By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Daegu Korea Gas Corporation Pegasus head coach Kang Hyuk praised Negrense guard Samjosef Belangel for his mental growth in his third season in the Korean Basketball League (KBL).

According to Kang, he is proud of the former Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles standout for consistently improving his game, earning him his first-ever KBL All-Star appearance.

“[Belangel] is showing that he is growing mentally a lot,” Kang said in an interview with Naver Sport.

“When he played as a one-guard, he played freely and showed his own style,” he said.

“However, there are times that he was a bit lacking in stamina, but I think he will be able to exert more strength if he shares minutes with Kim Nak-hyun and Jeong Seong-woo,” he added.

Belangel sustained a knee contusion injury during the Pegasus’ 97-71 victory against the defending champion Busan KCC Egis last Sunday, December 29, but has already suited up during their 88-81 loss to the Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus.

The Pegasus, now with a 13-10 win-loss slate for third place in the standings, will aim to bounce back against Justin Gutang and the Seoul Samsung Thunders on Saturday, January 4./ASC, WDJ