(24)

Head coach: David Hobbs

(Photo source: JBA)

Sunday, June 07, 2009

CTBA announces men's National Second Team for Jones Cup

CTBA announced the 12-man roster of National Second Team, which will be coached by SBL Coach of the Year Chiu Da-tsun, for the 2009 Jones Cup Saturday. The annual international tournament will tip off July 12 with the women's competition. The men's competition starts on July 18.

Joining Chiu will be his aides on Dacin Tigers -- Hsu Chih-chao and Huang Wan-long. The National Second Team, CTBA said, consists of players who are under 25 years-old.

Highlighting the roster is Jet Chang, a sophomore at NCAA Division-II BYU-Hawaii, who some observers dubbed as the second coming of Chen Hsin-an. It's an observation I find it difficult to agree with though.

The National Second Team is also known as Team Kwanghua.

Roster:

Chang Tsung-hsien (Jet Chang), BYU-Hawaii, 190cm
Lo Yu-chun, Dacin, 185cm
Hong Chih-shan, Pure Youth, 176cm
Lin Chieh-min, Yulon, 185cm
Chen Yi-an, Dacin, 195cm
Chen Shun-hsiang, BOT, 188cm
Lin Ching-pang, Pure Youth, 190cm
Lu Cheng-ju, Yulon, 192cm
Hsu Wei-sheng, Taiwan Mobile, 198cm
Tsai Jun-min, Dacin, 197cm
Chien Chia-hong, Pure Youth, 196cm
Yen Cheng-hong, Taiwan Mobile, 196cm

Chung Shou-nai to play in NAIA school

thumb.ashx Chung Shou-nai will enroll in San Diego Christian College, a NAIA school in Southern California, and become the third player in U.S. college ball currently, reported Roundballcity.com -- arguably the best local basketball forum in Taiwan.

He was recruited by Conrad Sun, who was hired as head basketball coach at SDCC in March. Sun briefly played for Taiwan NT back in the 80's.

Chung, a 19 years-old 194cm forward, obviously inherited the basketball gene of his father Chung Chi-mun, who coached in defunct pro league CBA and SBL (Videoland Hunters) before moving on as a businessman in China.

The elder Chung played for Taiwan national team before getting into coaching.

Chung Shou-nai was selected in the SBL Draft this year by Taiwan Mobile. However, according to SBL regulation, Chung is not allowed to play in the league before his senior year in college.

Before Chung, Jet Chang and Swing Chuang -- I don't know where those weird first name came from -- already got a taste at US college ball. Jet Chang is now a sophomore at BYU Hawaii, a NCAA Div-II school. Chuang is now playing for Fullerton College, a two-year junior college at California state system.

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Conrad Sun.

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Father and son. Chung Chi-mun (left) and Chung Shou-nai.

(Photos: SDCC, Taiwan Mobile official website, Liberty Times)

Monday, June 01, 2009

Eight teams in 2009 Kainan International Basketball Invitational

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Eight teams from five countries will play in the forthcoming 2009 Kainan International Basketball Invitational tournament from June 8-11, which is organized by Taiwan's Kainan University, in Taoyuan County, Taiwan.

Last year, Canada's University of British Columbia beat compatriots University of Toronto in the title game.

Participating teams and grouping:

Group A:
Kainan Univ., Taiwan
Bond Univ., Australia
Univ. of Tokyo, Japan
National Central Univ., Taiwan

Group B:
Corvinus Univ., Hungary
Humboldt State Univ., USA
National Taiwan Normal Univ., Taiwan
Shih Chien Univ., Taiwan

The tournament runs from June 8-11 with top two teams from Group A and B meet in a crossover semifinal before the championship game.

NTNU won the Div-I title of Taiwan's university league this year. 13 of 19 players on its roster play in Taiwan's pro league SBL and around 6 or 7 of them are starters. Among the notable players are 6-8 center Wu Tai-hao, who played in the U.S. NCAA Div-II BYU-Hawaii, Su Yi-chieh -- starting point guard of the SBL title team Dacin Tigers, Pure Youth forward Chien Chia-hong and Dacin starting SF Lin Yi-hui.

NTNU also has a junior varsity team. I'm not sure which team is in the tourney. My guess is it sent the A team. If it does, NTNU will be a tough team to beat.

Shih Chien Univ. finished as 6th place in the Div-II this year. I have no idea about the National Central University.