KT Sonicboom are in! Korea teams set for EASL 2024-25
April 26, 2024
4 mins
Suwon KT Sonicboom advance to 2024 KBL Finals after win over LG Sakers
Suwon, South Korea, April 26, 2024 – The Suwon KT Sonicboom are advancing to the 2024 KBL Finals and have secured the second Korean qualifying spot for the EASL 2024-25 Season.
KBL 2023-24 Journey
After a disappointing 2023-24 season, where the team finished eighth and missed the playoffs, the Suwon KT Sonicboom bounced back with a 33-win campaign to finish third in the KBL regular season.
It was a season of runs for KT, who embarked on winning streaks of five or more games on three different occasions, including a seven-game winning streak in February.
In the KBL quarterfinals, after splitting the first two games against the Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus, KT stormed back, outscoring their opponents by 30 in the final two games to advance to the semis.
Matched up against the second-seeded Changwon LG Sakers in the semifinals, KT had a shaky start. They were down two games to one going into Game 4. But the Suwon team roared back, winning back-to-back games to advance to just their second KBL Finals in franchise history, their first since the 2006-2007 season.
As a KBL finalist, KT automatically qualify for the EASL 2024-25 season.
This will be the Suwon KT Sonicboom’s first appearance in an EASL competition.
Key Players
- Paris Bass, PF
The Suwon KT Sonicboom are headed by Paris Bass, the leading scorer of the 2024 KBL regular season, averaging 25.4 points in 54 games.
The 6-foot-8 journeyman played in six countries and 11 teams before finally making his NBA debut with the Phoenix Suns in the 2021-22 season.
Bass joined KT last offseason and has been an integral part of the team’s offense and defense. While leading the league in scoring, the big man also averaged 10.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.8 steals during the season.
- Heo Hoon, G
Heo Hoon has been manning the point over the course of KT’s season.
The 5-foot-11 guard was a first-overall pick in the 2017 KBL draft and broke out in the 2019-20 KBL season. He was voted the 2020 KBL Most Valuable Player and claimed a spot in the KBL Best 5 in both 2020 and 2021.
Heo has represented the South Korea national team since 2016, winning bronze at the 2018 Asian Games.
This season, Heo missed time with injuries, including a broken nose and a calf rupture, limiting him to just 36 games.
Heo is averaging 14.9 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.1 rebounds this season.
In the KBL finals, he’ll go up against his brother Heo Ung, who plays for the Busan KCC Egis.
- Moon Seong-Gon, F
KT forward Moon Seong-Gon will look to bring his EASL experience to the team.
The former Anyang KGC pro was a first-overall pick in the 2015 KBL draft, winning the KBL championship on three occasions, in 2017, 2021 and 2023. Moon also won the 2023 EASL Champions Week in Japan.
The 6-foot-4 forward is known for his defensive prowess, winning the KBL Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 and 2021.
After eight seasons with the Anyang KGC, Moon signed a lucrative KRW 780 million, five-year contract with the Suwon KT Sonicboom last offseason.
Moon is averaging 5.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and, most notably, 1.6 steals in 54 games this season.