Shot Selection
The Twin Dragon Cup finals took place on Wednesday, June 12th.
Around 3 p.m., right after the women's basketball final wrapped up and we stepped onto the court to warm up, the stands began to fill up bit by bit.
There were players' families, of course, but also college coaches, pro team scouts, and front-office staff taking their seats.
Chang-min noticed, swallowing hard before whispering to me.
"You not nervous? They're all here to see you."
"Nah. Not going anywhere anyway."
"Not going? What do you mean?"
"It's a thing. Anyway, focus on the game. Opponents are tough, right?"
"Y-yeah. They're the nationwide champs, after all."
Yongseon High School, based in Seoul. The undisputed powerhouse of high school basketball.
Every player was a top middle school prospect, and their starting five were rated good enough to snag spots at the top three universities if they wanted.
And they were marking me tight.
According to Chang-min, they'd definitely prepped tactics to shut me down.
'Hope they did their homework.'
I shouldn't think like that, but part of me was rooting for them.
Rooting for them to bring enough firepower to hand me a loss.
If they beat me, sure, no championship would sting—but it'd feel good too. Proof that my team wasn't some pushover.
Beep! The ref blew the whistle for five minutes to tip-off.
We headed back to the bench for final checks.
"Most important thing today: play your normal game! No nerves—just execute like in practice! Sangwon High on three. One, two, three!"
-Sangwon High fight!
-Let's go!!
Two minutes to tip.
Everyone was tense, murmuring about the crowd, cracking lame jokes to loosen up.
They were eyeing Suryeon noona and the five college friends she'd brought for support.
"Whoa, damn. What level is that?"
"Think noona'd introduce me?"
"Yeah, they're elite uni girls. Zero interest in you."
"Hey, I'm going to Yeonseo Uni early admission too. Shut your trap."
"Pfft, Yeonseo's minimum cutthroat. No way you make it."
And next to Suryeon noona's crew sat Subin’s girlfriend, Chaerin.
"Shin Subin, fighting──!! Do great!!"
She was screaming cheers, but Subin stared blankly at the court, fidgeting with his hands like he hadn't heard a thing.
"Aish, come on. Girlfriend skips school to cheer, and he's like that?"
"Right? Dude has no clue how lucky he is. If it were me, I'd worship her. Reply to texts in seconds!"
"It's the face, huh? Always the face!"
"Brothers...! Not the time to fight among ourselves! We gotta stick together! Come on, Seojun bro, join us!"
Byung-su reached out to me.
I was floored.
"Why the hell am I your brother? I got a girlfriend. Play among yourselves."
But the kids didn't buy it one bit. No way a guy training religiously till 11 p.m. every night had a girl, right?
"Pfft! Says he has a girlfriend... Hngh!"
"Bullshit."
"2D waifu grindset."
Then Byung-su caught himself and growled.
"You...! Don't think Suryeon noona's nice to you means she likes you! Or that she's your girl already! Don't confess or anything stupid? Seriously...! Please!"
"What the—?"
Still, the small talk worked. No shakes in our steps heading to the court.
I went to center court, facing off against their center, Shim Hyeong-cheol.
'Guy was the top high school center before I showed up.'
2.06 meters tall, pushing 110kg.
But no explosiveness or speed.
Beep! I easily won the jump ball, giving us first possession.
"One by one, nice and steady!"
Under Chang-min's call, we moved to positions.
Opponents barely reacted.
Not man-to-man. Zone defense.
A weird variation, too.
The clash between upstart Sangwon High and powerhouse Yongseon High.
Sangwon was hot, but Yongseon was the reigning king, drawing all eyes from basketball insiders.
Predictions favored Sangwon.
Even the experts in the stands figured Yongseon couldn't contain Seojun's scoring.
"Trouble's foul trouble."
Yeonseo University coach Choi In-ho muttered, and next to him, Changwon Lariions scout Lee Kang-hoon nodded.
"Yeah, high schoolers can't guard Lee Seojun straight-up with normal D..."
You might think, just don't foul. But it's not that simple.
Unless you totally bail on defense, committing hard means fouls happen, careful or not.
"Key is controlling Seojun without fouling out your stars."
"No way Shim Hyeong-cheol does it alone. He can body up, but speed gap's too big."
"Yeah, fouls'll pile up fast."
So, team tactics were everything.
"Coach Kim's a sly fox at that. Let's watch."
Yongseon's scheme: Box & One.
