December 4, 2024 — Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena 

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Storylines: 

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Life without Heo Hoon 

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Suwon KT will likely play its third East Asia Super League (EASL) game without star point guard Heo Hoon. Heo, who’s averaged 19 points and 6.5 assists this season, was diagnosed with a fractured left thumb on Nov. 19 and will be sidelined for up to four weeks, according to the team. 

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With most — if not all — of KT’s halfcourt offensive sets running through Heo, the Sonicboom’s scoring numbers take a significant hit. To make things worse, two key rotational players for KT, Ha Yungi and Moon Jeonghyeon, are questionable to play due to nagging injuries of their own to play due to lingering injuries.

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KT could, however, look to young starlet Park Ji-Won as a fill-in floor general during Heo’s absence. Park, the second overall pick in the 2020 KBL Draft, recently rejoined the Sonicboom after completing his military service, which concluded during the latest FIBA international window. In his 2024-25 Korean Basketball League debut on Nov. 28, Park notched 10 points and three rebounds in just over 21 minutes of play. 

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Heo, Moon and Ha are all expected to play in KT’s EASL contest against the P. LEAGUE+’s Taoyuan Pauian Pilots on Dec. 11. Until then, the Sonicboom will rely on Park and its role players to step up and secure a win on Dec. 4.

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Jordan Morgan In, Jeremiah Tilmon Jr. Out 

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On Nov. 19, Suwon KT announced the signing of 6-foot-9 forward Jordan Morgan as its new import player. Morgan’s arrival signaled the end of Jeremiah Tilmon Jr.'s tenure with the Sonicboom, after he appeared in 11 KBL games and both of the team’s EASL contests this season.

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Against EASL competition, Tilmon Jr. didn’t necessarily disappoint. In KT’s opener against the San Miguel Beermen on Oct. 2, the 6-foot-10 center charted eight points and 11 rebounds. Three weeks later, in KT’s surprise 91-70 loss to Taoyuan on Oct. 23, Tilmon Jr. registered an impressive 18 points and team-high eight rebounds. 

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But moving forward, the Missouri product has been replaced by the former Michigan Wolverine. In his KBL debut — an 83-71 victory over the Seoul Samsung Thunders on Nov. 28 — Morgan tallied an efficient 12 points in 14 minutes. 

Can he deliver a similar performance against Hiroshima on Dec. 4? That remains to be seen.

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Blackshear Jr. vs. Hammonds 

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Hiroshima’s Kerry Blackshear Jr. has undoubtedly been one of the league’s most dominant players this season. In the Dragonflies' 2-0 start, the 6-foot-8 forward picked up Player of the Game honors both times and averages team-highs of 21 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists per game. On the defensive end, Blackshear Jr. has recorded six steals, the second-highest total among all EASL players.

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KT’s star import Rayshaun Hammonds has had a different experience. After dazzling at EASL’s Tip-Off 2024 on Oct. 2 with 39 points and 14 rebounds, Hammonds went ice cold in the Sonicboom’s second contest, mustering just four points on 16.7% shooting in a blowout home loss to the Pauian Pilots. 

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Now, Hammonds has a chance to amend past mistakes. Domestically, he’s starred in the KBL, averaging 19.8 points and 11.9 rebounds to help KT garner a TK-TK record through 13 games, but all eyes on Dec. 4 will be on Hammonds’ matchup with Blackshear Jr. 

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The outcome of the contest — whether Hiroshima remains undefeated or KT hands the Dragonflies their first loss — will likely depend on this showdown.

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Suwon KT Sonicboom’s Players To Watch: 

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#1 Han Hui Won — Guard, 6-foot-4

• 2024-25 EASL Season Averages: 11.5 points, 3 rebounds, 1.5 assists 
• 2024-25 KBL Season Averages: 6.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists
• Joined the Suwon KT Sonicboom in 2019 
• Previously played for the KBL’s Anyang KGC (2016-2018, 2019-20) and the Incheon Electroland Elephants (2015-16)
• Han went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft 
• Han is from South Korea  

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#19 Jordan Morgan — Forward, 6-foot-9

• 2024-25 EASL Season Averages: Morgan is scheduled to make his EASL debut against the Hiroshima Dragonflies on Dec. 4
• 2024-25 KBL Season Averages: 6.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists 
• Joined the Suwon KT Sonicboom in 2024 
• Jordan is a naturalized Slovenian 
• 2018 Slovenian League Champion with KK Olimpija
• 2017 Slovenian Supercup Champion with KK Olimpija
• Jordan went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft 
• 2013 Big-10 All-Defensive Team 
• Jordan attended the University of Michigan (2010-14)
• Morgan is from Illinois, USA 

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#9 Park Ji-Won — Guard, 6-foot-2 

• 2024-25 EASL Season Averages: Park is scheduled to make his EASL debut against the Hiroshima Dragonflies on Dec. 4
• 2024-25 KBL Season Averages: 9.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists 
• Rejoined the Suwon KT Sonicboom in 2024 
• Park played for the Sangmu Basketball Team during his military service from May, 2023 to Nov. 2024
• Park played with Suwon KT from 2020-2022 before enlisting in the military
• Park was the 2nd Overall Pick in the 2020 KBL Draft 
• Park attended Yonsei University  
• Park is from Seongnam City, South Korea 

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Hiroshima Dragonflies’ Players To Watch: 

