by sportswriter Liu Yang

FUZHOU, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- With one of the youngest rosters in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), the Fujian Sturgeons face an immediate and formidable test to open the 2025-2026 season: an away game against powerhouse Xinjiang Flying Tigers on Saturday.

The matchup will be the first true gauge of a team reshaped over the offseason, with the domestic squad now averaging just 23.3 years of age.

Fujian has built its new identity around a promising young core, led by this year's top draft pick and supported by four veteran imports brought in to deliver both on-court production and off-court guidance.

The club's future is closely tied to two rising stars from Tsinghua University: Zou Yang and Yang Xihao. The 25-year-old Zou, now team captain, enters his third CBA season with expanded leadership duties.

"Being captain is more about responsibility," Zou said. "On the court, I need to take on more communication and organizational tasks... Off the court, I will act as a connector between teammates."

Zou spent part of the summer in Serbia working specifically on his shooting. "How to maintain shooting percentage under the pressure of physical collisions is a key point I constantly work on every offseason," he explained, "the goal is to help the team win more games."

He is joined by 23-year-old center Yang Xihao, the top pick in July's CBA Draft. Yang, who helped Tsinghua reach multiple national finals, showed promise in the CBA Club Cup, scoring 16 points in his team debut on Dec. 3.

The foreign contingent is expected to fast-track the development of Fujian's young core. In the backcourt, 32-year-old American point guard Travis Trice returns to the CBA after previous spells with Xinjiang Flying Tigers and Beijing Royal Fighters. Alongside him is compatriot Isaiah Briscoe, top scorer in China's second-tier NBL in 2025, where he averaged 28.4 points per game.

Inside, American center Devin Williams, 31, brings playoff experience after helping the Jiangsu Dragons reach the postseason in 2023. Slovakian national team forward/center Vladimir Brodziansky, also 31, adds floor spacing after shooting 45 percent from beyond the arc in the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket qualifiers.

Blending youth and experience is the main task for Serbian coach Aleksandar Kesar, the former head coach of the Serbian national team. This season is his fourth in Fujian, a place he now regards as a second home.

Kesar, who guided Fujian to the playoffs in 2019-2020, outlined the thinking behind the club's youth movement.

"In recent years, we realized we need to improve, invest in young players, and create our own stars," he said.

He also voiced strong belief in the impact of the veteran imports.

"The club signed four foreign players with outstanding individual ability," Kesar said. "They can pass their experience to our young players and help them improve."

Kesar believes the mix of experience, quality, desire and talent can provide a foundation for progress. "We cannot promise anything major," he concluded, "but we promise we will fight in every game. We can play very good basketball."

Club executive director Wu Bolan stressed that a young roster does not lower expectations. "Youth means the right time to fight hard. Our goal remains the playoffs."

She also highlighted the depth of the club's youth system. "We have many young players in line. Every year we promote excellent talents from the youth team to first team. Next season, we'll become even younger." Enditem