Aug. 26, 2008
DAVIS, Calif. - The UC Davis men's basketball team will take part in a 10-day European tour, which will feature four games against national teams as well as plenty of sightseeing in several countries. The Aggie contingent will depart Wednesday and return on Sept. 6 with stops in Paris, Lyon and Montreux, Switzerland, included in the trip.
UC Davis will be taking 12 players, including nine returning players along with three redshirts from 2007-08. The team has been able to practice for 10 days in preparation for the trip and has also taken a French culture course to help augment its experience.
"This is an incredible opportunity for us to participate in an enriching educational trip while continuing to develop a team identity," said head coach Gary Stewart. "We have embraced this tour with unbridled enthusiasm. The practices leading up to the trip have allowed us to enhance team chemistry, build trust, increase familiarity with our system and improve offensive and defensive execution."
The trip begins in Paris, where the team will stay for the first three days. After arriving on Thursday morning, the Aggies will move their watches ahead eight hours and take a bus tour of the city. The next day will feature a bike tour of Paris before the team plays its first game that evening against Vanves.
The team's final day in Paris, Aug. 30, will be highlighted by a boat tour along the Seine River. The open-air experience will provide plenty of views of the historic city, including the Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral.
After three nights in Paris, the team will spend Aug. 31 traveling to Lyon where it will take on West Lyon that night in its second game of the tour. On Monday, Sept. 1, the team heads back to the road on its way to Switzerland where it will stay two nights in Montreux.
The first full day in Switzerland, Sept. 2, will feature a tour of Chateau de Chillon, which is the nation's most visited historic monument located on the shore of Lake Geneva. The medieval fort dates back to the 12th century. That evening, UC Davis resumes basketball action when it faces Monthey.
The next morning, the contingent will travel to Nice where it will stay for the final three nights of the trip. During that time, the Aggies will tour Monaco and play their last game of the trip against AS Monaco on Sept. 4. The final full day in Nice will also be spent sightseeing before the team's return to Davis on Sept. 6.
"The European tour comes at the right time," added Stewart. "With nine returning student-athletes and three redshirts, without question, we will be able to use this valuable experience to springboard us into the 2008-09 season."
Updates on the team's tour will be available on www.ucdavisaggies.com.
UC Davis European Tour Game Schedule
Aug. 29, UC Davis vs Vanves (France)
Aug. 31, UC Davis vs West Lyon (France)
Sept. 2, UC Davis vs Monthey (Switzerland)
Sept. 4, UC Davis vs AS Monaco (Monaco)
