Hovasse recalls debut vs China as a wakeup call for Japan ahead of rematch

TOKYO (Japan) - What a year it was in 2023 for AKATSUKI JAPAN.

"THOSE FIRST TWO GAMES AGAINST CHINA IN 2021 WERE A WAKE-UP CALL FOR EVERYONE ASSOCIATED WITH JAPAN BASKETBALL. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT CHANGE WAS NECESSARY."

- Tom Hovasse

Not every country can say they have been able to host a FIBA Basketball World Cup as Japan did in style in Okinawa. Only a handful of national team programs can say they qualified for the Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris 2024 as Japan did as the best ranked national team in the Final Standings of the World Cup.

But Japan were able to celebrate both achievements in the same year.

Add that with the promise of the talents playing all around the world in the Japan basketball pipeline and it's easy to see why there's so much optimism.

It's easy to get caught up in that air of joy, which is something that Tom Hovasse is always constantly in check.

"We can't be content with the success at the World Cup. We need to stay hungry, continue improving, and continue growing individually and as a team," said the head coach who took over in 2021.

And it's a new calendar year, which means new challenges to overcome and goals to reach.

"Basketball has grown so much in Japan in the past few years," said Hovasse. "The players are excited and the fan base is growing.

"The challenges in 2024 will be great, but we believe we can raise Japan basketball to new heights at home and on the international stage."

Japan's first major task on the international stage will, in fact, be at home, when they welcome Guam to the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo. Guam are determined to qualify for the Asia Cup after painfully missing out on the dance in 2022, which is why Japan need to keep their focus at a high level in this home stand - as Hovasse is prepared for.

" Guam has size, are physical and get after you on the defensive end," analyzed the tactician. "They are a good rebounding team, as well, and attack mismatches in the post. All of those attributes are things we need to work and improve upon. It should be a great challenge."

The second matchup, also at the Ariake Coliseum, will be a blockbuster as all-time leaders in Asia Cups won, China, come to town. It's certainly one of the biggest games to watch in this upcoming Window and for a good reason. Japan and China have a combined 52 Asia Cup appearances and 33 combined podium finishes.

"The matchup with China is always difficult," Hovasse expressed. "Their size at all positions creates matchup problems and they are a team that has played together for a long time. It's been two and a half years since we last played them.

"I'm excited for this next game to see how far we have come and what we need to work on. It will be a great test against a very good team."

While we're used to Hovasse having a good memory when it comes to his teams, the fact that his first games as a men's national team head coach being against China might also be a reason why he remembers so well when their last clash occurred.

Ever the wise one with a positive outlook, he views this as an opportunity to gauge how far the national team program has come.

"Those first two games against China in 2021 were a wake-up call for everyone associated with Japan Basketball," he admitted. "It was obvious that change was necessary.

"I like what we have done and the path we are on now. To continue on this path, we need to be more physical defensively, more aggressive offensively and compete with China on the glass for 40 minutes."

There should be a lot of continuity on this path, at least in this Window 1 of the Asia Cup Qualifiers, considering the familiar names across the training camp roster named in preparation for the competition. With 10 players from the World Cup squad in the mix including Yuki Kawamura and Makoto Hiejima, Japan are hopeful to secure a win to start 2024 on a very high note with a big competition lined up later in the year as well.

"Winning this game would be an important start on our journey to Paris," he said. "Playing in front of our passionate fans should give us a great boost. I want them to be proud and excited by the effort and style of Japan basketball."

Japan's path to Asia Cup 2025 Qualification goes through Group C where they will go up against China, Guam, and Mongolia.

They play their first game against Guam on February 22 at 19:05 (GMT +9) while their game against China will be on February 25 at 14:00 (GMT +9). Both games will be played at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo.

Like the previous cycle, the 24 Asia Cup Qualifiers teams are drawn into 6 groups of 4. Each team plays the other 3 teams on a home-and-away basis over 3 windows, with 2 games per window.

The top 2 teams from each group will qualify for the FIBA Asia Cup 2025, making a total of 12 teams.

The six 3rd-place teams from each group, meanwhile, qualify to play in a final qualifying tournament. The top 4 teams from this competition will take the remaining spots of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025.

FIBA