Everyone at UConn knows about our beloved men’s and women’s basketball teams – but there’s another hoops squad on campus defeating opponents from major universities around the country, and heading for a national championship tournament.

The Chinese Students and Scholars Association basketball team plays in the Northeastern Chinese Basketball League, a national league for international students from China that was established in 2006 with six teams and has since grown to include more than 100. Last month, the UConn team swept the Atlantic North Championship tournament, held at Brandeis University, which netted them the regional championship honors.

When they had a break from practicing for the national championship tournament – scheduled to take place in April – the team’s coach and two players sat down with UConn 360’s Julie Bartucca. Coach Ethan Li ’21, a sociology major; Daniel Wong ’21, a sport management major; and Jay See ’22, an undecided major in the ACES program, discussed the team’s commitment to their favorite sport, the family they have built together, and what it felt like to win the regional tournament.