Tomorrow's semi-final games will be crucial to all four teams as only the top two teams will qualify for the U17 World Championships in France next year.
As China wrapped up the last game of the preliminary round with a 82-54 win against Chinese Taipei, the semi-final match ups are now confirmed. With Japan playing against Chinese Taipei in the first semi-final game, while China will meet Korea in the second semi-final game tomorrow.
From what we have seen so far, it would appear that China has an easier path to the final and the World Championship berth. China has an obvious height advantage over the Koreans, as well as a deeper bench, and it will take perfection from Korea to create a miracle against China.
The other semi-final match up will most likely be a fight to the finish as both Japan and Chinese Taipei appear to be evenly matched. Both teams are able to rotate up to ten players, and all their players have the ability to score.
Chinese Taipei has a very slight edge in terms of height, but given that both teams have relatively similar playing styles which involve pushing the pace of the game, it should be a fun game to watch.
