2014 Men's Basketball Italy Tour
MONDAY, AUG. 18
(All Times Local)
? Depart Boston (12:30 p.m.)
? Depart Detroit (5:45 p.m.)
TUESDAY, AUG. 19
? Arrive in Rome (8:45 a.m.)
? Sightseeing Tour
Colosseum, Roman Forum
? Free time to explore the city
Campidoglio - City Square, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 20
? Bus to Vatican City
Vatican Museum, St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel
? Practice Session
? Rome Sightseeing
THURSDAY, AUG. 21
? Bus to Cascia
? Game vs. Stella Azzurra Roma (4 p.m.)
? Bus to Florence
FRIDAY, AUG. 22
? Walking tour of the Fine Art Academy
Michelangelo's David
? Bus to San Marino
SATURDAY, AUG. 23
? Walking tour of San Marino
? Bus to Pesaro
? Game vs. Adriatic Tritons (8:30 p.m.)
SUNDAY, AUG. 24
? Bus to Venice
? Boat transfer to Piazza San Marco
? Venice walking tour
St. Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace, Bridge of Sighs
? Bus to Treviso
MONDAY, AUG. 25
? Venice Sightseeing
? Bus to Vicenza
? Game vs. All-Star Vicenza Basket (8:30 p.m.)
TUESDAY, AUG. 26
? Bus to hotel in Lake Como
? Bus to Lugano, Switzerland
? Game vs. Sam Basket Massagno (5:30 p.m.)
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 27
? Boat tour of Lake Como
Lunch in Bellagio
? Explore Cernobbio and Como
THURSDAY, AUG. 28
? Bus to Milan Malpensa Airport
? Arrive in NYC ( 1 p.m.)
? Arrive in Boston (5 p.m.)
| AUG. 27, 2014 | Terriers End Trip with Tour of Lake Como
BU goes for a boat ride with the Alps in the background
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The weather was perfect for the team's final full day in Italy. Lake Como is one of the deepest lakes in Europe and can go as far as 1,200 feet. It stretches about 56 square miles and is the third largest lake in Italy. The city is well known for attracting celebrities and wealthy businessmen. In fact, during the boat tour to Bellagio, which is on a peninsula, we spotted George Clooney's villa and another spot where he's supposed to be shooting a commercial. We spotted another villa that's been used for several movies, including Casino Royale and Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.
A local tour guide was on the boat to share details about the region and pointed out the paparazzi on the small boats trying to get photos of Clooney. She also discussed the history of Italy and Lake Como's strategic significance for Italy due to its closeness to the Alps. It's easy to forget that Italy has only been unified as a country for 153 years. The formation of the European Union has changed the dynamics for the area because it's so easy for residents to go to Switzerland for work and live in Italy.
The views were simply spectacular, and I'll have photos up when we get back to Boston. In Bellagio, the group went shopping and took a break for lunch. Our guide Fabio said this was the spot to buy scarfs. While walking around, I came across a church that dated back to the 12th century.
Upon our return, the team had free time to go exploring. Some went to the pool while others just walked around town. Being a sports fan, I walked over 20 minutes to a professional tennis tournament (ATP Challenger) that was being held on clay courts. The event has been held in Lake Como dating back to 1930, so it was neat to learn a little bit about history of tennis in the country. I would have loved to attend a soccer game during our trip but since August is a time of vacationing due to the high temperatures, the season doesn't begin until after we leave.
In the evening, the team gathered together for a lengthy meal that included four courses. The seafood stuffed ravioli was absolutely delicious.
Afterwards, the guys could walk around or head back to the hotel and pack. We have to board the bus at 6:20 a.m. to bus over to Milan.
Please be sure to check the blog on Friday for more details of the last few days and photo galleries.
| AUG. 26, 2014 | Day 8: Terriers Finish Trip Undefeated
BU posts 70-61 win at SAM Basket Massagno
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Today was rather uneventful in that it was just about basketball. We checked out of the hotel in Treviso early and drove over four hours with a pit stop to Lake Como/Cemobbio. We drove past Milan, which is where we will be going to for the flight back home. Our first glimpse of the lake was simply breathtaking and had me anxiously awaiting for our tour on Wednesday.
We unpacked at Hotel Regina Olga and then went straight to pregame meal next to the hotel. We then rode on the bus for close to an hour across the border to Lugano, Switzerland. Heat was not an issue for the second consecutive game. Coach Jones played everyone, and the team was able to lead by as many as 20 before finishing with a 70-61 win. Clickhere for a full recap.
Photos will be posted on Friday upon our return to Boston since the internet connection at the hotel has been too slow.
