​Illustration by Leah Abucayan/CNN/Getty/Courtesy of Zech Wu/Louisville Athletics/Imagn Images/“C’mon Bo, C’mon Bo, C’mon Bo.”Inside the training facility at the University of Louisville, strength coach Eli Foy stands on a weighted sled, adding more resistance.Zhang Boyuan, a 19-year-old player from northeast China, gives it everything he has, pushing the sled toward the end of the court as his teammates and coaches swarm around him, urging him on. That’s how their weekly strength session ends.It’s the first Friday morning of the freshman’s adventure in Kentucky – and in American college basketball.Zhang is regarded as one of China’s top young prospects. Last year, he left his home country to spend a year playing high school basketball in California, where his offensive talent stood out. Now, the 6-foot-9 forward is only weeks away from starting his first NCAA Division I season with the Cardinals. And he is not alone: more than 10 other Chinese players are set to take the same stage.The freshman is part of a small but growing group of Chinese basketball players pursuing their NBA dreams through a different route: crossing the Pacific to develop in the American college system, just as the NCAA itself is becoming increasingly global.“If I didn’t have a dream or a plan to play higher level basketball, I would not have come to the US,” Zhang told CNN Sports in a recent interview.Zhang Boyuan, one of China’s top basketball prospects, will be playing his freshman season at the University of Louisville. – Courtesy Zech Wu/Louisville AthleticsIn China, most young talents have traditionally chosen to play in the domestic league to develop their careers. Among them, Hall of Famer Yao Ming, former Dallas Mavericks player Yi Jianlian, and even Yang Hansen – selected 16th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers last summer – reached the NBA after spending several seasons playing at home.However, the introduction of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rules in 2021 allow college athletes to earn money while in school, making the NCAA a more attractive destination for players from around the globe, said Jonathan Givony, an NBA and NCAA draft expert.“So, seeing Chinese players come over and playing high school basketball and then college basketball, that’s another extension of this same trend,” he told CNN Sports.Where the dream beganChangchun means “long spring” in Mandarin. The northeastern Chinese city is known for its industrial roots and long, harsh winters – much colder than Louisville.It was there that Zhang grew up playing basketball and watching the NBA on television with his dad, who is an enthusiastic basketball fan. At the time, the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry were dominating the league, and they became the youngster’s favorite team and player.Since NBA games began being broadcast on Chinese TV in 1986, the star appeal of American basketball has captivated generations across the country.For every kid wh