Miami basketball integrating new players key to Italy trip
The Miami basketball team’s trip to Italy will give the Hurricanes a chance to integrate their newest players to the program. College basketball teams are eligible to play overseas trips every four years.
The quadrennial trip the Miami basketball team is taking is critical coming off of a 14-18 injury-plagued season. Sophomore Deng Gak and Senior Keith Stone will not be participating on the trip. Cincinnati transfer Nysier Brooks will not be making the trip to Italy and is sitting out this season.
The trip has allowed the Hurricanes to have ten practices this month at a time of the year when college basketball teams are only allowed to practice four hours per week. Miami head coach Jim Larranaga met with reporters for nearly ten minutes on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the upcoming trip.
Larranaga went into depth about the makeup of the roster, the players returning, the newest players, what to expect in Italy and during the 2019-20 season. The trip will give the Miami basketball team a chance to build chemistry on and off the court ahead of the season. This is also the first chance for freshmen to play in games.
Freshmen guards Isaiah Wong and Harlond Beverly are expected to be in the rotation this season. Playing time for forward Anthony Walker might depend on the injuries to Gak and Stone upfront. Stone is not expected back until at least December. Larranaga seemed to think Gak will be ready for the season.
The trip to Italy will provide Walker with minutes that will help him later in the season. Wong, Beverly and Walker combined together to form the Nation’s 29th best-recruiting class.
With no freshmen added in 2018, they are a much-needed boost to the talent on the Miami basketball roster. Larranaga spoke about what the trip entails.
"“It should be a very exciting opportunity to see some of the most historic places in the world, the Roman Coliseum and the Vatican, and the beautiful cities of Florence and Lake Como. It’s one of the best NCAA rules that allows you to take a foreign tour once every four years.We have several donors who have been very, very generous in allowing us to make this trip because it is expensive. It’s an opportunity to have 10 days of practice at a time when you normally have four hours in a week. The most important thing is we get to see the new players under game conditions.”"
Senior guard
just returned after leading Australia to the bronze medal in the World University Games in Naples. He scored 33 points in the Aussies victory over Israel to land on the medal stand. Vasiljevic and
also spoke to the media. Vasiljevic said he would try to play tour guide.
"“The team bonding is a big part of a trip like this and coach is big on history, a couple of guys haven’t left the U.S. before, so getting to know different culture and experience it together is the main thing”"
Lykes was one of the leaders of the 2018-19 team and that will increase on the trip to Italy and not have another losing season next year.
"“Nobody wants a season like that again,” he said. “That was a big letdown for us and the fans, so we’re starting to build and gel as a team now.”"
The summer trip gives Miami a chance to work on their games and get a head start on the season. It will be redshirt junior center Rodney Miller and Oklahoma junior transfer Kameron McGusty’s first game action in 17 months. Lykes is happy to have a full roster heading into 2019-20.
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He also spoke about Walker, Wong and Beverly playing together in three-on-threes and that they play as a team and don’t back down. Lykes stated that the team is on the same page ahead of the trip. It is Lykes second trip overseas. He has traveled to Paris but did not have a good experience. He said he did not like the food.