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."