Slow Living, Sharp Shooting
Hongcheon Challenger Recap
I think the Japanese have a phrase for it; ukino—slow living, or living in the moment. That’s exactly what last weekend felt like. After a blitzing start to the 3X3 season, I finally had some time to breathe. Time with the fam, a rendezvous with my kamado grill… and of course, a bit of 3X3 on the side.
All eyes were on Hongcheon, South Korea, for this weekend’s Challenger—a tournament I hosted on YouTube last year.
I was expecting the familiar outdoor venue at Torisup Park, but was surprised to find a gym setup instead. Turns out, the weather wasn’t cooperating. Playing indoors changes the game—no wind, no sun, no unpredictable bounce. And most hoopers? They’ve grown up shooting in gyms. You could feel that rhythm return.
Now, I didn’t catch every game (shoutout dad duty), but here’s what stood out from the ones I did watch:
The Good
Let’s talk predictions. My preseason sleeper picks were Utrecht (yes, I’m a homer) and Hangzhou—and both made serious noise this weekend, finishing 3rd and 1st respectively.
Hangzhou = Problem
They demolished the competition en route to a dominant win. New addition Filip Kaluderovic showed out with 7.6 PPG and bagged MVP honors. He created his own shot, found teammates on the roll, and knocked down jumpers at a solid clip.
Here’s the wild part: they played their final two games with only three players, after Goran Vidovic was disqualified in the quarters. Didn’t matter. This squad is scary—all four can shoot, create, and defend with length and grit.
Raudondvaris Hoptrans = Deep Roster
They rolled with a different lineup: Pukelis and Vingelis out, Uzupis and Beliavicius in. Dziaugys led in scoring, as expected, but shoutout to Modestas Kumpys—he was everywhere. Knocked down 40% from deep and led all players in player value. Raudondvaris came in second and punched their ticket to the World Tour in Vienna.
Utrecht = Steady Climbers
They needed a bit of luck (more on that below), but Utrecht locked in for a strong 3rd place. All four players averaged over 4 PPG, and the eye test shows big improvements on defense and ball security. Oh—and they followed up by winning the subsequient LiteQuest, securing a spot at the Jakarta Challenger. Big weekend for The U.
Baskets Bonn = Growth Mode
I may have been a little harsh on Baskets Bonn Telekom after Utsunomiya and Chengdu, but they bounced back strong here. Giessmann is still a cheat code offensively, but the key was seeing Agyeman step up. This team finally looked like a unit. Love seeing young squads figure it out.
The Bad
Riffa’s Collapse
So here’s how the semi-final math worked:
All 4 semi-finalists were undefeated.
The two losers would battle for 3rd place based on total points scored, with tournament seeding as a tie breaker.
Points before the semis:
Hangzhou (6 seed): 58
Utrecht (5 seed): 62
Raudondvaris Hoptrans (1 seed): 54
Riffa (2 seed): 62
Raudondvaris beats Utrecht 17-16 → Utrecht ends with 78 points.
That meant Hangzhou, the lower seed, needed 21 in a loss to beat Utrecht’s total, aka they needed a win. Riffa? They needed just 16 points in a loss to grab 3rd.
Instead, they completely flatlined. Against a three-player Hangzhou team, they scored just 8 points and played with no sense or urgency.
Result: a 21-8 beatdown, Riffa finishes 4th, and misses qualification to Vienna. Ouch.
The Ugly
Lausanne’s Growing Pains
It got bleak fast for Lausanne, who are clearly struggling with a new roster. After a middling Chengdu showing, they gave Gilles Martin a rest and brought in Fallou Niang for his first taste of Pro Circuit action.
Niang’s talented, but his emotions got the best of him. After a shove under the rim, he retaliated with a backhand swing—leading to an ejection against Podebrady. They lost that game, then got bounced by Utrecht. Still plenty of talent and size on the roster, but it’s back to the drawing board for the Swiss.
News & Notes
On the Word on the Str33ts pod, we’ve been asking the question:
Where’s Stefan Kojic?
Well, question answered.
Kojic just popped up on the roster for… The Skyliners. Yep, the Germans pulled off a major move. Pairing Kojic with Steve Sir, who signed weeks back, gives them arguably two of the top three shooters in 3X3 history.
I, for one, cannot wait to see them cook.
Up Next: Amsterdam Awaits
Are you all ready for the 3X3 festivities in Amsterdam next weekend?
I sure am.
It’s a home game for me—with both a Women’s Series and a World Tour Masters landing in a city I happen to live just 25 minutes from.
And beyond the close proximity, it’s personal: the weekend is being organized by 3X3 Unites, a company I’ve proudly been a part of for the past eight years.
Can’t wait to see it all unfold.