When we got back to the hotel, everyone was on their own for dinner and exploring the area. Some went back to the same restaurant used for pregame and others ventured off walking around town.
We have one more day to go before flying back home!
| Aug. 25, 2014 | Day 7: Terriers Claim Third Win, Pay Visit to Army Base
BU defeats the Vicenza All-Stars, 99-46
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We spent the previous night at the Hotel Maggior Consiglio in Trevisio, which is a city outside of Venice with over 100,000 people. Hotel rooms are expensive in Venice, so Trevisio serves as a good spot for workers and visitors who spend time on the islands. Since we didn't have a game until late in the evening, the team had the day to go exploring. Most stayed around in the hotel just relaxing. Myself and the athletic trainer walked into town.
Most of the shops were closed because of vacation, but we did come across a lovely church that dates back to the 13th century and a handful of unique statues situated through the city. There was also a nice park with a few bridges on a river going through the city.
In the afternoon, the team drove to Vicenza to first have pregame meal. We then went over to Caserma Ederle, which is an Italian military post that houses the United States' 173rd Airborne Brigade and the United States Army Africa (also known as the Southern European Task Force). The visit was planned by the coaching staff after the original itinerary was posted online, so the guys were surprised a few days ago and excited about the opportunity to go to an Army base.
As mentioned, this is actually an Italian post, so when we arrived, an Italian soldier boarded the bus to make sure the names on his list checked with everyone on the bus. The large walls had the barbed wire at the top.
When we got through security, the strength and conditioning coach for the base's gym greeted us and gave a brief tour. The area has been turned into its own small town with restaurants, bars, movie theater, shops etc... There's a mix of military personnel who live on the base and outside in Italy.
We went to the athletic facility and saw a few personnel working out before entering the basketball gym. Inside, we were greeted by mostly children and a handful of soldiers. The coolest part for me is Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffery Stitzel was there to speak to us. I don't know all the details about the hierarchy, but he is the top non-commissioned officer of U.S. Army Africa. His bio and responsibilities in his current role can be accessed by clicking here
He first shared details of the great exploits of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. It was first formed in 1915 and has had 15 medal of honor recipients. He was excited to be meeting with the team. Most of the soldiers though could not join us because they had recently been deployed to Eastern Europe to support our allies who have felt threatened by Russia's military movements.
We were however joined by a couple of BU alums, including Brigade Public Affairs Officer Michael Weisman (COM '03). He was profiled back in 2010 by BU Today when he was stationed in Iraq for a third tour of duty. Read the story by clicking here. While the team was entertaining the soldiers' families on the court, I was learning more about Weisman's current job. He also shared his fond memories of when BU won the 2002 America East title and reached the NCAAs.
The guys were have a blast with the kids playing hoops and taking pictures. After play time, the strength coach gave a tour of the facility and shared info about how personnel stay in shape. Everyone associated with the team was presented a special U.S. Army Vicenza Base t-shirt. The team chose to wore the t-shirts during warm-ups for the game that night.
BU played the Vicenza All-Stars at the Pala Goldini Arena. Like the second game, this was part of a College Basketball Tour series featuring NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball teams against Italian competition. There were plenty of basketball fans in attendance to watch the game. BU jumped out early and coasted to an easy victory, but the fans were there to the very end. They wanted to meet with the players on the court after the game following a ceremony in which Justin Alston was named the game's MVP. He recorded perfect 7-of-7 performance (14 pts.) and five rebounds.
Get the full recap of the game by clicking here. Internet quality has been poor the last couple of days and is expected to be the same in Como, so please check back this Friday for plenty of photos from the rest of the trip.
| AUG. 24, 2014 | Day 6: Venice
Terriers receive their first two boat rides of the trip
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We had breakfast at the Grand Hotel San Marino and then packed our bags again for the bus ride over to Venice. Due to a traffic jam caused by a car accident and a lunch stop, the trip took over five hours long. There are two ways to reach Venice, a city made up of over 100 islands. The first is by cable car and the second is by boat. We got off at a big bus stop area and took a 20-30 minute water taxi ride over to the city.
In total, there are more than 400 bridges in usage for pedestrians. We didn't have enough time to get on a gondola, but we certainly saw plenty of them in the canals. Upon our arrival, our main guide, Fabio, took us over to a glass store, where we were given a demonstration of how a "glass master" does his job. They spend 10 years learning about their craft, and this particular master spent just two minutes turning molten glass into an impressive horse sculpture.
I hope to have a video of his demonstration up in the next day or two. We are currently in Treviso, and the internet is very slow when it comes to uploading large files so photos are taking priority for the time being.
