Ko Chan-hyuk is a Basketball Player of the Anyang KGC. When he was in Hongik University High School, he won four championships as an ace of the team and entered the department of coaching at Kyung Hee University (KHU). When he was in KHU, he led the KHU basketball team to many victories while scoring an average of 21.3 points in the 2022 KUSF College Basketball U-League. After finishing his third year, he participated in the 2022 KBL draft as an early draft and was selected by Anyang KGC as the ninth-ranked player in the first round. As Anyang KGC basketball team won the 2022-2023 regular league and following championship match, he made a brilliant debut as a professional basketball player.

Q. What made you start playing basketball?

A. Thanks to my father who was working in the basketball world, I started going to the basketball court a lot from a young age. As a result, I naturally became interested in basketball, and watching the players playing on the court, I thought that I would also like to play on that court. So, when I was in the 5th grade of elementary school, I persuaded my parents to let me play basketball, and I started playing basketball in the 6th grade of elementary school.

Q. What part of basketball did you find very interesting?

A. My heart raced when I saw shoot from a young age. I felt the most fun when I made a shot myself. Also, I think the most attractive part of basketball is that basketball can show a lot of performance to viewers because it is faster to switch between offense and defense than other sports.

Q. You has played shooting guard, have you changed your position in the past?

A. When I was in elementary school, I played center. Then, I had played small forward during the period of a middle school student. When I went to the high school, however, I had to change my position to shooting guard because I am not that tall. In the process of changing the position, I remember having a really hard time.

Q. What was the most memorable match and the most regrettable match?

A. When I was in high school, the final match in which I was awarded the MVP was the most memorable one. Also, in the 2022 KUSF College Basketball U-League, I was most excited when our team won the match against Chung Ang University. The day after this game was my birthday, and I tried to win it even more because I thought I would have the worst birthday if I lost the game. On this day, I recorded a career high in that season and the team also won as I wished, so I was able to celebrate my birthday by myself. On the other hand, the disappointing game was against Yonsei University. Because I prepared more than other teams to beat Yonsei University, but we lost.

Q. Was the experience you gained at KHU helpful when you play in the professional league?

A. Of course. I can learn a lot about defense at KHU, which is of great help now. I think that defensive ability is important in the pro league. If you can't defend, you will have a lot of difficulties when playing the game.

Q. You made your first professional league debut in the 2022-2023 regular league against Changwon LG on November 20. How did you feel?

A. I think I was given a chance because the match was decided early that day. I remember that I played for about 2 minutes, but I went in with the mindset that I should throw at least one shot. Luckily, I got a foul and was able to score my first goal in my debut, so I felt good.

Q. You scored 8 points in 12 minutes against Seoul Samsung on January 22^nd in the 2022-2023 regular league, recording a career high. What kind of mindset did you have in the game?

A. I went in with the same mindset as my debut, to throw at least one shot. Because I played longer than I expected, I thought that it was an opportunity to show my ability. So, I tired to seize this opportunity, and show what I had been working on.

Q. It seems that your personal goal has grown even bigger as you successfully finished the first season of the professional league by winning the 2022-2023 regular league. What kind of player do you want to be on the team in the future?

A. I want to be a franchise player, which is a term refers to a player who debuted in a club and performed outstandingly while working for that club, and also a representative player of a team where the name Ko Chan-hyuk comes to mind first when thinking of Anyang KGC. And looking at Yang Hee-jong, who retired this time, I thought that I would like to become a player who can hold a retirement ceremony.

Q. Anyang KGC won the 2022-2023 championship by dramatically beating Seoul SK in the 7th game of the championship match on the May 7th. Wasn't it regrettable that you couldn't play after the regular season?

A. It was my wish to step on the court at the playoff stage, so it was regrettable that I couldn't step on it. However, I was able to learn a lot about basketball while watching the game, and get motivated to become the main character on that stage in the future.

Q. There are many evaluations that you are the best rising star of 3&D-a player of three-point shooter and defender. What kind of play do you want to show?

A. I want to grow as a shooting guard representing Korea, and like our team’s coach Cho Seong-min, I want to become a player who is excellent in 2-on-2 fighting, defense, and drive-in, so that the opposing team cannot block me easily.

Looking back at his first professional league, Ko Chan-hyuk said that he was able to learn a lot about the mindsets and play styles of his senior players, and he thought that he should focus on improving his physical condition through weight training and further complement his defensive skills. Lastly, to the junior basketball players of KHU, “I hope we meet again in the pro-league,” he said.