Ed Odeven 
Koshigaya Alphas center Kai Sotto looks to score against the Kawasaki Brave Thunders on December 8 in Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture. (©B.LEAGUE)
Read the full story on SportsLook - Kai Sotto Giving the Koshigaya Alphas a Formidable Presence at Center
Filipino big man Kai Sotto is maximizing his minutes in the 2024-25 B.League season. And with increased playing time this season, his overall productivity has increased, too.
A newcomer to the Koshigaya Alphas this season, the 220-cm center scored 25 points and pulled down 18 rebounds in a 100-74 home victory over the Kawasaki Brave Thunders on Sunday, December 8. The Alphas (6-13 overall through games of December 11) completed a two-game sweep and recorded their season-best third win in a row. Sotto was in an upbeat mood in the postgame news conference.
"I think I did OK, I think I did a good job rebounding, protecting the boards," said Sotto, who suited up for the Yokohama B-Corsairs in the 2023-24 campaign.
He added, "We won by 26 points, so I think everybody did a good job 'cause there's a lot of room for improvement, but still we all did a good job, so I'm happy."
Sotto, an aspiring NBA player, is averaging 13.8 points in 18 games this season, including a season-best total of 26 on October 23 in a loss to the Akita Northern Happinets. He averaged 12.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in 34 games in 2023-24.
Moreover, Sotto has become an integral player for the Alphas, who earned promotion to the B.League first division, aka B1, for this season. He's averaging 28-plus minutes, 9.7 rebounds (No 5 in the league), 8.3 defensive rebounds (No 1 among all players in the 24-team circuit) and 1.1 blocks (tied for sixth).
Kai Sotto Continues to Develop
At age 22, Sotto is far from being a chiseled veteran. He runs the floor with youthful energy and makes highlights and mistakes during the course of a game.
For instance, he fouled out on Saturday, December 7 against the Brave Thunders. He finished with six points and six rebounds in nearly 16 minutes in the Alphas' 101-77 triumph.
It was a lesson for Sotto and his teammates, with different tactics put in place for the Sunday rematch against Kawasaki (4-15 through December 11).
"There were some adjustments for this game, one of those is just to be aggressive from the start," Sotto told reporters after the series finale. "I think I started pretty soft last game [on defense]."
In the rematch, he bounced back with one of his best games of the season.
"Instead of the refs calling fouls on me, they started calling fouls on my opponent," Sotto commented. "So I just have to be more aggressive ... when I'm on the court."
A Coach's Perspective on Kai Sotto
Alphas coach Ryuzo Anzai recognizes that Sotto has talent and potential to keep growing as a player.
"Kai is an exceptional athlete who moves incredibly well for his height and transitions seamlessly from fakes to dunks," Anzai said.
Assessing Sotto's career at this stage, Anzai noted, "He is still young, and his experience level is probably not that high. And Kai himself is in the process of growing up after getting a certain amount of playing time with this team."
On coaching someone who is a key member of the Philippines national team, Anzai spoke about the sense of duty he has to help Sotto further develop his game.
Continue reading the full story on SportsLook.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