Four guys zoning the paint, one manning the opponent's ace.
Usually, you'd stick the chaser on the ball-handler, but not here.
Power forward Lee Young-jun was shadowing me at a distance.
If I cut low post, Hyeong-cheol joined to wall me off.
Double-teaming to deny rebound position.
"Ngh...!"
They blocked entry desperately; I couldn't get prime paint spot.
Byung-su's three rimmed out.
Thud! Hyeong-cheol snagged defensive board with Young-jun's box-out help.
"Nice D!"
"Keep it up!"
Yongseon missed their shot; back to Sangwon offense.
I tried high-post backdown on Young-jun, but another guy zipped in for double before I powered through.
Pressure before I could create space.
"Ooh... Clever prep."
"Controls Seojun's options, tanks Sangwon's jumper efficiency. Box & One's the answer."
Wing defenders on me in this funky zone.
Subin, who could midrange, got heavy pressure; others got soft contests from distance.
Enough to tank Byung-su and Jin-hyuk's accuracy, gym-specialized or not.
Swish! Chang-min's rushed elbow jumper.
Yongseon swarmed the paint, shoving me out. Four guys boxing out.
No way I control two behind me, back strength or not.
While I battled Hyeong-cheol, screech! Young-jun slipped in front.
Sandwiched me without loose-ball foul.
"Hngh!"
Thud! Young-jun grabbed the board.
Then—
"Fast break!"
Quick outlet to the runner.
Me tied up inside, backcourt exposed. Yongseon exploited with crisp passes, scoring first on transition.
Swish! Coach Kim Seong-su adjusted his glasses, smirking.
'That's basketball, you freak-bodied thunderbolt.'
Yongseon prepped hard to stop me.
Higher energy and skill than Sangwon; honed sniper tactics left me frustrated.
Feeling the need for counter, next possession I faced up instead of backdown, bulldozing Young-jun's side.
Screech! Bang! Simple power-speed drive-in.
But enough.
Young-jun panicked.
Undersized big, he figured he could match my speed/power.
Planned to squeeze my path, force outside.
But boom! First clash felt like hitting a boulder.
'What the hell...!'
I barreled straight, unmoved.
Young-jun had to thud! yank my arm for foul stop.
Planned play. If I reached paint, Hyeong-cheol helps, risks fouling out irreplaceable center.
Better him foul; bench depth covered.
Beep! Whistle blew, but...
Crunch! Momentum unbroken, I bulldozed on like a dozer, close as possible, softly lofted.
Thud! Swish! Rimmed the board, in.
Ref signaled emphatically.
"Basket counts! And one free throw!"
"We fouled!"
"Already in shooting motion."
"Agh...!"
Young-jun clutched his head.
Coach Kim smacked his lips.
'Monsters are monsters. Young-jun overwhelmed in power and speed.'
Swish! And-one made it 3-2, Sangwon lead.
Yongseon's stance firm: Force shaky jumpers, swarm me, secure boards.
If I forced through anyway, someone fouls early to save Hyeong-cheol.
Working so far.
At 4:47 Q1, 7-14. Yongseon up 7 on transition joy.
My only points: that and-one. Drive? Fouled. Slow backdown? Double.
Sangwon's issue: Lacking tactical options.
Triangle offense needs man-to-man to shine.
Abandon perimeter, paint focus? Jumpers only path.
But my moves weren't meaningless.
Four minutes left Q1, Yongseon in team foul penalty.
Chang-min exploited, ordering aggressive drives.
Young-jun subbed with two fouls; replacement Kim Ho-yeol fouled on my drive, team fifth foul. Penalty.
Coach Kim burned inside.
'Expected penalty eventually, but not this fast... Adjust Q2!'
Me at line.
'Fine. FT% around 50% anyway.'
Real issue post-FT: No transition.
'Play conservative half-court rest of Q1.'
Swish! First clean.
Second swish! Clean rim. "Whew!" Good exhale.
9-14.
But Yongseon answered with corner three off team ball movement.
"Splash──!!"
"There it is!"
9-17. Roaring Yongseon, fist-pumping Kim.
Gap widens; Chang-min hesitated timeout, but I said—
"Chang-min, I'm feeling it a bit now."
"...! Okay. Let's go!"
Chang-min hurried set: Fake drive, drag my man Ho-yeol inside, pivot-pass to me free-throw line.
Zone ceding perimeter; I was wide open.
"..."
I paused, then rose.
