i doubt the guy's going to be good right away. he's a project at best. But it would be great if the guy was good. if he played well, there would be much hype for a ha vs yao matchup. korea vs china. i can see tnt trying to get that in their tv schedule soon.
NBA prospect Ha Seung-jin had 16 points and 11 rebounds in 16 minutes as his team claimed the title at the 28th High School Championship Tournament of the Korea Basketball Association. The 2.23-meter-tall center's Samil Commercial High School handed a 114-92 defeat to Jemulpo High School to snatch the trophy on Friday at Changchung Gymnasium in Seoul. ``We had already gained a comfortable (30-19) lead after the end of the first quarter. So, I benched Seung-jin as a way to protect him,'' said Lee Yun-hwan, the head coach of Samil. The 18-year-old Ha, who also was picked as the tourney's MVP, returned to the floor with six minutes left in the fourth quarter, during which he drained his third one-hand dunk of the game. ``I tried to display slam dunks as much as I can. We won, but it is just like a beginning. I will do my best to continue my team's undefeated run,'' Ha told reporters after the game. The Suwon-based team won all five of their games at the tournament, stretching their unbeaten run to 27 games dating back to April last year. Meanwhile, Ha's agent from SFX Sports Group in the United States visited the gymnasium and videotaped his play for a further analysis. ``My evaluation of Seung-jin is pretty good although the competition isn't as good as it is in the U.S. On Thursday, he played a lot of minutes. He just basically showed how fundamentally sound he is and that's all we can ask right now,'' John Kim, Ha's agent from SFX, said. Ha chalked up 34 points, including seven dunks, and 20 rebounds in 35 minutes as his team rolled over Kimhae Kaya High School 100-76 in the semifinal on Thursday at the same venue. Upon Ha's potential as an NBA player, Kim said: ``We will prepare everything for Seung-jin for the 2004 draft. As of right now, he is 100 percent to be a first-round pick.'' The gymnasium was also visited by head coaches of the nation's two most prestigious university teams _ Yonsei and Korea Universities _ that are both vying to land Ha. They have already promised to support Ha's move to the NBA. ``Pertaining to Seung-jin's college future, we have nothing to do with that. That's a family decision. Whatever school he goes, we will support it. But our main focus for him is to go to the NBA,'' Kim added. Ha's father Dong-ki said his family is carefully studying all options available for his son and will make a proper decision in the near future. The third-year highschooler will graduate in February next year.
Exactly. Im pretty sure Germany has a mandatory enrollment. I say this because I was born in Germany(my dad was in the Air Force) and my parents tell me that when I turn 18 I have to pick if I wanna go to Germany or stay here. If I go to Germany though, I'd have to server 2 years in their military, but I told them that I'd rather serve in our military if I served in any. I may not be right, but I have never heard of Dirk having to serve in the army. He may have already, though.
All you need to read to see what this guy is about Many people think that he already is better than Yao Ming. While his outside shot isn’t as appealing as Yao is, he can still shoot free throws, and can shoot from mid range with terrific accuracy but isn’t going to give you the shooting clinic that Yao. What he will do is he will eat up his defenders with his inside dominance. The other thing to remember is that because he has a big body, he has a fearsome defensive presence. He has huge arms and hands, which makes it easy for him to block shots. He’s pretty slow in general, although his speed is improving. Says nothing about passing, says he isn't as good of a shooter, says nothing about how high he can jump, says he is slow but "improving"...haha. This guy is nothing special, not even an NBA player. This is an interview of him.... What aspect of your game is the strongest, and which area needs the most work? I am 2.23-meter tall. In addition, I am a 140-kilogram player. Because of these conditions, I think I am good at post play. But, I have a problem with defense due to my height. When I jump to block a shot, the next thing is a collision with my opponent, leading to an unstable landing. This means he probably is very slow and uncoordinated. Yao was never like this at that age.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_5107.shtml Ha Seung-Jin 7-3 305 HS Senior: Those that have seen him immediately drop Yao Ming as a means to compare him. He¡¯s no Yao Ming, but clearly he is Korea¡¯s answer to Yao. Standing a full foot taller than any of his teammates, Seung-Jin is a man among boys (small boys), still a High Schooler, he does not have a lot of experience, and that¡¯s going to limit his development. They say you cannot teach height, in this case it¡¯s true, but you do have to teach what you can do with height, and Ha Seung-Jin is going to need a lot of work. He¡¯ll have to prove he can play, before anyone seriously considers a lottery pick on him he¡¯s worth watching.
It seems that this kid will be in mid to late lottery next year as the draft is projected now. He played OK in the U19 turnament in Greek last month. Although some people seem to think that he is a bit slow, his size and strength are definitely legit. The main question about the kid is whether he can stay injury-free. Both his father and his sister ended their basketball careers prematurely due to serious injuries.
Ha Seung-jin Heads for US http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/sports/200312/kt2003120416085211620.htm Yesterday,At Inchun international airport
The poor kid went from projected high lottery pick to bottom first rounder after he faced Yao in Asian Championship. Hope he can do better in that training program.
Apparently, he is more aggressive than Yao. It will be interesting to see him abuse the sissy Yao Ming. He is 5 years younger than Yao, too.
Ha Seung-Jin, 18, a 7-foot-4, 325-pounder from South Korea, is working out in Los Angeles to get ready for the NBA Draft. Sports Illustrated reports he's learning English, but so far knows only two phrases: "Damn, you're fine" and "You're really hot." San Francisco Chronicle, CA
