University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
LaDavius Draine, Gabe Watson Recall Ukraine Trip
9/6/2019 11:24:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- As Southern Miss students conclude their second week of the fall semester, some can lay claim to experiencing memories of a lifetime over their summer. Two men's basketball players, LaDavius Draine and Gabe Watson, trekked to Eastern Europe for a 10-day trip of culture and hoops in the Ukraine as part of the Sports Reach organization.
SouthernMiss.com caught up with the two guards to recall some of their favorite moments. The Golden Eagles begin their first season under head coach Jay Ladner on Nov. 5 versus Delta State.
On some of the most significant differences
Draine: "The biggest difference was the food and the way they prepared it. We went to this buffet a lot, and they had this chicken that had grease inside it. I don't know how it was made."
Watson: "Their food is more well-prepared and the weather temperatures are flipped. It's real hot here, but one day it was around 50 degrees. All around, it was just a different culture. They really look up to Americans, as far as sports are concerned."
On connections made with new teammates
Draine: "Everybody became close. We are all in the same situation."
Watson: "All of us are interesting in our own way. Some people I became close with were Elias Harden from Jacksonville State and Othello Smith from High Point."
On some of the free-time activities
Watson: "Draine and I walked the Strip a couple of times. Another difference too is nobody seemed to work. It was always a party outside. Everybody was outside with street art and all kinds of stuff."
On the game-play
Watson: "The gym was smaller and the temperatures were hot. We sweated a lot over there, losing lots of electrolytes."
Draine: "The first day, we got out there for an hour-long practice, and the rest of the time we did clinics to get warmed up."
Watson: "Everybody wanted to go out and score and show what they could do. There was really no [traditional] chemistry. It was just playing."
Draine: "It was tough with the three-point line and stepping out-of-bounds. There was no room in the corner."
On souvenirs, impressions from the trip
Watson: "I got a few shirts, in English, and we kept some Ukrainian money. I gave some to my mom and dad."
Watson: "The [local] kids were in awe, really. They got to decide who they'd like and who was our best player. They had good reactions to our playing system and stuff like that."
SouthernMiss.com caught up with the two guards to recall some of their favorite moments. The Golden Eagles begin their first season under head coach Jay Ladner on Nov. 5 versus Delta State.
On some of the most significant differences
Draine: "The biggest difference was the food and the way they prepared it. We went to this buffet a lot, and they had this chicken that had grease inside it. I don't know how it was made."
Watson: "Their food is more well-prepared and the weather temperatures are flipped. It's real hot here, but one day it was around 50 degrees. All around, it was just a different culture. They really look up to Americans, as far as sports are concerned."
On connections made with new teammates
Draine: "Everybody became close. We are all in the same situation."
Watson: "All of us are interesting in our own way. Some people I became close with were Elias Harden from Jacksonville State and Othello Smith from High Point."
On some of the free-time activities
Watson: "Draine and I walked the Strip a couple of times. Another difference too is nobody seemed to work. It was always a party outside. Everybody was outside with street art and all kinds of stuff."
On the game-play
Watson: "The gym was smaller and the temperatures were hot. We sweated a lot over there, losing lots of electrolytes."
Draine: "The first day, we got out there for an hour-long practice, and the rest of the time we did clinics to get warmed up."
Watson: "Everybody wanted to go out and score and show what they could do. There was really no [traditional] chemistry. It was just playing."
Draine: "It was tough with the three-point line and stepping out-of-bounds. There was no room in the corner."
On souvenirs, impressions from the trip
Watson: "I got a few shirts, in English, and we kept some Ukrainian money. I gave some to my mom and dad."
Watson: "The [local] kids were in awe, really. They got to decide who they'd like and who was our best player. They had good reactions to our playing system and stuff like that."
🌹 pic.twitter.com/HDL0e2Hz2s
— Gabe Watson (@Gymratgabe11) August 17, 2019
Players Mentioned
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