For the Pac-12, the Washington Huskies’ men’s basketball season opener in Shanghai is a chance for the conference to build ties – cultural and economic – in an untapped Chinese market.

For the University of Washington, which dispatched a 14-person entourage that included President Ana Mari Cauce, former ambassador to China Gary Locke and former Gov. Chris Gregoire along with the team, the weeklong trip allowed school delegates to explore potential investments with Chinese business and government leaders.

And for the Huskies, Friday’s game – the first regular-season contest played in China – against the Texas Longhorns at the 18,000-seat Mercedes-Benz Arena is just another game.

At least, that’s the mindset they had before leaving Seattle last Sunday.

“Staying focused and realizing that we’re there to win a basketball game,” freshman guard Dejounte Murray said when asked what will be the top challenge this week. “The majority of it is exploring new things and seeing new stuff.”

Senior UW guard Andrew Andrews is no stranger to playing in China.

A year ago he joined a Pac-12 all-star team that spent a week in China, participated in a clinic and took part in four exhibitions against Chinese teams.

“Since I’ve already been there, my (feeling) of ‘Wow, I’m going to China’ is kind of done with and I’m just ready to play in the game,” Andrews said. “I feel like as a team and as a whole everybody who is involved in going … is excited about going to China and seeing the culture and experiencing all of these things.”

To prepare for their trip, the Huskies took a three-credit course called “English 295: One Week in China.” They learned simple phrases and the basics of the culture.

This week, the Huskies toured historical landmarks, visited the Alibaba Group headquarters in Hangzhou, China, and participated in educational expositions in Shanghai, Nanong and Suzhou.

The Pac-12 entered a two-year agreement to send a men’s basketball team to play in China against a nonconference opponent.

For Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, this week’s venture to the Far East is much bigger than a basketball game.

“If it goes as well as I think, this men’s game has the potential to become an annual event,” Scott said. “Potentially not just men, but the women as well.”