Choi Hyung-chan (189 cm, G), who has strengths in defense and nasty work, will try his hand at the professional stage.
The KBL will hold the 2024 KBL Rookie Draft on Friday, November 15 at the Goyang Sono Arena. A total of 42 players are expected to participate in the draft, and we’ve narrowed the field down to 30 players.
Choi Hyung-chan is also knocking on the door of the pros. After graduating from Dongbu Middle and Anyang High School, Choi attended Yonsei University 파워사다리 and started playing as a freshman.
In the first and third rounds of the 2021 KUSF Collegiate Basketball Tournament, he averaged just over 18 minutes per game in two games, amassing 18 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and four steals, including three three-pointers.
As a sophomore, he averaged 5.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals in 17:31 minutes in 13 games, and as a junior, he averaged 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals in 26:58 minutes in 13 games.
This season, he averaged 3.4 points, 4.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.7 steals in 14 games while playing over 20 minutes.
While his offense was unsteady in his uneven playing time, he provided a spark for the team with his solid defense, which is unique among the talented underclassmen.
Choi shot 35.8% (19-of-53) from three-point range in the NCAA last year. This season, his three-point percentage has dropped to 17.2% (5-of-29).
However, it’s not as if he doesn’t have a shot. All five of Choi’s three-pointers came in a single game against Korea on May 29, and he attempted one or two in other games, but they all went off the rim. It might be more accurate to say that once he starts going in, he can keep going in.
Above all, he plays defense and sacrifices himself for the team, not for himself. That’s his biggest strength.
He’s certainly not a first-rounder, but in a time of hard calls, being able to give starters a break and shut down opponents with tight defense, even if it’s just for a few minutes, can be attractive. We’ll see if Choi Hyung-chan will be in a professional team’s uniform on draft day.
Meanwhile, according to the 2024 KBL Rookie Draft Ranking Draw held on October 30, the following teams will be selected in the following order: (1) Anyang Jungkwanjang (2) Goyang Sono (3) Seoul Samsung-DB Designated (4) Daegu Korea Gas Corporation (5) Ulsan Hyundai Mobis (6) Seoul SK (7) Changwon LG (8) Wonju DB-Samsung Designated (9) Suwon KT (10) Busan KCC.