A freshman field commander pierced the offense’s veins.

Dongguk University defeated Chung-Ang University 77-65 in the South Division of the 2023 KUSF University Basketball U-League Regular Season on Nov. 25 at Dongguk University’s Seoul Campus Gymnasium. With 3 wins and 7 losses, the team closed the gap to eighth-place Sungkyunkwan University-KU (4 wins and 5 losses) by 1.5 games.

The best performer for Dongguk University was Lim Jung-hyun (190 cm, F). With 25 points, 13 rebounds (5 offensive), four steals, and one assist, including six three-pointers, she led both teams in scoring, rebounding, and steals.

But it was someone else who started the offense. It was first-year point guard Han Jae-hyuk (180 cm, G). When the senior guards, including Park Seung-jae (181 cm, G), were shaken by Chungang’s defense, Han created offensive opportunities with his calm ball-handling and smart passing.

Even when Chungang utilized a zone defense, Han was relaxed and shook up the Chungang defensive rotation with not only assisted passes, but also passes that opened up offensive lanes. Seven points and six assists in 34 minutes and one second. It was the most assists on the team and gave Dongguk University its third win.

After the game, Dongguk head coach Lee Ho-geun said, “(Han) Jae-hyuk’s game management was quite good, and he also threw confidently on his own chances. He is a player who has the ability to run the game and pass, so I think he will get better.” Lee Ho-geun was positive about Han’s performance in the middle game.

Han certainly has the talent. However, it’s not easy to be the starting point guard. Park Seung-jae is holding down the fort, and swingmen like Lee Sang-hyun (192 cm, F) and Lim Jung-hyun (190 cm, F) will have to partner with him. Also, a two-guard lineup of Han and Park could cause mismatches due to their height.

Dongguk University coach Lee Ho-geun also said, “(Park) Seung-jae’s ball possession time is long, so he has a physical overload. For that reason, we also utilized the two-guard combination of Jae-hyuk and Seung-jae. Depending on the opponent, we try to utilize one guard or two guards.” He also considered how to utilize Han Jae-hyuk.

As mentioned above, Han Jae-hyuk has the ability to operate as a point guard, but he also has the ability to attack when he gets his chance. That’s why Dongguk University head coach Lee Ho-geun thinks so highly of him.안전놀이터

However, Han is only a freshman. He has a lot to work on. As Dongguk University coach Lee Ho-geun explains, “His game management skills and attacking aggressiveness are good. His height is unavoidable, but I want him to improve his physical strength,” Lee said.

He continued, “He played more than 34 minutes against Chungbuk. He held up well. We have a lot of seniors, so he may not be able to play much in the future, but he is a player who can always play his role,” he said, looking forward to Han Jae-hyuk. There was plenty of reason to be hopeful. Han Jae-hyuk showed promise as the next field commander of Donggukdae in the Chungcheong War.