May 24, 2006

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - Head coach Gary Williams has made the trip to Kuwait along with 12 other NCAA basketball coaches and sports personalities, to coach a military team in the Operation Hardwood II basketball tournament May 23-28. Williams will be coaching 13 troops from Camp Navistar, Kuwait.

In addition to coaching, Williams will get the chance to learn about military and Kuwait life. He will have the opportunity to a ride in a tank, a Bradley fighting vehicle as well as a camel. The coaches will also visit troops at the Camp Arifjan medical hospital, tour the humvee up-armor facility, stay in Army barracks, and hold a basketball clinic for Kuwait children in Kuwait City.

"Since we're staying on base, I'm looking forward to meeting everyone," Williams said. "I wish I could bring my players over here to see what you do on a day-to-day basis."

The Operation Hardwood "hoops with the troops" tournament consists of 12 teams of service members from the seven Kuwait military camps. The teams will play games in a one of three pools. How they perform during pool play will determine their seeding for the single-elimination tournament.

The other coaches are Tubby Smith, Kentucky, Tom Izzo, Michigan State, Mark Gottfried, Alabama, Dave Odom, South Carolina, Kelvin Sampson, Indiana, Rick Barnes, Texas, Bobby Lutz, UNC - Charlotte, Reggie Menton, Air Force Academy, Jim Crews, West Point, Billy Lange, Naval Academy, and Jay Bilas, ESPN analyst.