Young center Lee part of Korean youth movement, might make OQT roster

REGENSBURG (David Hein’s Eye on the Future) – The future of Korean basketball may be on display at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) as head coach Hur Jae included Lee Jong Hyun on his preliminary 24-man roster.

Do you not know of the 18-year-old Lee Jong Hyun? You’re probably not alone. But that will undoubtedly change soon.

With a wingspan of 2.20m, Lee first gained international attention as Korea’s fifth-leading scorer (8.0 ppg) and leading rebounder (5.0 rpg, including 2.0 offensive rebounds per game) and the tournament’s leading shot blocker (3.7 bpg) as a 16-year-old at the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship.

Lee impressed observers with 11 points, nine rebounds and nine blocks against Spain in Korea’s opening game.

A year earlier, he had collected a triple-double of 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks against Iran in the Semi-Finals at the 2009 FIBA Asia U16 Championship to help Korea qualify for the U17 Worlds.

While the Seoul native may have been overlooked as Korea placed last of 12 teams in Hamburg two summers ago, Lee made big headlines on April 11 2012 when he corralled 42 rebounds in a Korean high school game. Lee also scored 26 points to lead his team Kyungbock to the championship game.

The 2.06m center then collected 46 points and 17 rebounds in Kyungbock’s victory over Muryong in the final.

About two weeks later, Lee was in the headlines again for being the only high school player on Hur’s team going into training camp in Anyang from May 1-11.

Lee will be trying to make the Korean squad which will take on Russia and the Dominican Republic at the OQT.

Should he make the team as an 18-year-old, it wouldn’t be unprecedented as current Korean international Kim Joo Sung was 18 at the 1998 FIBA World Championship.

But the naming of Lee on the preliminary squad – as well as hints that the 32-year-old elder statesman Kim Joo Sung might not make the team – shows that Korean officials are looking to inject youth into the aging senior team.

Seven of the 24 players on Jur’s list are 25 or younger. And Lee would be a perfect leader of the generational change.

Korea know they face an uphill battle of reaching the Olympics for the first time since 1996. And Hur might use the experience in Venezuela to help build his team looking forward to the 2014 Asian Games, taking place at home in Incheon.

The training camp and the qualifying tournament will also be a great chance for Lee to practice against and play alongside emerging 24-year-old center Oh Se Keun, who won the Korean KBL league MVP trophy this season for champions Anyang KGC.

Lee and Oh would actually make a pretty strong front court in Venezuela – and well beyond.

David Hein

FIBA

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