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#12 Takuto Nakamura — Guard, 6-foot-1

• 2024-25 EASL Season Averages: 5.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists 
• 2024-25 B.LEAGUE Season Averages: 10.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists
• 2023-24 B.LEAGUE Champion 
• Nakamura represented the Japanese national team during the Nov. 2024 Fiba International Window  
• Joined the Hiroshima Dragonflies in 2022 
• Nakamura attended Daito Bunka University 
• Nakamura is from Nagoya, Japan 

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#8 Kerry Blackshear Jr. — Forward, 6-foot-8

• 2024-25 EASL Season Averages: 21.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5 assists 
• 2024-25 B.LEAGUE Season Averages: 17.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists
• 2023-24 B.LEAGUE Champion 
• 2023-24 B.LEAGUE Sixth-Man of the Year 
• Joined the Hiroshima Dragonflies in 2022 
• Blackshear Jr. went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft 
• 2020 Second-Team All-SEC with Florida 
• 2019 Second-Team All-ACC with Virginia Tech 
• Blackshear Jr. attended Virginia Tech (2015-2019) and Florida (2019-20)
• Blackshear Jr. is from Orlando, Florida, USA

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#30 Ryo Yamazaki — Guard, 6-foot 

• 2024-25 EASL Season Averages: 11.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1 assists
• 2024-25 B.LEAGUE Season Averages: 8.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists
• 2023-24 B.LEAGUE Champion
• 2023-24 NISSAY B.LEAGUE Championship MVP 
• Joined the Hiroshima Dragonflies in 2023
• Signed with the Saitama Broncos in 2013
• Yamazaki attended college at Tacoma Community College
• Yamazaki is from Saitama, Japan

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Suwon KT By The Numbers: 

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Team History 

• Founded in 1997 
• 2010-11 KBL Regular Season Champions 
• 2022 KBL Cup Champions 

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2024-25 EASL Results

• 3rd in Group A 
• Group stage record: 1-1 
• Game 1: 87-81 win against San Miguel Beermen (PBA) — Oct. 2, 2024 
• Game 2: 91-70 loss against Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P. LEAGUE+) — Oct. 23, 2024 

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2024-25 EASL Statistic Leaders

• Points: Rayshaun Hammonds — 21.5 ppg 
• Rebounds: Rayshaun Hammonds — 10.5 rpg
• Assists: Heo Hoon — 6.5 apg
• Steals: Heo Hoon, Rayshaun Hammonds, Moon Seong Gon, Moon Jeonghyeon— 2.0 spg
• Blocks: Moon Jeonghyeon — 0.5 bpg

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2024-25 KBL Record 

• 4th in KBL Standings
• Record: 8-6  
• Latest Game: 100-62 loss against the Seoul SK Knights (KBL) — Dec. 1, 2024 

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2024-25 KBL Statistic Leaders

• Points: Rayshaun Hammonds — 19.1 ppg 
• Rebounds: Rayshaun Hammonds — 11.0 rpg
• Assists: Heo Hoon — 8.0 apg 
• Steals: Park Ji-Won — 2.3 spg
• Blocks: Ha Yun Gi — 1.3 bpg

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2024-25 EASL Upcoming Games

• Home vs. Hiroshima Dragonflies (B.LEAGUE) – Dec. 4, 2024
• Away vs. Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P. LEAGUE+) – Dec. 11, 2024
• Away vs. Hong Kong Eastern (HK) – Jan. 7, 2025
• Home vs. San Miguel Beermen (PBA) – Feb. 12, 2025

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Hiroshima By The Numbers: 

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Team History

• Founded in 2013
• 2023-24 B.LEAGUE Champions

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2024-25 EASL Results

• 2nd in Group A 
• Group stage record: 2-0 
• Game 1: 78-67 win against Hong Kong Eastern (Hong Kong SAR) — Oct. 16, 2024 
• Game 2: 88-75 win against Hong Kong Eastern (Hong Kong SAR) — Oct. 30, 2024 

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2024-25 EASL Statistic Leaders

• Points: Kerry Blackshear Jr. — 21 ppg
• Rebounds: Kerry Blackshear Jr. — 11 rpg
• Assists: Kerry Blackshear Jr. — 5 apg
• Steals: Kerry Blackshear Jr. — 3 spg
• Blocks: Kerry Blackshear Jr., Nick Mayo — 0.5 bpg

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2024-25 B.LEAGUE Record 

• 7th in B.LEAGUE’s Western Conference
• Record: 5-11  
• Latest Game: 87-74 win against Levanga Hokkaido (B.LEAGUE) — Dec. 1, 2024 

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2024-25 B.LEAGUE Statistic Leaders

• Points: Kerry Blackshear Jr.. — 17.5 ppg
• Rebounds: Kerry Blackshear Jr. — 8.1 rpg
• Assists: Kerry Blackshear Jr. — 3.6 apg
• Steals: Takuto Nakamura — 1.4 spg
• Blocks: Nick Mayo — 0.5 bpg

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2024-25 EASL Upcoming Games

• Away vs. Suwon KT Sonicboom (KBL) — Dec. 4, 2024
• Away vs. Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P. LEAGUE+) — Dec. 25, 2024
• Home vs. San Miguel Beermen (PBA) — Jan. 8, 2025
• Home vs. Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P. LEAGUE+) — Jan. 22, 2025