With the start of a new season for B.League in October, players and staff from Levanga Hokkaido gathered at Hokkaido Shrine to pray for a safe and successful season. This will target their first 30-win season and a 50% win rate over the year. Two new captains leading this season’s team are second-year pro Rei Shimatani and Philippine national player Dwight Ramos.
With the change of Ryota Sakurai into the position of General Manager, this will now be one of the youngest teams in the league. But they are young and seek to prove the worth of energy and passion in the new season.
Captain Rei Shimatani, Number 15, from Kushiro City
“As the new season approaches, I seem to be somewhere between pure excitement and readiness. The last season was lived with full value and trust given to it, but at the same time, it revealed many weaknesses in my performance that have to be corrected. I believe now is my greatest challenge: to lead the team in winning, and I totally focus on it.
Although I was captain in elementary school, in middle school, and in high school, being captain of a professional team is absolutely different. Anyway, I have veterans to help me like Shuto Terazono and Ryota Sakurai, who can give me confidence and shape my leadership throughout the season.
Winning at a 50% clip will keep us in the running to make the Championship Series (CS). There’s no easy competition in the league, but I feel that we honestly have a shot. We must grind out games that are close at the end. “It’s a very young team, but every player has something to offer. It is my job as the point guard to take advantage of those strengths and be able to play to mine, which is my driving ability. This season, I have nothing in mind other than being aggressive and targeting big wins. Namarra win—I swear!”
