By Jason Cruz
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Houran Dan’s parents did not let him play basketball until he was 13 years old.
His parents believed that studying was very important growing up. “All kids have to study,” Dan explained of growing up in Neimenggu, China. His father did not mind, but his mother had a strong opinion. “My mother told my father, ‘He has no time to play any sports, he has to study.’”
Dan recalled being “only 6 feet” tall at 13 years old. Of course, his father was 6’4” and mother 6’0”. Dan’s both played basketball. His father played professional basketball in China which foreshadows his basketball roots.
Seattle U Men’s Basketball Media Day – Oct. 5, 2025
Now, 6-foot-10, Dan is the starting center for the Seattle University Men’s Basketball team.
Basketball was year-round for Dan once he started. Dan recalls helping his high school team win a championship when he was 18. At that point, Dan knew that he had talent to play at a higher level.
He watched a lot of the NBA in China in high school. Although a center, Dan says his favorite player is guard Derrick Rose.
“He plays really hard and he doesn’t quit despite his injuries.” Rose, the former MVP of the NBA, played for several teams including the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks. Dan’s favorite team is the Los Angeles Lakers.
Dan was selected to play in an all-star game where coaches for China under 19 national basketball team watched. After the game, he was asked if he wanted to play for the country’s U19 FIBA team. Dan played for China at the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup. He averaged 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds over the seven games Team China played. Against the United States U19 team, he scored 10 points.
Dan aspires to play for the Chinese National Team. He stated that every Chinese basketball player would like to one day represent the country playing for Team China.
Notably, one of Dan’s teammates was Hansen Yang. Now 20, Yang was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers this past June.
“He’s like my teacher and brother.” Dan said that he learned a lot from playing and practicing with Yang. A 7-foot-1 center, Yang helped Dan with his moves near the basket. “He’s a strong guy.”
Dan’s confidence in his game increased after playing in the FIBA tournament.
“I played against a lot of good players and I thought to myself: I could be as good as them.”
Hoping to join Yang one day, Dan sought a way to play basketball in the United States prior to playing college basketball.
“My dream is to go to the NBA, America is the best country for basketball.” Through a connection, Dan went to Canyon International Academy in Arizona in 2024. He spent three months there, where he learned English and played basketball. He noted that there were players from Canada, Australia, and Hong Kong on his team.
Seattle U Men’s Basketball Media Day – Oct. 5, 2025
Dan was recruited by Seattle University and enjoyed visiting the campus and city. He felt that when he met the team, “it felt like family.”
“It was a tough transition for him,” said head coach Chris Victor of Dan’s transition to college. “He had a good freshman year and had a really good summer, so he will be a big part of the center position and we are looking for him to make a big jump from this year from his freshman year to his sophomore year.”
In his first year at Seattle U, Dan averaged 11 minutes per game, while averaging 3.7 points and 2 rebounds. In eight games this year, he’s increased his points average and rebounds. He’s also increased his field goal percentage from 51% last year to almost 60% this year.
Dan is still working on his English and communicating with teammates. His teammate, Yuto Kawashima, who speaks Chinese, helps him out a lot. This also means that it takes him longer to work on his classes in addition to training and practice.
“We are doing well, better than last season,” Dan gave his assessment on the team’s start this season. This season, the team upset Stanford at Maples Pavilion. Dan had a season high of 11 points in the game. Dan played well because of his mindset which was to relax and have fun. It was the first game this season where he felt he played well.
In his off time he likes playing Call of Duty and League of Legends and hanging out with his friends.
For information on Seattle U men’s basketball tickets, visit www.goseattleu.com/tickets.
Jason can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.
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