With passports and airline reservations all secured, the Detroit Titans men's basketball team is preparing to head to Spain in August for an 11-day exhibition tour which second-year head coach Ray McCallum views as vital for the growth of his program.
The Titans will depart from Detroit on Aug. 19, and return on the 29th. Their trip will include stops in Barcelona, Velencia, Alginet, Lliria and Madrid. The team will play five games against Spanish professional teams while also having the opportunity to enjoy sightseeing, guided tours and stops at two major museums.
Coach McCallum has made similar foreign trips while on the staffs at Indiana and Wisconsin as well as on behalf of USA Basketball and the Big Ten Conference. In each instance, he recalls the values of the trips being many.
“It's so important when you're trying to build and grow a program like we are. It really benefits the program,” he said, “and the players. They'll grow from a cultural and educational standpoint and they'll have the opportunity to grow together as a team. I couldn't be happier with the support we've been given to make this trip possible.”
This summer's foreign tour will be the first by a UDM team since the 1990-91 Titans made a successful trip to Italy. Once again, the team will travel through the generosity of its supporters.
“We truly appreciate the support of our alums and fans who made this trip possible,” UDM athletic director Keri Gaither said. “These opportunities are crucial to the success of Titan basketball. We've seen how these trips benefit other programs and I know coach McCallum and his Titan team will take full advantage of it.”
The planned foreign tour is similar to the one 2009 Horizon League champion Cleveland State took to Spain before last season and HL regular-season champion Butler is taking later this summer to Italy.
Two UDM players who redshirted in 2008-09 as transfers, Eli Holman and Chase Simon, will see their first game action for Detroit during the trip to Spain. The Titans will also be bolstered by the return to duty of Xavier Keeling, who missed most of last season due to injury.
“The timing of this is really good for us,” coach McCallum said. “We have three guys (Holman, Simon and Keeling) who will play a lot and be counted on heavily this year. This gives all of our returning players a chance to play together, to grow together and to bond together. It's good that we can take advantage of this opportunity right now, heading into this season.
“We're going to get all these guys some court experience in games against good teams and with game officials. Before we leave, we get 10 practices where we can instruct and implement our system, and the games are a bonus once we get there. The teams we'll face play at a high level. Spain has one of the best leagues in the world. We'll be going late enough in the summer so that we'll be playing teams getting ready for their season.”
DetroitTitans.com will provide updates throughout the team's preparations and its exciting trip to Spain.
-Detroit Titans-
