The third microbe is Yonsei Yoo Sang (188 cm, G), the best shooter on the college stage. Why does Yoo choose to be a chameleon who changes his color to match his environment?

Yoo’s basketball career started with a notebook

Born into a family of athletes, Yoo’s basketball career began with a notebook hanging in front of his house. When he saw an advertisement for a basketball class on the back of the notebook, he was so fascinated that he and his brother went to a basketball class and caught a basketball for the first time in his life.

Despite his first basketball, Yoo stood out. He had many options to start playing basketball properly, but his father’s friend suggested he transfer 먹튀검증 to Samgwangcho. It was his first time playing elite basketball, and it was tough, but it didn’t dampen his enthusiasm and fun for the game.

“My father said, ‘Wouldn’t it be better to go to Samgwangcho since I still know a little bit,’ so I went. At that time, I was connected to Yongsanjung and Yongsan High School, so that was also a reason. I was good at club sports, but when I went to Samgwangcho, it was completely different. It was very hard (laughs).”

It was Yang Jae-min (Utsunomiya), Kim Tae-wan (Hyundai Mobis), and Choi Jong-min who met Yoo when he came over from club sports. Seeing their skills shocked him and inspired him to start playing “real” basketball.

Except for the hard entries, he never stopped playing.

The basics and shooting he learned during this time became the nourishment that made him who he is today, and his interest in basketball grew even more when he moved away from club sports and started playing with scheduled plays and set movements. Yoo went on to Yongsan Middle School and then Yongsan High School, where he faced the shock of being left off the roster for the first time.

“When I got to high school, me and (Jung) Bae-kwon (Sungkyunkwan University) didn’t make the roster. It was a new experience. I went to the stadium, but I didn’t feel nervous because I couldn’t play anyway (laughs). If I was thinking about it, it would have been really hard for me, but I’m glad I wasn’t thinking about it, but I always knew I wanted to play. Looking back, I’m grateful for that time.”

That’s because it was a time when he felt desperate and important to play. “I really wanted to play, so I came off the bench as part of the team, warmed up, and asked to play. I think I’m where I am today because of that experience.”

Opportunity comes to those who ask for it. When Yoo was a freshman at Yongsan High School, Lee Se-beom, the current head coach of the team, was hired, and it proved to be a turning point in Yoo’s career.

‘The importance of defense’ The game that changed my basketball life

“Because of the structure of Yongsan High School, when I bounce the ball in the gym, it can be heard all the way to the dormitory and the coach’s room. When I was working out in the gym at dawn and bouncing the ball, the coach would come out and catch my ball even if he was sleeping, and even if I was doing individual workouts before that, there was no nutritional value, so I’m really grateful for (the coach’s) direction.”

From Yongsan High School to Yonsei University, Yoo Yoo-sang was once again competing to survive among his fancy older siblings. He needed a different weapon to survive the next level of competition, and there was a decisive match that made him realize this.

It was a college basketball regular season game against Dankook University on October 27, 2020. “The first six shots I took didn’t go in. I wanted to play more, and the shots weren’t going in, so I decided to grit my teeth and play defense. After the second quarter, when Coach Eun Hee-seok entered the locker room, he asked me in front of the players why I was playing even though the shots weren’t going in. He said, ‘It’s because of the defense.’ That’s when I knew that defense came first.”

By focusing on defense, Yoo ended up scoring the second most points (14) on the team in that game, behind Lee Jung-hyun (18). The experience gave Yoo a hint on how to play when his shooting is down, and as a senior, he has become a force on the defensive end, ranking fourth in the league in blocked shots (1.3) this season.

From bench member to ace… a chameleon wherever he goes

Absorbing good things from his outstanding seniors, Yoo has been Yonsei’s ace since his junior year. That’s why there were rumors of him going pro every draft year. Yoo was undeterred, and after completing his senior year, he decided to take the plunge.

“Actually, whenever I’m around people, they say, ‘When did you leave, what team did you go to?’ I like the method, and I’m stubborn enough that once I make a choice, I don’t look back (laughs). When I thought about leaving early, I had a lot of distractions, so I immediately decided, ‘This is not the way to go.’ And since I received good things from my older brothers, I wanted to deliver good things to the younger ones until the end.”

Yoo’s focus on the professional stage is on the role the team wants him to play. Like a chameleon that changes its color according to its environment, he is ready to do whatever the team wants.

“I want to fulfill my orders perfectly and help the team win. I’m thinking a lot about doing something with the team to achieve results, not just watching from the bench. I want to work hard to do what I can, but I think I can only play if I do what helps the team first rather than being greedy.”

Yoo is one of the best shooters in college, and we’re excited to see if his 3-point shot will find its way through the pro ranks.