Men's Hoops Prepares for Upcoming Foreign Tour in Spain

The official college basketball season is still a couple of months away, but the University of Portland is in the middle of a 10-day training camp in preparation for a foreign tour scheduled for August 10-20 in Spain. The entire Pilot roster, including four newcomers, opened training camp on Monday and will continue with full practice sessions leading up to the departure for Madrid on Saturday, Aug. 10.

The foreign tour will give Portland a chance to play against elite competition on the court, while also gaining significant cultural and educational learning experiences.

The Pilots will play five games in all during the tour, opening up against the Venezuelan Senior National Team on Aug. 12 and the Ivory Coast Senior National Team on Aug. 13. Both games will be played in Madrid.

Venezuela is preparing for the FIBA Americas Championship which they will host later this month. Ivory Coast is training for the Africa Basket Championship which it will host as well in three weeks. Both tournaments serve as qualifiers for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, hosted by Spain.

"I wanted to play the best available teams and really challenge our guys on this tour," Portland head coach Eric Reveno said. "This will be a great opportunity to play against mature, talented teams that are making final preparations for World Cup qualifiers."

Venezuela is the 24th-ranked team in the world according to the latest FIBA World Rankings, while Ivory Coast is 38th overall.

The Pilots will then travel from Madrid to the Canary Islands on Aug. 14 and prepare for the final three games of the tour. On Aug. 15 the Pilots will play the Gran Canaria U20 squad, the junior affiliate of the Gran Canaria Club of the Spanish ACB League, which is the top league in Spain and widely considered the second best professional league behind the NBA.

After an off day from basketball activities, the team will return to the court on Aug. 17 to play against the Canarias Basketball Academy All-Stars and then conclude competition on Aug. 18 against Gran Canaria Select, which includes members from various levels of the club team.

Off the court activities scheduled for Spain include:

• Observing Spanish Senior National Team Practice
• A team scavenger hunt while in Madrid
• Canary Islands Boat Tour and water activities
• Other individual sightseeing opportunities

Next week the team will continue with practices and other learning sessions in anticipation of the Aug. 10 departure. Among the activities included will be a seminar provided by University of Portland International Languages and Culture Professor, Dr. Kate Regan. The session will focus on Spanish historical and cultural education.

"The value and experience afforded to our staff and players with this foreign tour opportunity is immeasurable," Reveno noted. "We are fortunate to have a thoughtful administration and supportive donors to make this a reality. Our last foreign tour (Australia, 2009) led to one of the best basketball seasons in school history and really brought that team together. We expect this to be a similarly great experience and lead to great things in the near future."

Fans can follow everything happening on the foreign tour by bookmarking www.PortlandPilots.com/Spain2013 for daily updates from Spain. Also the Portland Pilots Men's Basketball Facebook Page will have regular new content. All five games are scheduled to have free live audio broadcasts (links to come) as well as postgame highlights. Daily featured content will include video interviews, photo galleries, game stats/recaps, and other fun activities.

Below is the Team Itinerary…

August 10^th - Depart for Spain
August 11^th – 14 : Madrid

• Practice @ Estudiantes (Spanish 1^st Division Pro facility)
• Watch Spanish National Team Practice (preparing for EuroBasket 2013)
• Bus Tour of Madrid (historical and cultural highlights)
• "The Amazing Race" - Scavenger Hunt through the city
• 2 Games:
  • Venezuelan Senior National Team
  • Ivory Coast Senior National Team

August 14 – 19: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands)

• Practice at University of Gran Canaria
• Full Day Boat Excursion touring the Canary Islands
• Historical Tour of the Island Caves
• 3 Games
  • Gran Canaria Club U20 Team
  • Canarias Basketball Academy All-Stars
  • Gran Canaria Select (1^st Division Pro Team)

August 19^th: Return to Madrid

• Farewell Dinner

August 20^th: Depart for Portland