Anyways, after the demonstration, the team had a few minutes to purchase their own glass gifts, whether they be necklaces, glasses, sculptures etc... We then walked over to Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square) to meet with a local tour guide, who shared some historical details about the Venice for about 30 minutes.
The team had an hour to explore before dinner following the talk. Some visited the Ferrari shop, which had a real Ferrari formula one car on display. Others went shopping, and I went walking around with the athletic trainer. We came across a music museum within the Church of San Maurizio that focuses on celebrating the music of Antonio Vivaldi, an 18th century composer and violin performer. There are several amazing instruments on display that date back to the early 1600s.
We were fortunate to come across a pair of bridges close to each other than had little foot traffic. This opportunity allowed us to take some photos before dinner. The restaurant located close to St. Mark's Square served us fried calamari, risotto with pasta and veal. For dessert, we had delicious tiramisu. It was a gigantic but wonderful meal.
Following dinner with the sun setting, we were broken up into small groups to fit in smaller water taxis that could take us on a different canal to reach the bus. The views were awesome, and the breeze was perfect too because of the high temperatures experienced earlier in the day. Internet is not being helpful, but photos and a video of a portion of the ride will be up within the next day or two.
We rode on the bus to Treviso for about an hour. We're nearing the end point of this amazing trip, and since the guys have a game tomorrow following a long day in the sun, the team just relaxed tonight. Tomorrow, we will have most of the day to explore before going to Vicenza to face off against the All-Star Vicenza Basket in the third game of the schedule.
As I finish this posting, I'm watching women's soccer pull off another huge come-from-behind win. Congrats to the ladies on beating BC! Go Terriers!
| AUG. 23, 2014 | Day 5: Terriers Follow Tour of San Marino with Blowout Win against the Adriatic Tritons
Four men reach double figures after spending time in the oldest republic in the world
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As mentioned in yesterday's blog, not many, including myself, were expecting much from San Marino. The views at various spots on the mountain were simply breathtaking, and the inclusion was justified quickly. Today was deserving of two photo galleries, one for the time spent in the town and the second for the game in Pesaro. Please head to the bottom of the page below for the links.
For a full recap of the Terriers' 81-48 win, click here.
San Marino is the oldest republic in the world and dates back to 301 AD. San Marino's independence has been threatened multiple times over the centuries, but it has stood strong.
One of the republic's proudest occurred during World War II. The local tour guide took the team to the main public square where the government holds official sessions at the Palazzo Pubblico and shared details of how it remained neutral during the war and housed over 100,000 people from around Europe looking to escape the bombings.
The tour guide was also excited when discussing the republic's relationship with Abraham Lincoln. The leaders offered him honorary citizenship back in 1861, and he accepted with a letter praising San Marino for its virtues. The letter remains in San Marino's archives. To read the letter, and the U.S.'s official history with the republic, click here. Experiencing a little bit of rain, we walked further up the mountain to a walking path that connects three towers. The first one was built back in the 11th century and served briefly as a prison besides being a fort. The second one followed in the 13th century with the third, also the smallest, being built in the 14th century.
Many players purchased a pass for the second tower and walked to the top after passing by several displays of weapons dating back hundreds of years. Looking down the mountain, they commented on how they felt like they were part of the Night's Watch from Game of Thrones.
Following the meal, the team was on the bus for over an hour to Pesaro to face off against the Adriatic Tritons, an all-star squad that has competing over the last few weeks against NCAA Division I squads. The arena was definitely on the warm side and brought up memories of the most recent Spurs-Heat NBA Finals when San Antonio's facility lost the air conditioning unit to a malfunction. The foreign Spurs players commented on how they were used to the heat due to their time playing in other countries, and now I have better understanding of how true those statements were.
Unlike the first game, this one had plenty of atmosphere with a DJ playing funk over the loud speakers. There were several hundred fans in attendance, and there were formal introductions similar to soccer with children joining the players on the court. Both the American and Italian national anthems were played as well.
Every Terrier received playing time, and BU quickly pulled away in the second half. You'll see plenty of photos throughout the social media accounts of Eric Fanning's dunk toward the end of the game. It certainly brought everyone to their feet.
Neither the first game nor the second game had an official stats crew, so it's been up to the basketball staff and myself to keep track of everything. I've mainly been focusing on the flow of the game since I've also been taking photos. I was fortunately in perfect position for Fanning's dunk and knew once he caught the ball what he had in mind.
