College days Yang was recruited by
Hanyang University despite not being a regular in high school. At that time, Hanyang was not a particularly well-known basketball program and was better known for its baseball team. His close friend and future professional rival
Cho Sung-min would join him two years later. During his senior year, Yang led Hanyang to a runner-up finish at the MBC Cup. He was then thrust into the spotlight for leading Hanyang to a 96-91 upset against Yonsei in the National Basketball Festival (), 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. Although Hanyang finished third, Yang ranked first in assists in the competition. He was selected by
Jeonju KCC Egis, who had the first overall pick, but was immediately traded to
Ulsan Mobis Phoebus in exchange for two players. 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. Yang formed a tandem with foreign recruit
Chris Williams and led Ulsan Mobis Phoebus to the 2007 Championship, his first title. 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. He averaged 19.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 7.3 assists during the playoffs and was named Playoffs MVP. In May 2007, a week after his wedding and the playoffs, Yang enlisted for
mandatory military service. ==Coaching career==