Will RP 5 eclipse Moon?

If it’s bad Moon rising for South Korea, then the Philippine basketball team has to find a way to eclipse the three-point deadshot in a semifinals duel at the 14th Asian Games in Busan today.

Kyung Eun Moon is coach Kim Jin’s most lethal perimeter weapon. He’ll hit the trifecta from any angle, at the slightest opening–maybe, even with his eyes closed. Then, when the ball swishes the net, he’ll break out into a wide grin as if to mock the defense.

Moon, 31, has been a fixture on the South Korean squad for years. He was on coach Choi Bu Yong’s team that beat the Philippines, 86-79, en route to claiming the silver at the 1994 Asiad in Hiroshima. And the 6-2 guard was also on coach Kim Dong Kwang’s team that trounced the Philippines, 103-83, on the way to a silver at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok. Like the song, South Korea has clinched second place in the last two Asiads by the light of the silvery Moon.

Kim Jin is South Korea’s latest national coach and like his predecessors, he’s relying on Moon to perk up the offense. Kim Dong Kwang, the fair-haired Korean-American, lost his job when South Korea bowed to Lebanon in the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) semifinals in Shanghai last year and settled for third place.

Moon’s sizzling hot hand is known all over the globe. At the 1994 World Championships in Toronto, he knocked in 30-of-80 treys in eight contests to tie Reggie Miller as the tournament’s No. 1 three-point gunner. He buried 25 triples to rank fourth and averaged 19 points to finish fifth in scoring at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

In Busan, Moon is burning the hoops with impunity. Against Kazakhstan, he shot 6-of-7 triples and wound up with 22 points. Against Japan, Moon converted 6-of-9 treys and finished with 26. Against Hong Kong, he dumped 4-of-5 triples and netted 14. Against North Korea, Moon fired 6-of-10 treys and tallied 28. There isn’t a shot he wouldn’t pass up. Moon is conscienceless from the outside.

Jeffrey Cariaso will likely be tapped by Philippine coach Joseph Uichico to shadow Moon from the opening tip. Rudy Hatfield, another stopper, will probably alternate with Cariaso in putting the cuffs on the Korean.

With Moon on the firing end, South Korea has zoomed to the top of the

Asian Games scoring ladder with a whopping clip of 108 points. The Koreans are giving up 73.6 points and their average winning margin is 34.4. China, on the other hand, is hitting 99.8 points a game and yielding 48.6 with an average winning margin of 51.2.

The Philippines is scoring at a 76.6 clip and surrendering 70.8 an outing.

Moon is one of five Korean stars who played in Hiroshima eight years ago. The others are 6-10 Seo Jang Hoon, 6-6 Hyun Joo Yeup, 6-1 Lee Sang Min, and 6-6 Chun Hee Chul. The veterans form the nucleus of Kim Jin’s lineup.

Seo, 28, is Korea’s version of Charles Barkley. He’s big, strong, physical and volatile. Seo cocked a fist when he was fouled hard under the basket in South Korea’s 114-98 decision over Kazakhstan last Wednesday. Asi Taulava might think of trying to get under Seo’s skin in their matchup.

It was Seo who fueled South Korea’s 20-point romp over the Centennials in Bangkok. He shot 26 points in a devastating show of power hoops. In a Korean Basketball League (KBL) game last season, he banged in 45 points to lift the Seoul SK Knights to a 120-108 win over the Changwon LG Sakers. The two-time KBL MVP, who once redshirted at San Jose State, averaged 25 points and 11 rebounds for the Knights.

Moon and Seo are Kim Jin’s 1-2 punch. If Moon is checked outside, Kim Jin’s other option is to go to Seo inside.

Hyun, 27, plays center and power forward. He was South Korea’s top rebounder at the 1996 Olympics. Lee, 29, is the starting point guard and like Moon, is deadly from the perimeter. Chun, 29, is Kim Jin’s most versatile operator–he shoots from outside, posts up, penetrates, rebounds, and plays rugged defense.

Seven players are back from the 1998 Asiad silver medal quintet. They are Moon, Seo, Lee, Hyun, 6-2 Seung Gyun Choo, 6-9 Kim Joo Sung, and 6-2 Cho Sang Hyun.

Kim Joo Sung, 22, usually starts at center alongside Seo at power forward in a Twin Towers combination. The kid’s no slouch inside the paint. He collected 16 points and nine rebounds against Kazakhstan. In the North Korea game, Kim compiled 18 points and 10 rebounds off 7-9 giant Ri Myong Hun.

Cho Sang Hyun, 26, has yet to play in the tournament and may be Kim Jin’s secret weapon against the Philippines. He’s a rifleman like Moon and a steadying force in the backcourt. Why he hasn’t played remains a question mark. Could he be injured or did Kim Jin deliberately hide him to surprise the Philippines today?

Also in Kim Jin’s guard corps is 5-9 Kim Seung Hyun who took MVP and Rookie of the Year honors after leading the KBL in assists and steals this season.

Moon isn’t South Korea’s only outside option. There are several Takehiko Orimo clones in Kim Jin’s roster.

"The Koreans are deep in every position," said Philippine assistant coach Eric Altamirano. "They’re quick, deadly and accurate passers. They like to penetrate and kick out. They also like to work the ball inside to their big men who can post up. They will be tough to beat, pound for pound. They are much better than our players. However, with a sound gameplan, they can be beaten. It will entail repetitive drilling of the players on individual defense, closeouts, help and recover, and transition defense. If we can take them away from their perimeter game, then we have a chance."

Altamirano and chief scout Binky Favis spent 17 days scouting the Korean players in eight different cities last April. They brought back over 20 tapes of KBL games and reams of scouting reports on their return home.

"The Koreans knew we were in town to scout," said Altamirano. "They’re not scared of us. They’re not intimidated. They’re not insecure. They’re confident of their chances against us. They even helped us get tickets for games and tapes."

At the 1990 Asian Games, the Philippines avoided playing South Korea and took the silver after losing to China in the finals. But in 1994 and 1998, the Koreans got in the Filipinos’ way. The Philippines finished fourth in Hiroshima and third in Bangkok.

A loss to South Korea will drop the Philippines to a playoff for the bronze against Kazakhstan tomorrow. A win will advance the Filipinos to a rematch against China for the gold on Monday.