Following the contest, there was a big group picture with both teams, referees and the young ball boy volunteers. Several fans came on the court seconds later to try to meet Fanning and the other Terriers in hopes of getting an item tied to the team, such as a t-shirt.
The team arrived back at the hotel around midnight and went to the restaurant next door for pizza and gelato. We have an early wake up call because we'll be busing for several hours to Venice.
| AUG. 22, 2014 | Day 4: Florence
Meeting with Michelangelo's David highlights walking tour
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The weather was perfect Friday for our walking tour. First though on the itinerary was breakfast on the top floor of the Grand Hotel Baglioni . The photo of the skyline in the gallery below hardly does it justice of how beautiful the view was. Following breakfast, we walked over to the Galleria dell' Accademia to meet our local tour guide.
She took us into the museum and explained all the details regarding Michelangelo's David. The artist took three years from 1501-1504 to build the towering sculpture, which has been housed in the Academy since 1873. There's also a replica of David outside in one of the city squares amongst other replicas for people to take photos with for free.
The tour guide then took us to other sites in the area, including the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Florence Cathedral) and the Piazza della Signoria. We didn't get to walk on it, but we also saw the Ponte Vecchio. The bridge was first built around 1,000 AD and then rebuilt in the 14th century. The significance of the bridge is that it was the only one in Florence to not be destroyed by World War II bombing.
Once the tour ended, we were on our own to shop and eat. Florence is famous for its leather products, so the team was excited to make some purchases at much cheaper prices compared to the American stores. I grabbed a panini and walked more through the area. You always have to be cognizant of scooters and cars because the sidewalks, if there are any to begin with, are very narrow.
Before it was time to regroup with the team, I was fortunate to stumble upon a small church on a random street that was drawing pedestrians in with the sounds of the organ. I sat in there for a few minutes just enjoying the music.
Our bus ride to San Marino lasted about three hours. The Republic of San Marino has over 30,000 residents and is a place I've only heard in passing. I wasn't expecting much but was very happy it was part of the trip. Driving up to the City of San Marino brought up images of the fictional kingdom of Gondor from the Lord of the Rings. The town was built on Mount Titano and has multiple towers looking down on the countryside with the Adriatic Sea within an hour's drive.
We first stopped at our hotel, the Grand Hotel San Marino, and then walked up a couple of flights of stairs made of stone to reach our dinner destination, La Fratta, where the team had delicious pasta with red sauce and small strips of steak. Every meal at a restaurant this week has included a total of four courses with the dessert serving as the final. On Tuesday, it was tiramisu, and was followed by watermelon on Wednesday. Tonight, the dessert was similar to creme brulee.
Following dinner, the team split up with some walking back to the hotel and others checking out some of the shops. A few of us also watched the BU women's soccer team rally to beat La Salle on the Patriot League Network with just seven seconds left!
Tomorrow, we will get a walking tour in the morning and then it will be game time against the Adriatic Tritons!
| AUG. 21, 2014 | Day 3: Terriers Open Four-Game Schedule with Victory
Dieudonne has double-double to lead BU
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For the recap of the Terriers' 69-57 victory over Stella Azzurra, click here. Be sure to also go to the bottom of the page for a photo gallery and interview with junior Nathan Dieudonne, who had 22 points and 11 rebounds.
The team woke up in the morning in Rome and drove about a combined four hours with a stop in-between at a restaurant on the highway for the pregame meal. We arrived at a hotel/sports complex in Cascia, which is a town in the mountains that only has a population for a few thousand, to face off against Stella Azzurra. The squad competes in Italy's second division and has been, like many other professional Italian teams, using the mountain regions for training. As mentioned before, Italy can get very hot in August, so teams like to escape the heat.
While our game was going on, some youth soccer clubs were also having their own game. In fact, they were the only people with no affiliation to BU or Stella Azzurra to stop by to watch the game.
The conditions were interesting. The basketball gym had a very small scoreboard with no 24-second shot clock and due to the humidity would get slippery at times. I could easily see the puddles of sweat on the floor, and there was need for constant mopping. No one got hurt though from either team.
The competition was a good opening test to the schedule for BU. Stella Azzurra had on its team 6-9 Bosnian forward Amar Alibegovic, who recently signed with St. John's. The BU strength coach speaks Italian and learned talking to the Italian staff that one of the big men BU faced is a longtime professional player who's now more like a coach. A couple of the other taller guys on the squad are from Africa and are somewhere between 15-17 years old.
Stella Azzurra is best known for giving 2006 NBA No. 1 first round draft pick Andrea Bargnani his professional start back in 2002, so with the other bits of information we learned about the team, it seems they like to have a mix of young talent for the future with veterans.
