I’m doing 1,000 shooting drills a day. There’s always confidence.”

Suwon kt won 108-106 in the final Group A match of the 2023 MG Saemaul Geumgo KBL Cup against Wonju DB at Gunsan Wolmyeong Gymnasium on the 12th after an extended match.

Defending champion kt reached the semifinals and will once again be able to look at the top of the cup tournament.

The first contributors to the victory were Paris Bath, Lee Doo-won, and Dave Ildefonso. The three players were the brightest stars in the 45-minute blood fight.

But another star stood on the court. Moon Jung-hyun, the No. 1 player in the 2023 KBL rookie draft, made his debut.

Moon Jung-hyun recorded seven points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal in 28 minutes and 34 seconds. It was not a remarkable record, but it was a better-than-expected result as it was a game without even matching hands and feet.

After the game, Moon Jung-hyun said, “I’m so happy to win as a member of kt. As soon as I came back from the national team, I learned hard from the first day and worked out a lot. And now I’m so happy to learn to win,” he said.

Moon Jung-hyun, who participated in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, was immediately put into the Cup after working together for one or two days. Kt coach Song Young-jin also focused on working together for now rather than having high expectations.

Moon Jung-hyun said, “I think it’s been about four or five days since I came to kt. It’s the process of getting to know the team members. I’m trying to figure out what kind of play my brothers are good at. I’m glad I filled that part in the DB match. “My goal is to do what the coach wants,” he said.

It was also his first time working with foreign players such as Paris Bath and Michael Eric. Even though there were still a lot of difficulties, Moon Jung-hyun did not tremble and kept his hands and feet together. “To be honest, I was very excited and thought I could go to a high place even though I matched it for a day or two,” he said.

He added, “Bath hyung takes good care of the ball handler role or pass with me. And Eric has the second best leadership after Gunah. Gun-ah was the best so far, but Eric was also very good, he said. “It’s actually a secret about Eric’s leadership (laughs). “If I do well in the league, I will tell you,” he added.

It was the first game, but Moon Jung-hyun played a number of roles. He played fearlessly in attack and defense, matching up with Korea’s top players such as Kang Sang-jae and Kim Jong-kyu. There were also many difficulties. As a rookie, such difficulties have become an asset.

Moon Jung-hyun’s talents and abilities have already been proven. It is time for adjustment. As the life of the national team has been long, familiarity with kt’s patterns is the top priority.

Moon Jung-hyun said, “I haven’t been familiar with our team’s pattern yet. I’m studying day and night, but I think it will speed up if I adapt, he said. “I’m playing in different positions in attack and defense, and that won’t be difficult if I exchange conversations or just understand the players.”

One disappointment is a three-point shot. Moon Jung-hyun attempted five three-pointers against DB and did not succeed at all. He poured out four three-pointers in the last match between Korea and Japan at the Hangzhou Asian Games, so it must be a pity that he could not continue the good flow.

Moon Jung-hyun said, “Unfortunately, I have to keep throwing. I’m practicing 1000 shots a day. Coach Kim Young-hwan, and many people are helping. I’ll keep throwing it. I always have confidence,” he said with a smile.

Meanwhile, Moon Jung-hyun has lost a lot of weight after the Hangzhou Asian Games. This is a problem that most players in the competition experienced. However, Song ordered Moon to lose more weight.

In response, Moon Jung-hyun said, “I think I’m about 95kg now. In Hangzhou, I lost a lot of weight because I ate only a little salad, chicken, and hamburger. There is also the influence of daily exercise. Since there were not many games that I played, I prepared by exercising every day. “If I lose more weight than now, I think I can show better performance,” he said.

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