College basketball: What we did on our summer vacation

By Anna Kim

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

With basketball season approaching, Georgia State coach Rod Barnes knew what his young team desperately needed: practice, competition and a chance to become better acquainted.

And if a trip to the Bahamas offered those opportunities, all the better.

Georgia State's and Kennesaw State University’s basketball programs both travel abroad this month.  The Panthers’ tour next week will mark the program’s first international competition, while KSU’s trip to Canada on Friday will mark its first since 2005.

According to both coaches, it won’t be the last.

Coaches have cited the 10 days of practice permitted by the NCAA prior to the team's trip, in addition to the competition, as the allure of overseas competition. The NCAA offered another benefit this year with a rule allowing incoming freshman to travel with the team.

“The main reason for us taking this trip this particular year was that we have a young group and so many new dynamics,” Barnes said. “We have a lot new players and this gives them an opportunity to play with our older returning guys.”

The Panthers lost six seniors last year, which included their top five scorers and rebounders.

Thus Barnes said the team workouts, which began Monday in preparation for their four games against teams in Nassau, are invaluable.

“It gives an opportunity for some team bonding and that’s so important,” he said. “We have an opportunity to play early and get some game experience, which helps us figure out roles and positions.”

KSU coach Tony Ingle wanted the benefit of practice, but he emphasized the benefits of exposing his team to different cultures.

“I thought it would be important to get the kids together,” he said. “Someone once said you never let your schooling interfere with your education. This is an educational trip. It’s great for kids to go to Canada and experience culture.”

Because the NCAA allows for such international competition only once every four years, Ingle opted to take a trip to Canada after a successful trip to the Bahamas in 2005.

Starting Saturday, the Owls will play five games in six days against Canadian club teams in the Niagara Falls and Toronto areas. In addition to a sightseeing trip to the Falls, he said he is looking forward to an elevated level of competition.

“One of the reasons we wanted to go to Canada was that from our research, ... it will be more competitive than the teams in the Bahamas,” Ingle said. “I wanted our guys to be challenged on the court, so it sounded like the perfect fit.”

The trip will be similar to one taken by the UGA basketball program in 2004, under then-head coach Dennis Felton. Current coach Mark Fox recalled taking one of his University of Nevada teams to Italy.

“You get to take young people to to Venice, Rome and to go see statue of David,” Fox said. “A lot of young people would never have that experience. And of course, you get the chance to play a couple games.”

Programs usually raise the money for the trips through outside sources. But with an increasing number of companies that specialize in arranging such trips, Fox said the process to take teams overseas has become more streamlined and accessible.

“I think it will be more and more prevalent,” Fox said. “And it’s something I’m seriously exploring and thinking I would like to do with our young people.”