After the game, we were on the bus for another 4+ hour bus ride that included a stop on the highway for a quick bite to eat. We arrived late at night at the Grand Hotel Baglioni in downtown Florence in preparation for the morning tour of the city.
Head coach Joe Jones and assistant coach Curtis Wilson have both been here before with other schools and love the city for the restaurants, shops and easy ability to walk around. Looking forward to checking it out!
| AUG. 20, 2014 | Day 2: Vatican City
Terriers receive guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel
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There were two big items on the schedule, a tour of Vatican City and the final practice session before the four games set for this trip. We met our local tour guide near a back entrance of Vatican City. You have to go through metal detectors to enter the microstate's buildings. Also make sure you have a reservation or else you could wait up to four hours. We happened to bump into the Penn women's basketball team before the start of our a tour a day after driving past the St. John's women's basketball team. For those potentially wondering, the BU women went to Spain back at the start of the 2011-12 season for their last overseas trip.
I'm going to try to keep this posting less wordy, but there are still a few interesting details from the tour to share. First, like the day before, the tour guide provides everyone with a headset to hear her voice directly. It's a great system, except for when you stop to take a couple of pictures and you fall a bit behind. The reception gets poor very quickly if you don't stay close.
Second, photography is not allowed in the Sistine Chapel. As a result, the Vatican created some posters showing off the displays, which allows the tour guides to better provide a history lesson on the paintings. I included in the photo gallery a couple of shots of the posters. My father always taught me that when it comes to going on trips, photos without you and/or family/friends in them are worthless because you can see photos in a book or on the web. That said, I went against him at times in this gallery because some of the displays were just massive and amazing to see in person. I hopefully kept them to a minimum.
Michelango of course is the megastar in Vatican City for his work on the Sistine Chapel amongst other treasures. He spent four years painting the ceiling as a relatively young man. He then came back 25 years later to paint The Last Judgment on one of the walls, and the entire project took four years. One of the tidbits shared by the tour guide was Michelango painted a specific Cardinal in an unflattering way in the lower right corner because of the man's criticisms directed toward the artist in front of the Pope. Historians know this Cardinal protested but to no avail. No one knows however what the Pope said in response besides keeping Michelango's work intact.
The team walked through the Vatican Museum, which featured many interesting sculptures, paintings and tapestries. We then spent about 10 minutes in the Sistine Chapel before making our way to St. Peter's Basilica. It is one of the largest churches in the world and is filled with many amazing works of art. One could easily spend an entire day just walking around and examining every inch of the church.
Following the tour, we went out in front and took a couple of group photos before heading to one of the gift shops. If you've looked through the past two photo galleries, you can see that the big guys on the team tend to draw a crowd in large public areas from non-Americans, who love to take photos with them.
After our newfound celebrities were finished, we went back to the hotel. Everyone was on their own for food and sightseeing. The team regrouped late in the afternoon to head to the Stella Azzurra Basketball Academy for practice. Stella Azzurra, a member of Italy's second division, is the first opponent on the schedule, but BU will not play them at their home site. The reason is the team has been in a preseason training camp far away from the city. The Terriers will meet them in Cascia as a result.
We will be driving a lot on Thursday before and after the game with the final destination being Florence, and I don't know what the internet situation will be. I'll try to get pertinent information up from the game as quickly as possible on the site.
Thanks for reading and Go Terriers!
| AUG. 19, 2014 | Day 1: Terriers Learn about Ancient Rome
BU immediately heads to the Colosseum upon arrival in Italy
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Buongiorno from Rome!
The first day was an exciting one since it marked the first visit to Europe for many on the team. It was also very tiring due to the flight. Most of the guys only slept for a little bit during the flight and found themselves watching one of the many movies available on the ride. The plane was packed with mostly Americans and Italians. One of the coaches though sat next to a man who was spending about 24 combined hours in a plane/airport on his way to Albania because he had to wait seven hours in Italy before getting on a connecting flight.
I've been abroad before and sometimes had to wait a while to get through customs, but today, it took very little time. I'm assuming the early arrival time played a key role. Our Italian guide, Fabio, greeted the team at baggage claim along with a representative from Basketball Travelers. They and the bus driver, Maximo, will be with us the entire trip. Fabio does a great job providing plenty of details about the way of life in Italy and sets the stage for the local tour guide at each stop. Cal is a former collegiate basketball player who played professionally in Amsterdam. He's here to make sure everything goes smoothly, particularly with the basketball-related details.
