NEW YORK — Tokyo native K.J. Matsui is the first Japanese to play Division I basketball in the United States. Now a senior, he is one of the top players for Columbia University in New York City. He is also one of the nation's best three 3-point shooters.

This season Matsui is writing an exclusive monthly column — Inside Look — for The Japan Times, giving readers a unique perspective on the life of a college basketball player.

I'm lucky enough to be the first Japanese-born player to play for a D-I team.