Basketball Rutgers Hoops Set to Travel Abroad in August

[Richie O]

VIA SCARLETKNIGHTS.COM

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (July 17, 2019) - The Rutgers University men's basketball team will embark on a foreign tour to Spain from August 5-16, highlighted by stops in Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona. The Scarlet Knights will immerse themselves in the culture through educational tours and sightseeing excursions, while also playing games against professional club teams.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes to have a meaningful experience culturally and educationally around the game of basketball,” said head coach Steve Pikiell. “We are very thankful to the donors who helped make this tour possible. We continue to grow as a program, and this trip will help build unity to further our progress.”

Madrid is the initial destination, with visits to Plaza Mayor, Debod Temple, Gran Via, Palacio Real and Plaza de Espana upon the itinerary. A sightseeing trip to Toledo is also on the agenda, before the team arrives in Valencia. The Central Market, Cathedral, Silk Exchange, City of Arts and Science and Cabanyal Beach will be explored by the Scarlet Knights. Barcelona will serve as the final destination, with visits to La Sagrada Familia, Olympic Stadium and FC Barcelona Stadium included on the schedule.

The overseas trip is the first for the program since the team also visited Spain in May 2009. The Scarlet Knights previously travelled abroad to Chile in August 2000.

Fans can follow the team's tour of Spain via the official Rutgers Athletics website and the team’s Twitter and Instagram accounts. Highlight videos, statistics, stories and photos will be posted throughout the trip.

Rutgers was named the Most Improved Team of the 2018-19 season by Sports Illustrated in its year-end wards. The Scarlet Knights improved 70 positions in the KenPom.com rankings since the season's initial rating, best among all power conference programs.


Stemming from the progress, Rutgers experienced five sell-outs at the RAC, its most since 2004-05 (7). Average attendance improved 31.1% from 2017-18. RU ranked 65th nationally in percent of capacity (78%) out of 353 D-I programs after placing 232nd in 2017-18 (59.49%).

 

[NJDOVES]

Awesome opportunity for the teams future. Educationally and Culturally is important but playing Professionals at the three point line we’ll be using will help tremendously. In addition, it allows the team to bond together with each other and the staff.
Good luck guys! Enjoy the trip!

 

[knights1212]

This is wonderful. I hope they can benefit a great deal from the trip. I had wanted to attend but the trip was closed to fans.

 

[Scangg]

I really really really wish these games were going to be live streamed

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Quite frankly we are better off not getting a ton of information. We can't, or shouldn't, take much good or bad from these games. New personnel and maybe a new system or concepts on both ends of the floor.

 

[hoquat63]

Quite frankly we are better off not getting a ton of information. We can't, or shouldn't, take much good or bad from these games. New personnel and maybe a new system or concepts on both ends of the floor.

Or let opponents know too much also

 

[RUChoppin]

Quite frankly we are better off not getting a ton of information. We can't, or shouldn't, take much good or bad from these games. New personnel and maybe a new system or concepts on both ends of the floor.

Agree - have a feeling Pike is going to use them as workshop games to test out different lineups and to move players around to different positions. Great opportunity to give players a taste of certain positions, plays, chemistry before asking them to do it in games that count. I'd also imagine they'll be encouraged to get plenty of threes up in a live game environment with the new line distance.

Stats aren't going to be that meaningful.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Agree - have a feeling Pike is going to use them as workshop games to test out different lineups and to move players around to different positions. Great opportunity to give players a taste of certain positions, plays, chemistry before asking them to do it in games that count. I'd also imagine they'll be encouraged to get plenty of threes up in a live game environment with the new line distance.

Stats aren't going to be that meaningful.

Now if Yeboah goes for 40 on 11-15 from 3.......

 

[RUDieHard]

This is an absolute no brainer. It can only help the program. Hopefully, they can do something like this every year.

 

[kcg88]

This is an absolute no brainer. It can only help the program. Hopefully, they can do something like this every year.

NCAA regulates it so teams can only do it once every four years I believe.

 

[HeavenUniv.]

Scangg, for those who know about high tech stuff, as long as the teams we play are ok with it, couldn’t we at least have the team video guys put it up on scarlet knights.com after the game.

 

[Scangg]

Scangg, for those who know about high tech stuff, as long as the teams we play are ok with it, couldn’t we at least have the team video guys put it up on scarlet knights.com after the game.

We definitely have the technology to record the game and post it on a website after the fact. They may not want to do that for various reasons but I would absolutely love it if they did

 

[FELONIOUSMONK]

And they will learn about the Tapas culinary culture.:beer::burger:

 

[TDIrish27]

Agree - have a feeling Pike is going to use them as workshop games to test out different lineups and to move players around to different positions. Great opportunity to give players a taste of certain positions, plays, chemistry before asking them to do it in games that count. I'd also imagine they'll be encouraged to get plenty of threes up in a live game environment with the new line distance.

Stats aren't going to be that meaningful.

Or are wins and losses

 

[Dpgru]

I am only speculating about this but it makes sense to me that since the opponents on this trip are " professional" club teams taping the games for future viewing might result in or require some financial contractual issues.

 

[RUPete]

Quite frankly we are better off not getting a ton of information. We can't, or shouldn't, take much good or bad from these games. New personnel and maybe a new system or concepts on both ends of the floor.

Agree. We always go nuts every year over rumors from the secret scrimmage. Just look at this as an extra mini-camp for the team and a great personal experience for the players.

 

[knight82]

Guaranteed if we do well on this trip and win all the games, people on this board will have us pencilled into the NCAA Tournament. And if we lose a few the sky will be falling and the "we suck without Eugene" crowd will be out in full force.

 

[RUJMM78]

I'm far more concerned with Rutgers decisively defeating the cup cake opponents in November and December which matter more than preseason games .

 

[Scangg]

I'm far more concerned with Rutgers decisively defeating the cup cake opponents in November and December which matter more than preseason games .

Lol ummm no. If you're worried about defense against these cupcakes then the you're essentially implying we don't stand a chance against the B1G teams

 

[NJDOVES]

I'm far more concerned with Rutgers decisively defeating the cup cake opponents in November and December which matter more than preseason games .

Well, these preseason games are against Professional athletes, giving a true measure of offensive and defensive measures and adjustments. Also, figuring out team chemistry, etc. It has nothing to do with cup cake opponents in November and December, which are far and few between. Our schedule is, I believe, top ten in the Nation! If not top twenty (I can’t recall TBH).
I hope we decisively defeat all our opponents, especially the cupcakes. The trip will be a success no mater what.

 

[OliverHoward]

It's a pity that now this seems impracticable. The borders are almost closed, there are no opportunities to gain experience with international partners... It's not an easy time for sports now; you can't play a game in an online conference, ahah. Furthermore, you need to travel carefully even around the country now. I went to visit Miami the other day; I had to search the Internet for how safe it is. This site is a decent one https://www.travelsafe-abroad.com/united-states/miami/. I hope it will be easier after vaccination. I can't wait to be able to enjoy matches with a full house.

 

[dpwhite]

This is a surprising thread to bring back, but they can't travel abroad as a team for another 3 offseasons anyway, per NCAA regulations.

 

[ecojew]

Why was this thread resurrected?

And right now, US citizens can't even transit through Madrid's airport let alone landing there and leaving the airport. I know - I just tried to book an itinerary that involved changing planes in Madrid a few days ago and was told it is permitted.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Stupid waste of time resurrecting

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

I opened it thinking it was a new trip....imagine my surprise to see it was from 2019. Come on Man !

 

[HeavenUniv.]

I am going to see if I can dig up an old Lance Thomas thread lol