Fabio explained August is a great time to visit Italy because so many Italians are on vacation. The roads were not empty, but there were no traffic jams either. Gas currently hovers around $10 per gallon, so you won't see any SUVs nearby. Fiat is the preferred company, and many rely on scooters as well besides public transportation. One potential negative about visiting in August is that the weather can get very hot in Rome and reach up to 100 degrees.
He also gave us a couple of vocabulary tips on several ways to greet Italians: caio (hello or goodbye), buongiorno (good day or good morning), buona sera (good evening) or arrivederci (good-bye or see you soon). Of course, grazie (thank you) and prego (you're welcome) were among other phrases he noted would be helpful walking around the city. He quickly noted for the pizza lovers that "pepperoni" in Italy is green peppers, and that you must specifically ask for salami.
A couple of other interesting items. Italians drink sparkling water, so if you want water without the bubbles at a store or restaurant, ask for "natural" water. Italians tend to eat later out at night (between 9-10 p.m.), and dinner will go at least two hours because there is plenty of talking and drinking. This next one may lead to a groan or applause. We were explicitly told that tips are not mandatory, and that if you liked your service, 10% is the number to go with.
Toward the end of the bus ride into the heart of Rome, we picked up the local tour guide. She gave some tidbits on the history of Rome. Its birthday is celebrated on April 21 every year and is connected to the Roman myths about Romulus and Remus. (On a side note, I'm still waiting for a big blockbuster epic film to be made on The Aeneid.) We drove on the Appian Way, a key road in the development of the city that dates back to 300+ B.C.
After reaching our destination, we were provided tours of the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. The Forum served as a business and political hub in ancient times and continues to go through restoration and preservation projects following a mudslide suffered over 80 years ago. The Colosseum is close to 2,000 years old and used to seat over 50,000 Romans in attendance for gladiator battles.
Following the tour, hunger set in quickly, so the team went to check in at the NH Vittorio Veneto. Everyone had an electrical adaptor, so the players averted any potential crisis with mobile phones dying in Italy. Two notes about the hotel rooms. They each came with a bidet (an item you rarely see in the U.S.), and you had to slip your key card into a holder next to the door in order for the lights to become operational.
Everyone was on their own for the afternoon. Some grabbed a panini (sandwich), others went to bed due to the jet lag, and others, like myself, went exploring walking around the city. The highlight was walking down the Spanish Steps and bumping into a man wearing an Emerson hat whose son just happened to graduate from BU a couple of years ago.
For dinner, we went to a nearby restaurant and had a four-course meal that featured two appetizers, chicken and tiramusu for dessert. The guys went back out to explore before curfew. We have to wake up early for breakfast because of the scheduled tour of Vatican City.
| AUG. 18, 2014 | Waiting for the Red Eye
The men's basketball team waits in Detroit for nine-hour flight to Rome
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This first official blog post comes from the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, while we wait three hours for the Red Eye.
The men's basketball team wrapped up its 10 days of practice on Sunday afternoon and spent the rest of the day getting ready for the trip to Italy. The NCAA allows programs to take an overseas trip once every four years.
This trip will be the Terriers' first since BU claimed the 2007 Kainan Tournament Championship in Taipei, Taiwan with victories over the host Kainan University, Tohoku University, the Union of Vietnamese Universities and the University of British Columbia. BU won the first three games in double digits and then beat UBC, 105-98, in double overtime.
During the trip in Italy, BU will not be competing in a tournament or playing against other universities. Instead, they will travel the country visiting professional teams. Stella Azzurra Roma is a member of La Serie B, Italy's second-best league. The next two games come against All-Star squads, the first from Pesaro (Adriatic Tritons) and the next from Vicenza (All-Star Vicenza Basket). BU then takes the short trek over to Lugano, Switzerland to meet Sam Basket Massagno, a member of Switzerland's top league.
The 10 days of practice plus the time spent in Italy will be very valuable for the team leading into the regular season since only three members of this year's squad were on the court in the 2013 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. Breaking down the numbers from the 2014 season in which the Terriers went 24-11 and reached the NIT, BU is returning 819 of the 2492 points (32.9%), 487 of the 1160 rebounds (42.0%) and just 78 of the 491 assists (15.9%). Head coach Joe Jones will be heavily relying on Justin Alston, Nate Dieudonne and John Papale to be this year's leaders, and they're excited about the challenge. It was just two years ago that they were the young pups learning from then-juniors D.J. Irving, Dom Morris and Travis Robinson when there were no three-year lettermen on the squad.
