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Chou's leadership lands him award

The EETV Antelopes' Chou Jung-san leads the game. PHOTO: SBL

Chou Jung-san's exemplary leadership in guiding the ETTV Antelopes to two impressive victories last week earned the 13-year veteran this week's Player of the Week honor in the Super Basketball League (SBL).

The Antelopes' point man beat fellow backcourt mate Yang Yu-ming by a 23-to-17 vote margin for the well-deserved weekly honor with his 13.5-point, 4-rebound, and 5.5-assist two-game average. It was Chou's running lateral jumper from the foul line with four seconds on the clock that delivered the win in the Antelopes' 76-75 come-from-behind victory over the previously red-hot Dacin Tigers (winners in six of their past seven contests).

"Basketball is a team sport, which means that no individual can do it alone out there," Chou said after learning about his selection to the weekly distinction.

"The award really belongs to the entire team," he said.

It was only fitting that Chou, a longstanding all-star for most basketball fans, would win the award in the same week as this year's All-Star Game, where he was off the roster for the first time in his professional career (including a season with the Soochow Lions of Mainland China's Chinese Basketball Association).

Next up for Chou and the resurging Antelopes are the league-leading Yulon Dinos, winners of two straight games and nine of their past ten contests, in an uphill battle tomorrow night before Sunday afternoon's matinee affair against the 1-13 Sina Lions.

How well the Antelopes' interior defense can contain the Dinos' all-star center Tseng Wen-ding without getting into early foul trouble will determine if the Dinos will stick with their powerful low-post game or revert to their perimeter game headed by small forward Chou Shih-yuan.

For the Antelopes to have a decent chance against the Dinos, they must send both guards back after every shot to prevent the lightning-quick Dinos' fast break from running up the score with their intimidating transition game.

Sunday's match against the Lions will be a walk in the park compared to the Dinos game, as long as the Antelopes can control the tempo of the game to minimize the effect of having to play two games within a 20-hour time period.

As far as the rest of the league goes, tonight's showdown between the Videoland Hunters and Taiwan Beer will undoubtedly attract a full house, with the second-place spot in the standings on the line.

This is a must-win game for the men with the rifles, because another loss will not only extend their losing streak to four games and rob them of the second-place spot, but more importantly, destroy their confidence.

Total point production per game for the Hunters has dropped nearly 10 percent in their past three losses, compared to their 12 previous games (84.3 vs 76.7), and the normally potent offense have stumbled more often than not for the first time this season.

As for the beermen, nothing would please skipper Yen Jia-hua more than a win over the Hunters, the squad that embarrassed his troops with a 25-8 first quarter (en route to the 93-87 final) the last time these two clubs met.

Also worth noting in a weekend full of hoop action will be Sunday's contest between the Tigers and the Dinos, where the big cats will look to rebound from a heartbreaking 76-75 loss to the Antelopes, courtesy of Chou Jung-san and company.

Both teams will have played a physically demanding game prior to this one (the Tigers against the Bank of Taiwan and the Dinos against the Antelopes) and the club with the deeper bench (Tigers) could have the edge, simply because physical stamina will definitely play a role in the second half of the game.

Coach Lee yun-guan of the Dinos is known for his genius in player substitution; perhaps he will come up with a brilliant scheme to run with the Tigers for the entire 40 minutes.
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