Men's Basketball Set for Trip to Italy
August 17, 2014 | Men's Basketball
Aug. 17, 2014
Italian Tour Blog | Coach Jones Interview
BOSTON - Having completed its 10 practice sessions, the Boston University men's basketball team is set to embark on its first summer overseas trip since 2007.
The defending Patriot League regular season champion Terriers started practicing on Aug. 6 and took two days off in order for the schedule to end on Aug. 17. They will leave Logan Airport Monday afternoon (Aug. 18) and land in Rome Tuesday morning (Aug. 19).
Upon arrival, the team will head directly to the Colosseum and Roman Forum for a tour. Other scheduled tours include the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence and the Bellagio on Lake Como.
Besides sightseeing and devouring pizza, pasta and gelato, the Terriers will also be playing basketball with four teams on the docket. They hold one practice on Wednesday (Aug. 20) and then travel to Casica on Aug. 21 to face off against Stella Azzurra Roma, a member of La Serie B.
The next two games come against All-Star squads, the first from Pesaro (Adriatic Tritons) on Aug. 23, and the next from Vicenza (All-Star Vicenza Basket) on Aug. 25. BU then takes the short trek over to Lugano, Switzerland, on Aug. 26 to meet Sam Basket Massagno, a member of Switzerland's top league.
Guided by fourth-year head coach Joe Jones, the Terriers return 32.9 percent of their scoring and 42.0 percent of their rebounds from last season's squad that posted the second most wins in program history. BU went 24-11 and reached the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) for its fourth postseason appearance in five years.
Junior John Papale is the leading returning scorer at 9.3 ppg, while fellow classmate Nathan Dieudonne is the top returning rebounder (4.7 rpg). Junior Justin Alston (2.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg) is the only other Terrier who appeared in both the 2013 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament and the 2014 NIT match-up against Illinois at Agganis Arena.
Sophomore transfers Eric Fanning (Wagner) and Blaise Mbargorba (SMU) are eligible to play this season after sitting out last year. They will be joined on the trip by three freshmen, Nick Havener, Eric Johnson and Cheddi Mosely.
Sophomores Cedric Hankerson (2014 All-PL Rookie Team), Dylan Haines, Cameron Curry and Braiten Madrigal will also look to gain valuable experience from the games.
Fans can follow BU's adventures at http://www.goterriers.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/14-italy-tour.html, which will be regularly updated with photos, videos and other interesting notes.
