Maryland Men's Basketball Team To Tour Italy In August
7/19/2004 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
July 19, 2004
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The 2004 defending ACC Champion Maryland men's basketball team will get an early start to their preseason when they take a five-game, 12-day tour of Italy from August 17-28. The tour gives the Terrapins an opportunity to play against some of Europe's premier professional teams, while allowing the Maryland players to experience the culture and environment of the old country. The Terps plan to play four Italian professional squads, with one game scheduled against Kiev (Ukraine), one of the most famous professional teams in the world.
The NCAA allows men's basketball teams one foreign trip every four years. The last international trip the Terrapins took was in August of 1994, when they traveled to France for nine days. In general, the pro teams the Terps will take on during their tour of Italy will be comprised of Italians, some Americans and other Europeans. The average Terp opponent will be 29 years old.
"This trip should benefit our players, both academically and athletically," said Terrapin head basketball coach Gary Williams. "For the players, seeing other places that you don't normally get to see is certainly part of the maturing process that you want college student-athletes to go through. Hopefully that maturity will translate both academically and in basketball when they get back to school in September."
The Terps are returning eleven of their twelve players from last season, including ACC Tournament MVP John Gilchrist. What was statistically the youngest team in college basketball is now one year older and more experienced, and that after posting Maryland's eighth consecutive 20-win season and earning an 11th straight berth to the NCAA Tournament.
The basketball team will begin their journey by flying overnight to Rome on August 17. Day two consists of claiming luggage, going through customs, and being taken to their hotel on Via Veneto, a prime location in the nation's capitol. That evening, Williams and the rest of the staff will host a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
Day three is filled with a tour of Rome, visiting the Piazza Venezia and the Monument of King Victor Emanuel, stopping by the Trevi Fountain, the Capitol, the Forum, and the Coliseum. In the evening, the Terrapins take on the Italian squad Veroli, just south of Rome.
The fourth day in Rome includes a tour of the Vatican Museum, which features the gallery of map tapestries, the Simonetti Staircase, Raphael's Rooms and the Sistine Chapel.
Day five takes the team through the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside, where the Terps will see Lake Trasimeno and the cities of Assisi and Perugia as they arrive in Florence.
Day six is spent traveling to Academia, to see Michelangelo's "David" statue, Glotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistery, Signoria Square and Santa Croce Church. After a morning sight seeing, the team will either travel to Pisa or Sienna. Pisa is home to the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, while Siena hosts one of Italy's most beautiful medieval towns. Game number two will be played on this night, against Pistoia. The team will return to Florence at the conclusion of game two.
On day seven, the Terps visit the city of Venice, and will tour the city on Day Eight. The team will be able to see such sights as the Basilica of St. Mark and the artwork of Doge's Palace. The Terps will also get to see the Bridge of Sighs and Piombi Prison. In the evening, the team will play its third game against Kiev (Ukraine).
On the ninth day, the team will depart for Lake Como. Their first stop will be the city of Verona, home of Romeo and Juliet. There, the team will see Juliet's balcony, the Roman Amphitheater and Piazza delle Erbe. They will then continue on to Cernobbio. At night, the Terps take on Biella for their fourth game.
On day ten, the team has the opportunity to travel to Lugano, Switzerland. That evening, the Terrapins face the Varese Roosters - one of the top A-1 teams in all of Italy.
The eleventh day includes a boat trip to Belaggio on Lake Como. During the evening, Coach Williams will host a reception and farewell banquet at the Regina Olga Hotel, which overlooks Lake Como. The last day is spent traveling from Milan back to Washington, D. C.
Fans interested in learning more about the team's European trip will be able to follow the Terps around Italy with photo galleries and postcards on umterps.com, the official athletics website of the University of Maryland. Comcast SportsNet's Chick Hernandez will be traveling with the team, providing reports on SportsNite (6:30 EST on Comcast SportsNet).
