Portland Pilots in Spain - August 2013

up7587 wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:I'm guessing too, that it's time for the team to go abroad for another late-summer tour and he's looking for some sponsors. These foreign trips are allowed every four years; isn't it about time?

Who knows? An overseas trip might transfigure the Pilots from a seemingly directionless bunch into Seal Team 6.

Éste puede estar muy caliente en España en agosto, pero si usted está recibiendo en forma y jugando en el interior, usted puede sobrevivir!

Does this post need it's own thread?

Yes, it definitely does.....

The UP Men’s Basketball Team is heading to Spain in August!

Eventually, as we get more info about the itinerary and learn more about how we can offset some the player's expenses as they tour and learn a different culture (and play some basketball), we can add more information here to keep everyone informed.

Trips like this have proven a big help to teams in the past as they can begin their playing time together before the NCAA mandated October date.

Four years ago the Pilots went to Australia for what turned out to be a very successful trip for development, travel, learning, and bonding. TJ Campbell not only felt it made a world of difference by bringing the guys together as a TEAM; he parlayed the trip into a short-term basketball job after graduation.

More info to follow, I’m sure.

Seems like Rev could cover much of the cost with his frequent flyer miles.

Very cool...some teams spend their foreign tours in godforsaken places like Alberta. Nice to see the Pilots get to go somewhere damned cool. How nice for them.

If UP doesn't land this Sharp fella, maybe Rev can find a Spaniard to bring back with the team!

up7587 wrote:Seems like Rev could cover much of the cost with his frequent flyer miles.

Ha-ha, yea, he’s gotten more miles in the back of the plane recently than some pilots I know get in front.

As Mrs. DD pointed out, for a kid like Korey Thieleke who grew up in a rough part of Bakersfield, a chance to travel like this could be a life changer…..a whole new perspective on what life can offer.

One of the added benefits to this coming trip is the date. The trip to Australia in 2009 was in May, so it was a good post-season bonding for the team, but it didn’t necessarily give them a head start on the ’09-’10 season.

The one big drawback to these foreign trips, as I recall, is that the NCAA has declared incoming freshmen and incoming junior college transfer student-athletes not eligible if the trip is before the official starting practice date for basketball (it is) or before the first official day of classes at UP…unless summer school counts.

If summer school counts, Alec Wintering will make it under the wire because he starts school on June 24 (just a few days after his high school graduation) and ends summer school on August 2, as I recall.

I’m sure we’ll learn more about who’s eligible and if it can help the recruiting process when the right questions are asked of the right people.....afterall, this trip has not been officially announced yet to my knowledge.

In a relatively recent rule change, a student-athlete only needs to complete one class at UP before becoming eligible to accompany the team on an overseas trip.

So, Alec, any SRJC transfer, and possibly one other newcomer should be able to attend the second semester of summer school and complete their class about a week before departing for Spain.

.....better make sure the professor gets the grades into the registrar before the flight departs

DoubleDipper wrote:So, Alec, any SRJC transfer, and possibly one other newcomer should be able to attend the second semester of summer school and complete their class about a week before departing for Spain.

Or two other newcomers!

First practice is in the books for the Spain Tour...didn't realize they were starting already until I saw a couple of tweets today. Still three months and a bit until the season starts, but nice to see things are starting to hit high gear already.

Any idea of the competition the Pilots will face while they're over there? Maybe an exhibition against Aitor's old team and/or a Canary Islands team?

DeanMurdoch wrote:Any idea of the competition the Pilots will face while they're over there? Maybe an exhibition against Aitor's old team and/or a Canary Islands team?

I will spend some time with the team this week and be able to better answer that question, but I believe they will be in the Madrid area and in the Canary Islands for a total of five games.

I can tell the seniors are really pumped to lead the team this year, and the "new guys" are looking forward to contributing right away.  Yes, it's always easy to have a great attitude before the grind of practice, travel, and play begin, but I think Rhino's leadership will keep the team moving forward.

DeanMurdoch wrote:Any idea of the competition the Pilots will face while they're over there? Maybe an exhibition against Aitor's old team and/or a Canary Islands team?

Yes, and it won't be easy!

