University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Golden Eagle Basketball Heads to Bahamas For Exhibition Trip
8/31/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Aug. 31, 2006
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss men's basketball team travels to Nassau, Bahamas, this Labor Day weekend for a three-game exhibition tour over two days, after finishing 10 days of practice Thursday afternoon at Reed Green Coliseum.
The Golden Eagles utilize Friday as a travel day, before jumping into action Saturday against the Nassau Giants at 3 p.m. The Nassau Explorers then play the Eagles at 9 a.m. Sunday with the completion of the tour's slate taking place in a 3 p.m. tilt later that day with the Nassau Rockets.
Southern Miss gets its first action against outside competition for this season and the 11 first-year players receive an early opportunity to start their Golden Eagle careers after enjoying good practices leading up to the trip. Third-year coach Larry Eustachy was pleased with the progess of his team that took the floor for the first time Aug. 22.
"Practice was better than expected with so many new guys," Eustachy said of his team's full workouts. "I thought we got a lot done in 10 days. This (trip) is as good a thing as I have been involved with since I have been a head coach."
The 10 days of practice allows the Eagles a jump start on the preparation for the 2006-07 season as well as giving them the chance to become closer not only on the floor but off it as well.
"Anytime you can take a team on a trip like this, particularly this young in age, it helps them get closer together and bond a little bit more," Eustachy added. "We are going to try and get these 10 practices we've just finished into the game but at the same time go over and enjoy something that probably a lot of them have never been able to do."
Eustachy credited the school's Hardwood Club and the Southern Miss administration for allowing his team to make this trip and better themselves for the rigors of the 2006-07 Conference USA season.
"The money we raised through our Hardwood Club is enabling us to make this trip and are thanks go to them," Eustachy said in appreciation of the opportunity to make this preseason tour. "That thanks also is extended to our our administration and (athletics director) Richard (Giannini) for allowing us to do this, which is going to go a long, long way in what we are trying to do this year."
This trip is an NCAA-sanctioned event which allows member institutions the opportunity to take an exhibition tour once every four years.
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