Swish! Soft push, perfect arc.
Splash! Clean through.
"...?"
Kim raised brow.
'Seojun midrange jumper? On purpose?'
Good for Yongseon. Means no offensive board from me.
'If he gifts inefficient shots, thanks.'
Open, sure—but his jumper rep? 40% tops.
"Keep shooting if you want! Stay cool!"
"Steady!"
Claps from Kim, Chang-min. 11-17. Momentum building, hot Q1 close.
"Three cuts out! Grab him!"
"Ah...!"
Yongseon pick-and-slip cut for two, beating my rim protection.
11-19. Back to 8.
"Chang-min, timeout?"
"Good now! Keep going!"
Chang-min glanced at me skeptically.
"Hoo... Hoo...!"
Some possessed aura.
Chills hit him; same set again. Fake drive, drag defender, pass.
I popped elbow jumper.
Swish!
"Whew...!"
13-19. Sangwon closing.
Kim held off timeout; their flow good too.
"Ride the wave, confident!"
But next, Hyeong-cheol couldn't beat my on-ball D, fumbled pivot, turnover.
Follow-up chance.
Chang-min set for three-peat.
'Think boards easier? Fine, see how long you ignore Seojun's shot.'
Mid-set—
Me at three-point line.
"Just give it now."
"...!"
Swish! Reflex pass.
I caught, no hesitate—jumped.
Guess I'm the animal-instinct shooter type.
Surprisingly.
Why? Soccer me had zero natural instinct. Finishing, shooting, passing—all calculated.
Even headers: Teammates, defenders, keeper positions crunched.
Three-point practice same: Fingers, palm, wrist, elbow, shoulder. Plus distance, contest. Millions reps for perfect detail.
Brain overload.
But now, tapping animal sense? Clear head, zoned on rim.
Body flowed natural.
Thud! Instinct leap.
Form held despite instinct shot. Those detail drills weren't wasted—solid foundation.
'No way it bricks.'
Certainty flooded me.
Just illusion, sure. One miss shatters it.
...But till then, 100% locked in.
Swish!
'In!'
I slowly clenched shooting hand.
Fist formed—swish! Clean net.
16-19. Three-point game.
-Whoaaa!
-Three now!
-Who said he can't shoot!?
Buzzing arena.
Opponent coach irked, called timeout.
I tried holding feel, but bench minute cooled me wrong way.
'That's breaking rhythm.'
Got the knack now.
Drive for FTs to warm shot, midrange peak it, then three.
Miss? Reset.
Full arsenal shoot selection.
"Whew!"
Timeout killed rhythm. Next three felt iffy.
Mind control weak—beginner blues.
Looked at Chang-min.
"Next offense, drive shape again. Still team foul."
He nodded vaguely.
"Got it, but first, take it at three-line."
Why? Clear soon.
Post-timeout, Yongseon top three missed; 16-19 holds.
I positioned top, ready for pass.
Then—
"...!"
Defense shifted.
My man closed gap from distance stance.
Pass came; he stepped up more.
'Got it.'
Ball in hand, they stayed back-heavy before. Ready to retreat. Paths predictable.
But jumpers landing? Game changer.
'Vinsanity time.'
Carter: Drive beast, elite jumper too.
Mastered the dilemma.
Close on jumper fear? Drive.
Space for drive? Shoot.
My turn.
'Simple fake first...'
Swish! Raised ball two hands, shot fake.
Defender tadat! Stepped up.
Bit my pump fake—means heavy jumper worry.
'Now!'
Bang! Reversed, blew by.
"Shit... He’s gone!"
Perfect fake-through.
Free-throw line ahead.
Zone lingered? Three guys funneled paint, clogging.
'Space tightening.'
Quick shot motion. They unpositioned; contact = defender foul.
Thud! Gripped two hands, jumped—but...
'Whoa, this far humanly?'
Launch ~70cm past line.
Rim distance? Far visually.
'Whatever!'
Planned layup fallback if short.
No block angle; they shied contact, fouling wary.
Free to focus rim.
Arm max height, lean forward, smash down cocked right.
"Hraaah...!!"
Boom!! Vibrant board. Sweet palm sting.
Hung rim balancing, safe land, relieved sigh.
'Phew! Dunked it. That range possible.'
Lesson learned.
'18-19. One point.'
Backpedaled transition-conscious, but play froze.
'What? Foul?'
Opponents ball-blind. Teammates stunned.
Even refs gawking at me.