The Pilots are allowed 10 days of practice before their tour and five games while on the tour.  Those five games are against:
1) Venezuelan Senior National Team
2) Ivory Coast Senior National Team
3) Gran Canaria Club U20 Team
4) Canarias Basketball Academy All-Stars
5) Gran Canaria Select (1st Division Pro Team)

There is plenty of cultural enrichment and fun things planned for the tour also....but the main purpose is coming together as a TEAM!

Two senior national teams on the docket? That's pretty cool - will be a good test for this team!

Speaking of pretty cool....if that "Gran Canaria Select" team is this team - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CB_1939_Canarias - I think I see a familiar name on the roster (and I'm not referring to Fotis Lampropoulos).

What are the dates of the trip and the games? Will there be any reporting/stats on the games themselves?

NoPoNeighbor wrote:What are the dates of the trip and the games? Will there be any reporting/stats on the games themselves?

Yes!  More info to follow, but we'll get stats and I believe we'll hear live radio broadcasts over the internet.

The UP AD will be traveling with the team and will handle all the normal AD duties....

I don't believe the dates and times of the games are in concrete yet, but the games in Madrid will probably be August 12-14; the games in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will probably be August 15-19.....or something like that.

Ha-ha, I should have gone to the UP website, much of the info is there:

UP Sports wrote:Fans can follow everything happening on the foreign tour by bookmarking www.PortlandPilots.com/Spain2013 for daily updates from Spain. Also the Portland Pilots Men's Basketball Facebook Page will have regular new content. All five games are scheduled to have free live audio broadcasts (links to come) as well as postgame highlights. Daily featured content will include video interviews, photo galleries, game stats/recaps, and other fun activities.

http://portlandpilots.com/news/2013/8/2/MBB_0802131305.aspx

Is that David Carr on the far right in the photo posted by DD? It sorta looks like him but I'm not sure. What really caught my attention - if indeed it is David - is the development in his upper arms. Just check out those biceps!

I'm pretty sure that's the JUCO transfer Bobby Sharp.

David Carr is on the far right, and that is Bobby Sharp in between Carr and Zubi.  

After seeing the team a bit yesterday, you can certainly tell that Coach Brad Scott has been working his magic this offseason.  Kevin Bailey and Thomas were both visibily bulked up.  Thieleke had impressive improvement statistics (from the various metrics they track; verticle, bench press, etc), and Nicholas won the Pilot Power award, the award voted on by the players for work accomplished in the training process over the summer.  Great leadership, Ryan!

On last year's roster (where is the new one, BTW!), Tanner and Korey are both listed at 6'-3". Tanner looks at least a couple inches taller than Korey in the group photo.

DoubleDipper wrote:The UP AD will be traveling with the team and will handle all the normal AD duties....

SID, you mean? Or is Leykam along for the ride?

They have an amazing race in Madrid?? How cool will that be! At the risk of breaking some NCAA rule, I've got $10 on Team Aitor winning that one.

DeanMurdoch wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:The UP AD will be traveling with the team and will handle all the normal AD duties....

SID, you mean? Or is Leykam along for the ride?

Yup, sorry, I meant SID....Scott will NOT be making the trip.

Tough to post AND think while waiting on the tee for the guys ahead of me to hit.....

DeanMurdoch wrote:They have an amazing race in Madrid?? How cool will that be! At the risk of breaking some NCAA rule, I've got $10 on Team Aitor winning that one.

Ha-ha, yea, the coaches have said they're going to have to figure a way to handicap Aitor's team.

Korey tells me he's brushed-up on his Bakersfield Spanish....so he may be a player in the race!

While finally looking at Pilotnation on my computer I realize David is in that picture. On my phone it was cutting off at Sharp. I kept counting and recounting and could only see 12 players I felt like I was taking crazy pills. But I figured it out.

Fun fact - Ivory Coast's national basketball team is nicknamed "les Eléphants"...which translates roughly to English as "The Elephants".

What has the team been doing these last two days? The coaches' Twitter accounts are full of vague comments about a some very powerful team-building/leadership-development activities.

I heard that the team was going to be attending some Leadership training/classes taught by someone the coaching staff was bringing in... great team and life tools there! I am sorry that I do not remember the specifics.

The team has also had the benefit of language and culture classes from UP's Spanish faculty, to help make the most of the upcoming trip... in which they leave tomorrow!!

They need a translator?

I can order beer in all if the Iberian languages...