Howard Men’s Hoops Heads to Europe in August
Bison prepare for Summer Tour in Spain
.@HUMensBB Heads to Europe in August #BleedBlue #HowardInSpain #MEACMBB #HowardForward https://t.co/0uN9mbpP14
— Howard Athletics (@HUBisonSports) June 26, 2019
WASHINGTON (June 26, 2019) – First-year head coach Kenneth Blakeney and the Howard University men’s basketball team heads to Europe for a Summer Tour in Spain this August. The tour runs August 9-18 in Barcelona and Valencia, featuring team-bonding activities throughout the trip while playing three competitive contests.
“I love that our student-athletes have this chance to represent Howard University on a global stage in Spain,” said Blakeney. “This trip will be a great educational, cultural, team and basketball experience that our guys will remember for the rest of their lives.”
The tour begins in Barcelona, home of the 1992 Summer Olympics Games where the world witnessed arguably one of the greatest men’s basketball teams assembled, the U.S. Dream Team.
During the team’s visit in Barcelona, they will take a tour of the famous Camp Nou Stadium, home of FC Barcelona, followed by a bike tour through the city and cruise on the Mediterranean Sea. Howard wraps up its stay with a pair of games and a tour of the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, a large unfinished Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, built in 1882.
“This trip will give us an opportunity to bond [as a team],” Blakeney continued. “We’ll also get to see how we compete before we start practice in the fall.”
Midway through the tour, Coach Blakeney’s squad journeys to Valencia where the city is known for its arts and sciences, with futuristic structures including a planetarium, an oceanarium and an interactive museum.
.@HUMensBB is looking forward to the season with Head Coach Kenneth L. Blakeney. 🏀🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/OVuE8fCFWP
— Howard University (@HowardU) May 6, 2019
In Valencia, the Bison will play its final contest while building chemistry through activities like a team scavenger hunt.
“It’s such a unique experience that will provide great momentum towards the improvement of our program,” Blakeney added. “No matter how much you train or practice, you really don’t know about a team until you see it in game competition.”
Through the NCAA Bylaws, Howard may begin training for Spain as early as Tuesday, July 30.
All questions concerning access to the tour should be directed to Keith Coutreyer ([email protected]).
(Story courtesy of Howard University Athletics)
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.