The three sophomores from last year's team have a year under their belt and will look to make their mark, and Coach Jones has two transfers eligible to play. Guard Eric Wagner came to BU from Wagner, and center Blaise Mbargorba spent a year at SMU. They were chomping at the bit while watching the Terriers win their first conference regular season title in a decade. The three freshmen will be expected to contribute and have been acclimating themselves into the system well ahead of schedule because of the trip.
So enough of the prelude. The team took the bus from campus at 10 a.m. to Logan Airport and faced the first "crisis" of the trip at the ticket counter. The airline had several monitors that decided not to work for international check-ins, but after a few minutes, the team was back on schedule. Of course, the staff was trying to figure out if this was just a sign of things to come or the last obstacle for the team. Optimism prevailed!
The team will depart Detroit around 5:30 p.m. on a nine-hour flight and land in Rome at around 8:45 a.m. due to the six-hour time change. One of the few advantages of being 5-foot-7 is this blogger does not have to worry about leg space on long flights. Fortunately, when the team checked in at Logan, the staff was able to get exit row seats for the big men.
The company Basketball Travelers coordinated the trip and will have a representative there along with a tour guide from Italy to greet us in Rome. There will be no time to relax because we will go straight from the airport to a sightseeing tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum. Afterwards, we will check in at the NH Vittorio Veneto for a couple of days.
Fans can follow the team's adventures by checking in on this page and also following the hashtag #ciaoBU on the @BUAthletics instagram and twitter accounts. The plan is to update the blog at the end of each day with photos and a video or two.
Thanks for following and Go Terriers!
| AUG. 6, 2014 | Terriers Begin Preparations for Italy
BU to hold 10 practice sessions prior to Aug. 18 departure
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BOSTON - The defending Patriot League regular season champion Boston University men's basketball team held its first of 10 practice sessions Wednesday afternoon in preparation for its trip to Italy.
Led by fourth-year head coach Joe Jones, the Terriers will leave for Rome on Aug. 18 and play a total of four preseason games against professional Italian clubs before returning to Boston on Aug. 28. The regular season will begin on Sunday, Nov. 16 against crosstown rival Northeastern at TD Garden.
BU is coming off a 24-11 (15-3 PL) season in which it was one win shy of tying the school record for victories. The Terriers claimed the program's sixth NIT berth by winning the Patriot League regular season title.
They will feature a new lineup after the loss of six players, including 1,000-plus point scorers D.J. Irving and Dom Morris. Junior John Papale is the leading returning scorer at 9.3 ppg, while classmate Nathan Dieudonne is the top rebounder at 4.7 rpg.
Sophomores Eric Fanning and Blaise Mbargorba are eligible to play this season after sitting out last year due to transfer rules. They will be joined by freshmen Nick Havener, Eric Johnson and Cheddi Mosely.
| July 28, 2014 | Men's Basketball Announces 2014-15 Schedule
Highlights include 14 home games, overseas trip to Italy and visit to 2014 NCAA runner-up Kentucky
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2014-15 Season Tickets: Renewal | New Purchases
BOSTON - Highlighted by an overseas trip to Italy and visit to eight-time national champion Kentucky, the Boston University men's basketball team and fourth-year head coach Joe Jones have released the 2014-15 schedule. In total, the defending Patriot League regular season champion Terriers will play 29 regular season games with nine scheduled against squads that participated in postseason action last spring.
Season tickets for men's basketball will be $112 for the general public with special pricing for faculty/staff and young alumni. The Terriers will host 14 contests, including eight Patriot League games at Agganis Arena. Last year's season ticket holders can renew by logging into their account on AgganisArena.com. Fans can make a deposit for season tickets by visiting AgganisArena.com. For more information, they can also visit the ticket office at 925 Commonwealth Avenue on Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. or call 617-353-GOBU (4628).
Coming off their fourth postseason appearance in five years, the Terriers will compete in 25 games against teams who ended last season with at least 10 victories. With the graduation of two 1,000-plus career point scorers and the addition of five newcomers to the official roster, BU will prepare for the challenging schedule by taking its first preseason foreign trip (Aug. 18-28) since a visit to Taiwan in the summer of 2007.
The entire team will begin practice on Aug. 8 and then fly out to Rome on Aug. 18 from Logan Airport. Besides facing off against four professional Italian squads (Stella Azzurra Roma, Indiana Pesre, All-Star Vicenza Basket and Fulgor Omegna), the Terriers will take a guided tour of the Colosseum before busing over to Vatican City for tours of St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Other highlights of the trip include seeing the famed Michelangelo's David, touring Venice by boat and spending a day in Lake Como, where the Alps ascend up to 8500 feet above the crystal clear water.
