As usual, Chung-Ang University is preparing for 2024 with eight new students, including Ko Chan-yu (190cm Samil High School), Kim Min-geun (198cm Yangjeong High School), Do Hyun-woo (183cm Sangsan Electronics High School), Seo Jeong-gu (200cm Hwimungo High School), Seo Ji-woo (200cm Baejae High School), Jeong Se-young (186cm Busan Joongang High School), Jeong Hyeon-seok (184cm Inheon High School), and Jin Hyun-min (193cm Jeon High School).
All of the freshmen are qualified to play right away. Among them, Seo Jeong-gu and Seo Ji-woo joined the team to relieve high pressure. This is Lim Dong-eon (195cm, F) who will become a senior.
“I had a hard time, but I have to do my best until the end,” Lim told reporters after finishing the training in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province on Sunday. “I do my best in every practice game. I’m tired because I’m doing my best in every practice game,” Lim said, reflecting on the winter training. “I played practice games with freshmen and matched the direction we have to go and what we have to do.”
Chung-Ang University will wrap up its off-season training in Korea on the 24th.
Lim Dong-eon, who is in the final winter training session at the university, said, “It’s the last time, so I have to show everything I have, not get hurt, and do it confidently,” adding, “We have to show good running compared to our strengths, shooting, height, and complement our weaknesses, defense and dribbling.”
Lim Dong-eon played an average of 32 minutes and 41 seconds in 14 games in the college basketball league last year, recording 11.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.6 steals.
When Lim said he gave strength in rebounding, he said, “I think I did well because I only did that (laughs). I need to catch more (this year) without dropping it again.”
As the playing time increased last year, there were more steals than assists.
“I didn’t do it to steal,” Lim said. “I pretended to go when I was in defense, but I got caught by the opponent’s hand a few times.”
Kang Hyun-soo, who was in the same class as Lim Dong-eon. Kang recorded 1.8 steals, the most in his team.
Lim Dong-eon compared Kang Hyun-soo’s steel to Kang Hyun-soo’s steel, saying, “There is a lot of stills as he goes out because he is ahead, and I was included in the back line and intercepted the pass while going out to block in set situations.”
In terms of steel, Kang Hyun-soo and Lim Dong-eon are ranked first and second in the team. However, Lee Ju-young and Lee Kang-hyun, who were responsible for 48.6 percent of the team’s scores (510/1050) last year, have to fill the gap.
“I don’t have a clear scorer, so I have to score evenly for everyone,” Lim said. “Among the freshmen, Ko Chan-yu has been doing that since high school, so I think she’ll do well, and I think we can all do it together because all the players are not good at it,” Lim said. “In winter training, it’s a practice game with high school, so I get a lot of points from big men’s positions. Still, I’m scoring evenly.”
If there is no clear scorer, it can be a weakness in the match.
Lim said, “We talk a lot among ourselves. We are cooperating rather than playing one-on-one, and we are trying to figure out how to move a lot. I think we can play like that.”
When Lim said that the pressure under the basket decreased due to the addition of freshman Big Man, he said, “I think if you defend well, you can make offense with confidence. If you defend well outside the team, you will feel comfortable,” Lim said. “You have good physical conditions and are full of energy. If you play together, you will feel secure. I played with Seo Ji-woo and Seo Jung-gu, respectively, and they felt differently. Jiwoo has more power under the basket and Junggu can block all the way to the outside, so it is convenient to switch.”
Lim Dong-eon, who said he wanted to promote himself during 2023 during last year’s winter training, laughed, saying, “I don’t know yet, but I’m better than I was in the second grade.”
In order to advance to the professional league, 2024 must be more fruitful than ever.
Lim Dong-eon hoped, “I want to achieve good results without injury and go to the professional program with good reviews because it goes well personally.”