2024-01-21 12:24:00
“This year’s team is really enthusiastic. They also talk a lot.”
On January 21st, Utsunomiya Brex played away against Ryukyu Golden Kings. On this day, Utsunomiya was short on big men as Gavin Edwards, who has been out of action since mid-November, and Isaac Fotu, who was injured in the previous day’s game, were absent. However, thanks to Kosuke Takeuchi’s efforts, they won the rebound battle, winning the battle 74-68 and avenging their loss the previous day.
Utsunomiya stood up and succeeded in a big run of 18-4 by far surpassing Ryukyu with their aggressiveness in both attack and defense. However, the Ryukyus regained their composure and improved the accuracy of their play, allowing them to counterattack and end the first half with the score tied at 40-37.
The second half was a back-and-forth affair, but in the middle of the fourth quarter, Ryukyu’s Keishi Matswaki and Vic Roe hit consecutive 3-point shots, and with four and a half minutes remaining, they were trailing 61-68. However, Utsunomiya increased the strength of their defense to another level, stagnating Ryukyu’s offense and inducing tough shots and turnovers, changing the flow. Then, with 49 seconds left, DJ Newbill sank a 3-point shot to finally turn the game around. In the end, they maintained a scoreless score in the remaining four and a half minutes, achieving a come-from-behind victory with a solid defense that was typical of Utsunomiya.
Utsunomiya’s head coach Yoshio Sasa looks back on the match as follows. “I have to reflect on my decision-making as the rotation was too unbalanced.In the second half, we had more difficult offenses where the ball stopped and we played one-on-one, but in the end we were able to play the offense we wanted to play.Then we rebounded. I thought Kosuke (Takeuchi)’s eight offensive rebounds against the Ryukyus was extraordinary, even though there was no foreign player on the inside.”
In addition, the commander continued to say that his mental toughness, which did not lose his concentration even in the face of adversity and maintained a strong desire to win, was a major reason for the team’s victory. “Even when we were behind by seven points in the fourth quarter, when I looked into the eyes of the players, I saw that they had not given up at all, and this year’s team is really motivated. Also, they talked a lot. We have a game plan, but we’ll let the players do what they think.I think this is the way things should be. The fact that we have these players is what allows us to win even in difficult games.”
For head coach Sasa, Ryukyu will be his first time as head coach and his former team, where he led the team for two and a half years. Also, Ryukyu’s head coach Oketani Dai is a good friend of his coaching colleagues both professionally and privately. Last season, Utsunomiya lost both games by double-digit points or more in the opening round against Ryukyu. Regarding this victory in Okinawa, which he still has a fondness for, he said, “I’m happy because it’s a game,” and at the same time, he feels fulfilled that he was able to provide Okinawan basketball fans with a good game that kept their hands sweating until the very end. Emphasize the feeling.
“More than that, I’m grateful to be able to come back to Okinawa and play basketball like this.Last year, we lost badly, and I don’t think the fans watching didn’t have much fun.Yesterday we lost, and today… We won, but I think the cross game is the best part, and I’m glad I was able to do that in Okinawa.”
“I am very conscious of building an organization that will allow us to compete more as a team.”
With this victory, Utsunomiya now has 24 wins and 7 losses. They have made a complete turnaround since winning the league the year before last, and are now certain to advance to the postseason with a stunning V-shaped recovery from last season, when they missed out on the championship. With Edwards out for an extended period of time, Newbill is the only addition to his strength from last season. Of course, Newbill is one of the league’s best scorers and clutch shooters, so his presence is huge. However, the world of competition is not so simple that just one person can change everything. This revival is due to the stepping up of the entire team, and that includes head coach Sasa’s own growth.
He himself admits that there have been changes in his command and team management methods between last season and this season. He reveals that this is largely influenced by the activities of the Japan national team, for which he is an assistant coach. “I was fortunate enough to experience the World Cup. I learned a lot from building a team under Tom Horvath, and I am putting it to good use in some ways. I’m very conscious of creating an organization that allows us to compete as a team, not just our individual parts.There are many things, but to put it simply, I’m making the role of each person clear.I’m teaching the team the importance of leadership and the ability to believe. I’m passing it on.”
Head coach Sasa says that he has started to place more emphasis on dialogue in particular. “How do we communicate to build a team? Before, we had a lot of team meetings, but in basketball there are about 14 people on a team, so we are conscious of talking individually. Then, it becomes clear what kind of leadership I want him to demonstrate. Communication is the biggest factor.”
Although the approach has changed in this way, the aspects that Head Coach Sasa values in his team-building philosophy remain the same. Takeuchi, who is a classmate of mine and has known him longer than anyone else, says, “This is what I feel is that he doesn’t stand up for himself.I think he’s a coach who has his own stance and doesn’t waver from his core.” Because the fundamentals remain the same, players are able to accept change.
Regarding his own coaching, he says, “I’m aware that it’s completely different from last year,” but he doesn’t feel satisfied with that at all. “I don’t get to see it that much (lol), but I’m still in my 30s and young, so I have to continue to grow.I have a long way to go, and I have better Japanese coaches like Oke-san and Ohno (Atsushi). I want to continue to grow as a young coach so that I can catch up with them.”
His enthusiasm for giving instructions from courtside with no emotion and encouraging his team by cheering on the nice plays of his teammates has not changed at all since he started his career as a head coach in the Ryukyus. The commander has long been highly respected for his knowledge of strategy and tactics, and by gaining a variety of experiences, he has steadily improved his management ability to see the team from a broader perspective.
These two consecutive games served as a stage to once again prove that Utsunomiya is different from last season and that Sasa has stepped up as a coach.
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