Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Valparaiso heading to Cancun in August

Valparaiso's men's basketball team will be taking a business trip in August -- to Cancun.

The Crusaders will get a headstart on the season, traveling to the Mexican resort town from Aug. 8-13,  giving them 10 extra days of practice and four or five games against international competition.

The NCAA permits teams to take such a trip once every four years, but this will be Valparaiso's first. VU coach Homer Drew finally got the green light from the athletic department this year, under the condition that he raise the funds through alumni donations.

"It's the first time in my 22 years that we're able to go on an international trip," said Drew, who said he has "most" of the money raised. "There's wonderful value to it. We get 10 extra practice dates, and we get to play some games, which really should give us a jumpstart for the season in the fall."

Drew said it's too early to know what teams VU will face, but they likely will be college and professional teams from Central America. NCAA rules forbid a team from playing any other American colleges on such a trip. It's not a formal tournament, but rather an informal series of games.

Posted via email from Cancun Mexico News

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