"The trip to Italy is a once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity for these young men to experience foreign travel and to also immerse themselves in another culture with their teammates," Jones said. "We are looking forward to defending our Patriot League title, and with the addition of two transfers and three freshmen to the rotation, the extra time spent together before the school year starts will allow everyone to get on the same page in preparation for the regular season.
"The schedule is a challenging one with trips to three opponents who won a game in the NCAA tournament, and they along with the other non-conference teams will make us battle tested for the Patriot League," Jones added. "The guys are anxiously awaiting for the chance to play in front of our great fans and also represent BU proud at exciting locations like Rupp Arena and TD Garden."
BU will tip off the regular season against crosstown rival Northeastern for the fifth consecutive year with one of the most exciting college basketball series in the country taking place at TD Garden, home of the Boston Celtics, on Sunday, Nov. 16. In the last five meetings, the total differential in sports scored through the end of regulation is six points following the Terriers' thrilling come-from-behind 69-66 victory last season. The match-up will be part of the second annual Coaches vs. Cancer Tripleheader, which also features in-state schools Boston College, UMass, Harvard and Holy Cross.
The Terriers next head south to 2014 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) participant Norfolk State for a return game on Nov. 19 after hosting the MEAC runner-up Spartans last season. They then make the trek to 2014 NCAA runner-up Kentucky on Nov. 21. The Wildcats last hosted BU in 2010 at the famed Rupp Arena and are coming off a hard-fought six-point loss in the national championship game.
Departing the America East last summer for the Patriot League, BU will face three straight members from their former conference, starting with a trip to New Hampshire (Nov. 25). The Terriers will open the 14-game home schedule against UMass Lowell on Nov. 30 and continue the slate with Binghamton on Dec. 3.
After hosting St. Peter's (Dec. 6) from the MAAC for the second consecutive year, BU will make the short drive over to four-time defending Ivy League champion Harvard (Dec. 8), who defeated fifth-seeded Cincinnati in the NCAAs. The Terriers then continue a budding rivalry at Case Gym with Quinnipiac (Dec. 14) in which the teams have split the previous four meetings. The Bobcats are coming off a CIT appearance and will look for revenge after recent graduate D.J. Irving propelled BU to a 69-66 win with a last-second three-point bomb in 2013.
The Terriers next fly out to face the Atlantic 10's Dayton (Dec. 20) in Ohio for the second time in program history. Seeded 11th in the NCAAs, the Flyers reached the Elite Eight and finished with 26 victories. BU then takes a week-long holiday break and returns home to conclude the non-conference schedule with Wentworth on Dec. 29.
The contest will serve as the last opportunity for the Terriers to play together before having to begin defense of its first regular season title since 2004. BU went 15-3 and will find the 18-game schedule to be the same as last season except for the swap in location. The Terriers will start on Dec. 31 at Holy Cross, the site of where they clinched sole possession of the title last March.
BU opens the new year against Lehigh (Jan. 3) in the final game at Case Gym, as the remaining eight home league contests will take place in Agganis Arena. After visiting Navy (Jan. 7), the Terriers host Lafayette (Jan. 10) and then hit the road for trips to Colgate (Jan. 14) and Loyola Maryland (Jan. 17).
The Terriers then welcome American to Agganis in a rematch of last season's Patriot League title game on Jan. 21 before hosting Bucknell on Jan. 24. After visiting Army (Jan. 28), BU will end the month of January at Lehigh (Jan. 31) in the start of the second go-round with the conference.
In February, BU will host three of the next four opponents with Navy (Feb. 4), Colgate (Feb. 11) and Loyola (Feb. 14) all paying a visit to Agganis Arena. The final three road games will take place at Lafayette (Feb. 7), American (Feb. 18) and Bucknell (Feb. 22).
BU ends the regular season schedule by hosting Army on Feb. 25 and Holy Cross on Feb. 28. The Patriot League tournament will tip off the following week with the higher seed hosting each match-up.
The Terriers are coming off a 24-11 (15-3 PL) season in which they were one win shy of tying the school record for victories. They claimed the program's sixth NIT berth by winning the Patriot League regular season title and hosted Illinois in the first round at Agganis Arena on ESPN2.
BU will feature a new lineup after the loss of six players, including 1,000-plus point scorers D.J. Irving and Dom Morris. Junior John Papale is the leading returning scorer at 9.5 ppg, while classmate Nathan Dieudonne is the top rebounder at 4.8 rpg.
Sophomores Eric Fanning and Blaise Mbargorba are eligible to play this season after sitting out last year due to transfer rules. They will be joined by freshmen Nick Havener, Eric Johnson and Cheddi Mosely.
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