Sangmyung University captain Kwon Soon-woo is determined to play ‘winning basketball’.
Sangmyung University, which prevented Korea University from winning the 2023 KUSF University Basketball U-League last year, is sweating hard to make a splash this year. Starting in Boryeong, Chungcheongnam-do, the team traveled to Japan and other parts of the country. They are currently in Yeosu, preparing to face Hwayang Go and Gwangju Go.
Kwon Soon-woo, who became the team’s captain in 2024, also heats up the gym every day. Although he had to take a break due to injury in his sophomore year, Kwon has consistently received more than 30 minutes of playing time since his freshman year and should be the 바카라사이트 team’s mainstay this year.
Sangmyung University head coach Ko Seung-jin said of Kwon, “She is a hardworking player. This year, as the captain, he should be the center of the team. She has a good shot and strength, and her defense and rebounding are also her strengths. I hope he will do a good job in the front line.”
When we met at the Hualango Gymnasium, Kwon Soon-woo said that she was feeling well, “I have a little cold, but I’m healthy.” He then shared how he is spending this winter.
“I went to Boryeong for a short time and then went to Japan, and since then, I’ve been traveling around the provinces and playing practice matches with high school and professional teams. After Yeosu, we will continue to play practice games and then go to Jeju for our final training camp.”
Coach Ko was pleased with the training camp in Japan. Kwon Soon-woo was also pleased with the team’s performance in Japan.
“What we don’t do well, the Japanese team does well. They are short like us, but they maximized their advantage by playing fast basketball. They don’t take away rebounds because they are short. I learned a lot from watching their fast offense and defense.”
He also talked about playing scrimmages against high school teams. “There’s nothing casual about playing high school kids. Whether you’re playing pro or high school, you’re trying to give it your all every game,” he said.
“I’m confident in my shot. I’m pretty strong for my position, which helps me when I’m blocking guys who are taller than me. That’s why I’ve been training with weights,” said Kwon. She also pointed out what she needs to improve.
“I need to play more relaxed. Sometimes my dribble bounces, but I’m training to make it more stable. Also, the coach gives me detailed instructions on how to rotate the defense. I’m also working on creating chances by moving without the ball.”
Finally, Kwon emphasized the word “team. He said, “I want the team to win more games this year and reach the playoffs. I’m focusing on the team rather than on my individual performance. If the team does well, my play will live on. As a student athlete, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to go pro. But first, I’m going to do my best to do my job and play winning basketball, so I’m going to try to follow my opponents more on defense and make sure I don’t miss anything.”
