Gomez joins SK with his speed and penetration.
SK finished the regular season in fourth place last season. They boasted a tremendous momentum from the end of the fifth round and finished the sixth round with a sweep. The playoffs began. SK’s momentum continued. Even without Choi Jun-yong (200 cm, F), they swept both Busan KCC and 토토 Changwon LG to advance to the championship game.
Their opponent was Anyang’s Jung Kwan-jang. The two teams battled to the best of their abilities, and after a close game seven, SK fell short of the title.
With one loss under their belt, SK had a busy off-season. It acquired the MVP of the championship game, Oh Se-geun (200 cm, C), to play alongside Kim Sun-hyung (187 cm, G), the ‘legend of Chungang University’.
The team also added players through the Asian quota system. Gomez de Riano (183 cm, G), a graduate of the University of the Philippines, is the centerpiece.
Gomez has played for Tokyo Z in the Japanese B-League and BC Wolves in the Lithuanian League. Despite his lack of height, he has a high motor, strong defense, and can play both the point and shooting guard positions.
On joining SK, Gomez said, “I’m really happy to join SK. It’s a team where I can feel that they love me. (Laughs) It’s really like a family. Everyone is so nice and supportive. The manager and coach believe in me. The club officials take care of me. Not to mention the relationship with my teammates,” he said, expressing his satisfaction with joining SK.
So what does the former coach want from Gomez? “He wants me to increase my pace. I need to use my speed and my ability to break through. In defense, he emphasizes the basics. It’s a learning process: rotations, help defense, and so on.”
“Above all, I feel that he believes in me. He always tells me, ‘Play your basketball,’ and I feel responsible for that. I want to do better and repay his faith in me.”
When asked about his goals, Gomez said, “I want to prove that I’m a winner. I’m going to do everything I can to help the team win. I can play any role. I’m working with the off-season players. We don’t have our best players, Kim Sun-hyung, Oh Se-geun and Ahn Young-joon. But I’m confident that I can quickly get up to speed with them. I’m really looking forward to it. The goal is to win the championship.”
Despite his best efforts, Gomez’s physical condition was not perfect. “I’ve been taking a break from training because of back pain. I’m still trying to get back in shape for the season. I might not even be able to play in the Cup. The most important thing is the season, and I will build my body to do well then,” he said, showing that he is doing his best to prepare for the season.