He was then thrust into the spotlight for leading Hanyang to a 96-91 upset against Yonsei in the National Basketball Festival (농구대잔치), the other main collegiate competition.

Yonsei had been on a 39-game winning streak in the tournament and boasted a star-studded team which included Ha Seung-jin, Kim Tae-sul and Yang Hee-jong.

[11] There were initial doubts as he was considered short by KBL standards but he established himself as an integral member of the team due to his physicality and accurate shooting and passing.

In his debut game, a loss to Seoul Samsung Thunders, he scored 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists despite having a distinct height disadvantage.

[5][12] Yang formed a tandem with foreign recruit Chris Williams and led Ulsan Mobis Phoebus to the 2007 Championship, his first title.

[13] During the final, they faced a Busan KTF Magic Wings which had Cho Sung-min and Shin Ki-sung and won four out of seven games in a tightly-contested race.

[19] Yang shares the same name, written with the exact same Hanja characters, as an actor and hip hop artist who is two years older than him.