“This year’s team is really excited. They also talk a lot.”
On January 21, Utsunomiya Brex played away against the Ryukyu Golden Kings. On this day, Utsunomiya was short of bigs as Gavin Edwards, out of action since mid-November, and Isaac Fotu, injured in the previous day’s match, were absent. However, thanks to the efforts of Kosuke Takeuchi, they won the rebound battle, winning the battle 74-68 and avenging the previous day’s defeat.
Utsunomiya got back up and managed a great run of 18-4, far surpassing Ryukyu with his aggression in both attack and defense. However, Ryukyu regained their composure and improved the precision of their game, allowing them to fight back and end the first half with the score tied at 40-37.
The second half was a back-and-forth game, but midway through the fourth quarter, Ryukyu’s Keishi Matswaki and Vic Roe hit consecutive 3-pointers and, with four and a half minutes left, they trailed 61-68 . However, Utsunomiya increased the strength of their defense to another level, stagnating Ryukyu’s offense and inducing difficult shots and turnovers, changing the flow. Then, with 49 seconds left, DJ Newbill hit a 3-pointer to finally turn the tide. In the end, they kept the score scoreless in the remaining four and a half minutes, achieving a comeback victory with some solid defense typical of Utsunomiya.
Utsunomiya coach Yoshio Sasa looks back on the match as follows. “I have to reflect on my decisions because the rotation was too unbalanced. In the second half we had more difficult attacks where the ball stopped and we played one on one, but in the end we managed to play we wanted to play on attack. Then we rebounded. I thought Kosuke’s (Takeuchi) eight offensive rebounds against Ryukyu were extraordinary, even though there was no foreign player inside.
Furthermore, the commander continued to say that his mental strength, which did not lose focus even in the face of adversity and maintained a strong desire to win, was one of the main reasons for the team’s victory. “Even when we were seven points behind in the fourth quarter, when I looked into the players’ eyes, I saw that they didn’t give up at all and this year’s team is really motivated. Plus, they talked a lot. We have a game plan , but we will let the players do what they think. I think that things should go like this, the fact of having these players is what allows us to win even in difficult matches.”
For coach Sasa, Ryukyu will be his first time as a head coach and as a former team, where he led the team for two and a half years. Additionally, Ryukyu’s coach, Oketani Dai, is good friends with his fellow coaches 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, for which he still has great affection, he said: “I’m happy because it’s a game” and, at the same time, he feels satisfied that he was able to provide Okinawa basketball fans with a good game which made my hands sweat until the end.
“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 a lot of fun. Yesterday we lost, and today… We won, but I think the cross-play is the best part, and I’m happy we were able to do that in Okinawa.”
“I’m very aware that we need to build 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 championship two years ago, and are now certain to advance to the postseason with a stunning V-shaped recovery from last season, when they lost 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 best scorers and shooters in the league, so his presence is huge. However, the world of competition is not so simple that one person can change everything. This rebirth is due to the strengthening of the entire team, and that includes the growth of coach Sasa himself.
He himself admits that there have been changes in his commands and team management methods between last season and this. He reveals that this is largely influenced by the activities of the Japanese national team, for which he is assistant coach. “I was lucky enough to experience the World Cup. I learned a lot building a team under Tom Horvath, and I’m putting that to good use in some way. 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 am clarifying the role of each person. I am teaching the team the importance of leadership and the ability to believe. passing it on.”
Coach Sasa says he has started to give more importance especially to dialogue. “How do we communicate to build a team? We used to have a lot of team meetings, but in basketball there are about 14 people on a team, so we are aware of talking individually. Then it becomes clear what kind of leadership I have I want to demonstrate. Communication It’s the most important factor.”
While 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: “What I feel is that he doesn’t stand up for himself. I think he’s a coach who has his own position and doesn’t stand up for himself.” . t waver from its core.” Because the fundamentals remain the same, players are able to embrace change.
Regarding his training he says: “I am aware that it is completely different compared to last year”, but he does not feel satisfied at all. “I can’t see it much (lol), but I’m still 30 years old and young, so I have to keep growing. I have a long way to go and I have better Japanese coaches like Oke-san and Ohno (Atsushi). I want to keep growing like young coach so we can reach them.”
His enthusiasm for giving instructions from the sidelines without emotion and encouraging his team by cheering on the good plays of his teammates has not changed at all since he began his career as 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 matches served as a stage to once again prove that Utsunomiya is different from last season and that Sasa has stepped up as a coach.
2024-01-21 12:24:00
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