A CLASS APART

The clock read 38 seconds. Tsinghua University trailed by six in the semifinal of the inaugural Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. Every possession felt like the last.

Then came the moment: Shi Kui, the 22-year-old captain, caught the ball, rose over his defender and drained a three. One possession later — another three, this time from deep. Tied game. The arena erupted.

Tsinghua made a strong comeback to beat South Korea's Konkuk University 88-86 in overtime, but for Shi, it was deja vu. In 2021, as a high schooler, he scored 17 fourth-quarter points to lift Tsinghua University High School from an 18-point hole.

"This one felt even sweeter," he said. "Because this time, the crowd was there — cheering every second."

"At that moment, I gave it my all. The coach and my teammates trusted me — they put the ball in my hands, and I knew I had to step up," Shi said. As the shots left his hands, he felt the certainty: "Big moments come from training every day."

At 22, Shi carries the poise of a seasoned veteran. Having honed his skills through school leagues at every level, he now stands on the brink of a professional career.

This was Shi's final summer in college — back-to-back tournaments, fierce opponents with varied styles, and a growing spotlight. The final of AUBL brought his biggest test.

The Chengchi University side from Taiwan set up to shut him down from the start: denying passes, forcing collisions and pushing him off the ball. Four fouls by halftime sent Shi to the bench through the third quarter. Without his playmaking, Tsinghua struggled, and a late rally wasn't enough — it finished 79-82, leaving Tsinghua three points shy of the title.

"I've rarely been defended so aggressively, so I had to figure things out on the fly," Shi said. "Before, I could shake off defenders quite easily to receive the ball. Today, I had to run hard, battle through contact, crash into opponents just to get open."

Even so, the crowd noticed. What started as support for Tsinghua became a chorus for Shi. "I loved the energy — the lights, the cheers — it created a real stage," Shi said.

After the game, Chengchi's head coach Chen Tzu-wei praised the Tsinghua guard: "In this series, Shi Kui really played at an MVP level, and I'm very glad we had the chance to compete against him."

Learning to improve

For Shi, summer mirrors the life of a professional athlete — full days of training, back-to-back invitationals and barely any rest. Though the team pauses for seven to 10 days each winter and summer, Shi trims that to two or three before returning to solo training.

Unlike many of his peers who turned pro early, Shi chose the campus basketball system. He attended classes alongside regular students while keeping pace with professional-level training.

Born in 2003 and growing up in Dongguan, Guangdong province, Shi was first coached by his father. From dribbling in the courtyard as a child, to formally playing in middle school, his talent emerged early. In the 2017 Dongguan middle school league final, he scored 60 points to carry Tung Wah Junior High School to the championship almost singlehandedly.

His ability drew offers from both Tsinghua University High School and professional teams. He chose the former — balancing academics and basketball.

In the 2020 Xinghuo Cup final, Tsinghua defeated a CBA youth team from Shandong, with Shi named MVP and receiving the trophy from then-Chinese Basketball Association president Yao Ming.

A year later, after winning the national high school league championship and MVP titles, Shi joined Tsinghua University. Starting in the rotation, he became team captain two years later.

Over his first four seasons, Tsinghua claimed two Chinese University Basketball Association (CUBAL) titles, a runners-up medal and a third-place finish. Last year's championship, led by Shi as the team's core player, remains his proudest achievement.

This year, though, brought a setback: a semifinal loss to Huaqiao University, despite Shi scoring 25 of the team's 61 points. Next year will be his last season, and his goal is simple: bring the championship back to the university.

Courting the big leagues

After graduation, Shi plans to enter the CBA draft and pursue a professional career. Many of his peers who chose the pro route are already making waves — Zeng Fanbo of the Beijing Ducks and Cui Yongxi, who briefly played in the NBA. Zeng was Shi's teammate on the national youth team.

Shi continues to juggle basketball with his coursework in calculus and economics. Despite watching contemporaries enjoy fame and income, he has no regrets.

"Studying at Tsinghua gives me the chance to meet classmates and friends, experience different things, and take courses beyond basketball. It broadens my horizons," he said.

This balance of academics and athletics is not without precedent — Tsinghua alumni have successfully transitioned to the professional stage, including Yang Xihao, this year's CBA draft first pick, and 2022 first pick Wang Lanqin, Shi's senior, now playing for Liaoning.

Yao has long promoted campus basketball to cultivate talent and create diverse growth paths that strengthen the national team's tactical flexibility. In the 2025 draft, 12 of 21 selected players were university athletes, bringing the cumulative total since the CBA draft began to 103.

Shi is no stranger to CBA-level competition. In 2024, he helped Tsinghua stun a CBA rookie team in the All-Star weekend's rising stars game, earning the MVP for scoring 20 points. Later this year, he will represent Beijing at the National Games — another chance to compete against pros head-on.

His growing experience in high-stakes tournaments reflects a broader pattern: Shi has long been on the national radar, with consecutive selections to China's U16, U17 and U18 squads, before joining the men's second team training squad in 2022. In an April 2020 U17/U18 internal scrimmage, Shi scored 11 points to lead the U17 squad to a 63-59 victory over the U18 team.

Representing the national team remains one of his long-term goals.

Tsinghua head coach Chen Lei sees his potential: "In this year's AUBL, he stabilized the team's morale and contributed hugely on offense and organization. With one year left, I hope he continues to address his weaknesses and grow."

After training together in Dongguan in their early teens, Shi and Cui eventually chose to follow different paths. A decade later, and they may finally find themselves at the same destination — sharing a court in the big leagues.