Bucknell University Athletics
Men’s Basketball Team Prepping for Italy Tour
7/26/2023 5:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell men's basketball squad is back on campus this week practicing in advance of a 10-day tour of Italy. The team departs for Rome on Wednesday, Aug. 2, and the trip will feature a mix of Italian culture interspersed with some basketball. The Bison are scheduled to play three games against local clubs, surrounded by exciting sightseeing opportunities in Rome, Vatican City, Florence, Pisa, Milan, and Como.
"My experience at Bucknell is that we've always provided opportunities for our student-athletes to see the world, whether it be non-conference scheduling or European trips," said first-year head coach John Griffin III. "This trip will give our guys the opportunity to see a different part of the world, to see Italy and its beauty and its history."
College teams are permitted to take one foreign tour every four years, and this will be the seventh overseas venture for the Bison men's basketball squad and the first since August 2018. Griffin has been part of two European tours during his time at Bucknell, first as a player to Ireland and England in 2005 and then as an assistant coach to the Netherlands, Belgium, and France five years ago. Bucknell's other trips have been to Denmark/Sweden (1996), Italy/Croatia (2000), Italy (2010), and Belgium/France/Switzerland (2014).
"What I remember most about our trip to Ireland and England in 2005 are the people who I was there with," said Griffin, who spent 2011-12 in Italy in what was the final season of his professional playing career. "The beauty of college basketball is that the players will all leave with memories that will last a lifetime, and that's what these trips are all about. The trip to Italy and especially the practices leading up will definitely help us from a basketball sense, but the opportunity for the guys to bond with each other and gain trust in one another over those 10 days is what's most important."
After an overnight flight, the team will arrive in Rome on the morning of Aug. 3. A walking tour of the city's historic sights, including a visit to the famed Colosseum, is first up on the itinerary to help the group get acquainted with Rome.
On day two, the team will shake off some jet lag with a morning practice at the Stella Azzurra before taking a guided tour of The Vatican in the afternoon. The following day, the Bison will battle the Stella Azzurra Academy's U19 team at 6 p.m. local time.
On Aug. 6, the group heads north via high-speed rail to the Tuscany region for a three-night stay in Florence, which is one of the world's most renowned artistic hubs. The team will take a day trip to Pisa and climb the leaning tower, and it will visit the Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo's masterpiece sculpture of David.
Midway between Florence and Pisa is the town of Ponte Buggianese, and that will be the site of Bucknell's second game on the evening of Aug. 7. The Bison will take on a Tuscan Select team at the Palazzetto dello Sports Sandro Pertini in a 6 p.m. local tip.
The final leg of the tour will bring the team to majestic Lake Como, which is situated at the foot of the Italian Alps in the Lombardy region. A food and wine tasting session awaits the Bison on their first day in Como, and then on Aug. 10 the team will get a tour of nearby Milan before heading to the town of Lecco for the final game of the trip. That will be an 8 p.m. local time start against Orange 1 Bassano.
The last full day in Como will be on Aug. 11, and the team will take a boat tour of the scenic lake with a stop in the historic town of Bellagio.
Because the trip is planned for August, the Bison will be able to include their four newcomers: freshmen Brandon McCreesh and Patrick O'Brien along with transfers Pip Ajayi and Quin Berger.
Griffin was introduced as head coach in March, and he and his staff have had the opportunity to work with the team in group sessions throughout the spring and summer, and now in this current week of full-team practices leading up to the tour.
Be sure to check BucknellBison.com along with the men's basketball Twitter and Instagram feeds (@bucknell_mbb) for coverage throughout the trip.
"My experience at Bucknell is that we've always provided opportunities for our student-athletes to see the world, whether it be non-conference scheduling or European trips," said first-year head coach John Griffin III. "This trip will give our guys the opportunity to see a different part of the world, to see Italy and its beauty and its history."
College teams are permitted to take one foreign tour every four years, and this will be the seventh overseas venture for the Bison men's basketball squad and the first since August 2018. Griffin has been part of two European tours during his time at Bucknell, first as a player to Ireland and England in 2005 and then as an assistant coach to the Netherlands, Belgium, and France five years ago. Bucknell's other trips have been to Denmark/Sweden (1996), Italy/Croatia (2000), Italy (2010), and Belgium/France/Switzerland (2014).
"What I remember most about our trip to Ireland and England in 2005 are the people who I was there with," said Griffin, who spent 2011-12 in Italy in what was the final season of his professional playing career. "The beauty of college basketball is that the players will all leave with memories that will last a lifetime, and that's what these trips are all about. The trip to Italy and especially the practices leading up will definitely help us from a basketball sense, but the opportunity for the guys to bond with each other and gain trust in one another over those 10 days is what's most important."
Gearing up for Italy! 🔥🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/hrhJXDBYFC
— Bucknell MBasketball (@Bucknell_MBB) July 25, 2023
After an overnight flight, the team will arrive in Rome on the morning of Aug. 3. A walking tour of the city's historic sights, including a visit to the famed Colosseum, is first up on the itinerary to help the group get acquainted with Rome.
On day two, the team will shake off some jet lag with a morning practice at the Stella Azzurra before taking a guided tour of The Vatican in the afternoon. The following day, the Bison will battle the Stella Azzurra Academy's U19 team at 6 p.m. local time.
On Aug. 6, the group heads north via high-speed rail to the Tuscany region for a three-night stay in Florence, which is one of the world's most renowned artistic hubs. The team will take a day trip to Pisa and climb the leaning tower, and it will visit the Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo's masterpiece sculpture of David.
Midway between Florence and Pisa is the town of Ponte Buggianese, and that will be the site of Bucknell's second game on the evening of Aug. 7. The Bison will take on a Tuscan Select team at the Palazzetto dello Sports Sandro Pertini in a 6 p.m. local tip.
The final leg of the tour will bring the team to majestic Lake Como, which is situated at the foot of the Italian Alps in the Lombardy region. A food and wine tasting session awaits the Bison on their first day in Como, and then on Aug. 10 the team will get a tour of nearby Milan before heading to the town of Lecco for the final game of the trip. That will be an 8 p.m. local time start against Orange 1 Bassano.
The last full day in Como will be on Aug. 11, and the team will take a boat tour of the scenic lake with a stop in the historic town of Bellagio.
Because the trip is planned for August, the Bison will be able to include their four newcomers: freshmen Brandon McCreesh and Patrick O'Brien along with transfers Pip Ajayi and Quin Berger.
Griffin was introduced as head coach in March, and he and his staff have had the opportunity to work with the team in group sessions throughout the spring and summer, and now in this current week of full-team practices leading up to the tour.
Be sure to check BucknellBison.com along with the men's basketball Twitter and Instagram feeds (@bucknell_mbb) for coverage throughout the trip.
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