Howard Men’s Hoops Heads to Europe in August Presented on US Sports Net By Under Armour

Bison prepare for Summer Tour in Spain

(Photo Credit – Howard Athletics)

WASHINGTON (June 26, 2019) – First-year head coach Kenneth Blakeney and the Howard University men’s basketball team heads to Europe for a Summer Tour in Spain this August. The tour runs August 9-18 in Barcelona and Valencia, featuring team-bonding activities throughout the trip while playing three competitive contests.

“I love that our student-athletes have this chance to represent Howard University on a global stage in Spain,” said Blakeney. “This trip will be a great educational, cultural, team and basketball experience that our guys will remember for the rest of their lives.”

The tour begins in Barcelona, home of the 1992 Summer Olympics Games where the world witnessed arguably one of the greatest men’s basketball teams assembled, the U.S. Dream Team.

During the team’s visit in Barcelona, they will take a tour of the famous Camp Nou Stadium, home of FC Barcelona, followed by a bike tour through the city and cruise on the Mediterranean Sea. Howard wraps up its stay with a pair of games and a tour of the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, a large unfinished Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, built in 1882.

“This trip will give us an opportunity to bond [as a team],” Blakeney continued. “We'll also get to see how we compete before we start practice in the fall.”

Midway through the tour, Coach Blakeney’s squad journeys to Valencia where the city is known for its arts and sciences, with futuristic structures including a planetarium, an oceanarium and an interactive museum.

In Valencia, the Bison will play its final contest while building chemistry through activities like a team scavenger hunt.

“It’s such a unique experience that will provide great momentum towards the improvement of our program,” Blakeney added. “No matter how much you train or practice, you really don't know about a team until you see it in game competition.”

Through the NCAA Bylaws, Howard may begin training for Spain as early as Tuesday, July 30.

All questions concerning access to the tour should be directed to Keith Coutreyer (keith.coutreyer@howard.edu).

About Howard University Athletics

The Howard University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors 19 NCAA Division I men and women varsity sports. The programs represent six conferences: The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA), Sun Belt Conference, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference.

About Spain

Spain, a country on Europe’s Iberian Peninsula, includes 17 autonomous regions with diverse geography and cultures. Capital city Madrid is home to the Royal Palace and Prado museum, housing works by European masters. Segovia has a medieval castle (the Alcázar) and an intact Roman aqueduct. Catalonia’s capital, Barcelona, is defined by Antoni Gaudí’s whimsical modernist landmarks like the Sagrada Família church.