CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois men’s basketball team will make its first foreign trip in 10 years when the Salukis travel to Cuba, Aug. 5-11, to play three games versus players from the Cuban National Team.
The tour was booked through Sports Tours International, which has guided Coastal Carolina and Louisiana on previous summer trips to Cuba. The team will be accompanied by three interpreters, including Sports Tours president Lee Frederick, and visit the cities of Havana and Varadero.
The games will be played in the 12,000-seat Havana Sports City Coliseum versus teams consisting of older players who are currently members of the National Team, and younger players who are trying out for the team. SIU’s coaches and players will also conduct two teaching clinics for Cuban youth players.
“This trip provides student-athletes with an extremely rich experience,” said Frederick. “In addition to the basketball games, players will take a walking tour of historic Old Havana and make several excursions, such as visiting the U.S. Embassy, a craft market and cigar store, and taking a salsa lesson from professional Cuban dancers.”
The Salukis could return up to seven seniors and all five starters from last year’s team that finished 20-11. Southern lost Tyler Smithpeters and Jonathan Wiley to graduation, but expect a boost from senior center Thik Bol, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, plus three incoming freshmen — Darius Beane, Sam Shafer and Amadou Fall.
Once every four years, college basketball programs are allowed to embark on a foreign trip and given 10 extra practices in the summer to prepare. The last time Southern took a foreign tour was in August of 2008, when the team traveled to Windsor, Canada.
“This is a great opportunity for us to get better on and off the court as a unit and lay the foundation for the upcoming season,” said SIU head coach Barry Hinson. “We are especially grateful to Roger and Sally Tedrick for their financial support that will make this trip possible.”
The tour was booked through Sports Tours International, which has guided Coastal Carolina and Louisiana on previous summer trips to Cuba. The team will be accompanied by three interpreters, including Sports Tours president Lee Frederick, and visit the cities of Havana and Varadero.
The games will be played in the 12,000-seat Havana Sports City Coliseum versus teams consisting of older players who are currently members of the National Team, and younger players who are trying out for the team. SIU’s coaches and players will also conduct two teaching clinics for Cuban youth players.
“This trip provides student-athletes with an extremely rich experience,” said Frederick. “In addition to the basketball games, players will take a walking tour of historic Old Havana and make several excursions, such as visiting the U.S. Embassy, a craft market and cigar store, and taking a salsa lesson from professional Cuban dancers.”
The Salukis could return up to seven seniors and all five starters from last year’s team that finished 20-11. Southern lost Tyler Smithpeters and Jonathan Wiley to graduation, but expect a boost from senior center Thik Bol, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, plus three incoming freshmen — Darius Beane, Sam Shafer and Amadou Fall.
Once every four years, college basketball programs are allowed to embark on a foreign trip and given 10 extra practices in the summer to prepare. The last time Southern took a foreign tour was in August of 2008, when the team traveled to Windsor, Canada.
“This is a great opportunity for us to get better on and off the court as a unit and lay the foundation for the upcoming season,” said SIU head coach Barry Hinson. “We are especially grateful to Roger and Sally Tedrick for their financial support that will make this trip possible.”
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